Monday, May 15, 2023

IN THE SHADOW OF THE RIVER by Ann H. Gabhart, Reviewed by Paula Shreckhise #NewRelease



One of my favorite authors, Ms. Gabhart pens a fascinating tale of life on a showboat in 1881. Not only does she give us interesting facts about a showboat traveling and stopping to entertain, she gives us a mysterious story from the past that catches up with Jacci Reed who has spent most of her life as an actress aboard The Kingston Floating Palace.

These people have become her family but something happens to disrupt her peaceful existence and threaten her life. Jacci strives to separate the performances on the stage of the showboat and the scenes played out on her real-life stage. Her family aboard the boat gathers to protect her, especially Gabe, the owner’s son and longtime friend, who keeps telling her that he is not her brother. They try to discover who of the newcomers could be out to harm her and in the process discover that they are growing closer than brother and sister.
A wonderfully woven tale with danger, secrets, family, faith and romance.

*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Revell on behalf of the author and through Revell Reads Review Program. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*5 stars and a solid faith thread 

BackCover Blurb:

If all the world's a stage, Jacci will play her part.

She only hopes her story does not turn out to be a tragedy.

In 1881, Jacci Reed is only five years old when a man attempts to kidnap her from the steamboat her mother, Irena, works on. Badly wounded during the confrontation, Irena takes Jacci aboard the Kingston Floating Palace, a showboat tied up beside them. There, Jacci's actor grandfather tends to her mother, and Jacci gets a first taste of the life she will come to lead.

Fifteen years later, Jacci is an actress aboard that same showboat and largely contented with her adopted family of actors, singers, and dancers. Especially Gabe, who has always supported her, and the gruff grandfather she has come to know and love. Jacci's mother has been gone for years, but the memory of the altercation that ultimately took her life--and the cryptic things Jacci has overheard about her past--is always there, lurking in the back of her mind.

When someone on the showboat tries to kill Jacci, it's clear her questions demand answers. But secrets have a way of staying in the shadows . . . and the answers she craves will not come easily.


Revell Publishing, May 9, 2023
Available in digital ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook:



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