Scan barcode
thepagelady's review
4.0
Book Review…A Bend of Light by Joy Jordan Lake
Five years after the war, Amie Stilwell returns home. Jobless and discouraged but stubbornly resourceful. Waiting for her is Shibby Travis, the friend Amie never lost touch with. But the unexpected also awaits. An abandoned boy, a Boston socialite found dead in Amie’s barn and an old friend, believed to be a casualty of war, suddenly reappears. Trained to see what others cannot, to scan for clues, and to expose enemies, Amie uses her skills to protect a child, solve a crime, and find the motive behind a veteran’s masquerade.
This was an interesting story. Amie is a photographic interpreter. She would take pictures behind enemy lines and would then analyze each photo to see where weapons could be hidden or where soldiers could be hidden.i never knew they did this so it was really interesting to read about. The story flows really well, the characters are wonderful and I liked the touch of romance added to the mystery! It's an engaging historical fiction story that captures you till the very end! Thank you Get Red PR and Joy Jordan Lake for sharing this book with me!
Five years after the war, Amie Stilwell returns home. Jobless and discouraged but stubbornly resourceful. Waiting for her is Shibby Travis, the friend Amie never lost touch with. But the unexpected also awaits. An abandoned boy, a Boston socialite found dead in Amie’s barn and an old friend, believed to be a casualty of war, suddenly reappears. Trained to see what others cannot, to scan for clues, and to expose enemies, Amie uses her skills to protect a child, solve a crime, and find the motive behind a veteran’s masquerade.
This was an interesting story. Amie is a photographic interpreter. She would take pictures behind enemy lines and would then analyze each photo to see where weapons could be hidden or where soldiers could be hidden.i never knew they did this so it was really interesting to read about. The story flows really well, the characters are wonderful and I liked the touch of romance added to the mystery! It's an engaging historical fiction story that captures you till the very end! Thank you Get Red PR and Joy Jordan Lake for sharing this book with me!
vkaz's review
4.0
Took me a while to get into the book, but it picked up about halfway through. Prose is beautiful and descriptive, the characters authentic and deeply flawed but most are on a redemption arc.
revtambi's review
5.0
Having read Joy Jordan-Lake's first three novels, I was eager to explore a village in coastal Maine with her as my guide. Jordan-Lake's characters are richly imagined. I was particularly drawn to Amie Stilwell, Shibboleth Travis, and Kalia Clarke - three strong women whose wisdom and gifts enrich the community.
Amie is a worthy protagonist; I was fascinated by the ways she used the skills she honed during WWII to get to the bottom of a series of puzzling events. Shibby's pithy sayings - particularly her version of the Beatitudes - made me smile, and her deep love for those who feel unloved inspired me. And how I wish I could dig into a meal prepared by Kalia!
Jordan-Lake's attention to details makes it easy to immerse yourself in the story, helping you to engage your senses as you read. This book is worth your time; I suspect you'll want to read it more than once.
Amie is a worthy protagonist; I was fascinated by the ways she used the skills she honed during WWII to get to the bottom of a series of puzzling events. Shibby's pithy sayings - particularly her version of the Beatitudes - made me smile, and her deep love for those who feel unloved inspired me. And how I wish I could dig into a meal prepared by Kalia!
Jordan-Lake's attention to details makes it easy to immerse yourself in the story, helping you to engage your senses as you read. This book is worth your time; I suspect you'll want to read it more than once.
judithdcollins's review
4.0
Joy Jordan-Lake returns following [b:Under a Gilded Moon|52128630|Under a Gilded Moon|Joy Jordan-Lake|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1600326597l/52128630._SY75_.jpg|75752487] with A BEND OF LIGHT —set in a quaint coastal Maine fishing village in the 1950s, post–World War II America, a blending of historical fiction and tantalizing mystery as the dark secrets of the past and present are unraveled.
Amie is a photo interpreter, having served as a WAC in England during WWII and is returning to her hometown in Maine five years after the war.
Shibby Travis, the surrogate mother (who raised her) with whom Amie never lost touch is there, and she looks forward to reconnecting. On her way to meet her, she spots a car (Bentley) parked on railroad tracks in the path of an approaching train. She manages to push him off the tracks, but he disappears without a word which haunts her.
As she begins her life in Pelican Cove, several disturbing events will lead to an ongoing mystery to be solved.
A six-year-old boy named Chester
abandoned with a note outside of a cafe
A dead body in a barn
A Vet with PTSD suddenly reappears
A maroon Bentley and mysterious driver
Attempted murder of a beautiful young stranger.
Aime uses her trained skills to see what others cannot as she unravels the mystery, searching for clues to expose the dark secrets. She wants to protect this child while helping to solve a crime and the motives behind the crime. While doing so, she must confront her painful secret past.
From loss, war, and despair to joy, love, and redemption.
As always, Joy is a pro with her meticulous research, historical facts, and lyrical prose. Her characters are well developed and highly relatable, and her settings are vivid and descriptive, drawing you into the world of the 1950s, which is one I grew up in and find fascinating.
I enjoyed learning more about the intriguing photo interpreters, and the author includes further reading. It is interesting to see how those skills relate to her investigative ones.
If you enjoy mysteries and historical fiction, this is for you!
"What we remember, she thought, looking out to where the lights of the shops played over the harbor, is so much like that, bouncing and refracting, leaving some things bright and glittering, some things shadowed and blurred. Even that, though, could be healing and good."
A special thank you to Lake Union and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Sept 6, 2022
My Rating: 4 Stars
Sep 2022 Must-Read Books
Amie is a photo interpreter, having served as a WAC in England during WWII and is returning to her hometown in Maine five years after the war.
Shibby Travis, the surrogate mother (who raised her) with whom Amie never lost touch is there, and she looks forward to reconnecting. On her way to meet her, she spots a car (Bentley) parked on railroad tracks in the path of an approaching train. She manages to push him off the tracks, but he disappears without a word which haunts her.
As she begins her life in Pelican Cove, several disturbing events will lead to an ongoing mystery to be solved.
A six-year-old boy named Chester
abandoned with a note outside of a cafe
A dead body in a barn
A Vet with PTSD suddenly reappears
A maroon Bentley and mysterious driver
Attempted murder of a beautiful young stranger.
Aime uses her trained skills to see what others cannot as she unravels the mystery, searching for clues to expose the dark secrets. She wants to protect this child while helping to solve a crime and the motives behind the crime. While doing so, she must confront her painful secret past.
From loss, war, and despair to joy, love, and redemption.
As always, Joy is a pro with her meticulous research, historical facts, and lyrical prose. Her characters are well developed and highly relatable, and her settings are vivid and descriptive, drawing you into the world of the 1950s, which is one I grew up in and find fascinating.
I enjoyed learning more about the intriguing photo interpreters, and the author includes further reading. It is interesting to see how those skills relate to her investigative ones.
If you enjoy mysteries and historical fiction, this is for you!
"What we remember, she thought, looking out to where the lights of the shops played over the harbor, is so much like that, bouncing and refracting, leaving some things bright and glittering, some things shadowed and blurred. Even that, though, could be healing and good."
A special thank you to Lake Union and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Sept 6, 2022
My Rating: 4 Stars
Sep 2022 Must-Read Books
rochelleweinstein's review
5.0
In Joy Jordan-Lake's latest novel, we follow Amie Stilwell, courageous and strong-willed, as she tackles a series of mysteries while confronting her past.
As Amie returns home to her quiet coastal town in post WWII America, she's met by a young boy carrying a note asking to be cared for, a dead socialite, and a friend from the past, assumed dead, who suddenly reappears. Amie doesn't waste any time using her skills as a photo interpreter to uncover the truth.
Deftly written and meticulously researched, Joy Jordan-Lake delivers a masterful novel of secrets and time and place. With pitch-perfect prose and flawless details, A Bend Of Light is a thoughtful read, solidifying Jordan-Lake's status as a standout voice in historical fiction.
As Amie returns home to her quiet coastal town in post WWII America, she's met by a young boy carrying a note asking to be cared for, a dead socialite, and a friend from the past, assumed dead, who suddenly reappears. Amie doesn't waste any time using her skills as a photo interpreter to uncover the truth.
Deftly written and meticulously researched, Joy Jordan-Lake delivers a masterful novel of secrets and time and place. With pitch-perfect prose and flawless details, A Bend Of Light is a thoughtful read, solidifying Jordan-Lake's status as a standout voice in historical fiction.
memull17's review
4.5
A Bend of Light is a historical fiction mystery mashup done really well. Five years after the end of the war, Amie returns to her hometown having left the job she was expecting a promotion at. Her hometown doesn’t quite feel the same as when she left with the ghost of her best friend still haunting her. Amie reconnects with her surrogate mother and her new ward, an adorable 6 year old boy dropped off with a note saying he needs looking after. When too many mysterious things start to catch Amir’s eye after the body of the aloof woman she met while out taking pictures is found, Amie calls upon her skills from the war to help put together the puzzle pieces.
I was pleasantly surprised with how much I really enjoyed this story once it picked up. The beginning of the book starts out rather slow but it picks up around 35% of the way in and then it has you hooked. Amie was a great main character and adorable Chester and Hopkins the dog were so cute together.
I was pleasantly surprised with how much I really enjoyed this story once it picked up. The beginning of the book starts out rather slow but it picks up around 35% of the way in and then it has you hooked. Amie was a great main character and adorable Chester and Hopkins the dog were so cute together.
purrfectpages's review
3.0
With World War II a not so distant memory, a photographic interpreter named Amie Stilwell reluctantly returns to her hometown in Maine. In between jobs, Amie is floundering in more ways than one. Adding to her distress is being back home, the last place she expected to go to for a fresh start.
Luckily Amie has Shibby, a woman whose been like a mother to her. Together the two women find a boy who needs shelter. They take him in, but as more mysteries (and people) resurface, a return to a simpler life ends up growing more complicated than Amie ever expected.
There’s a lot to unpack in this novel as it has many angles and layers. While loosely connected, all roads come back to life in the aftermath of war. For Amie, she’s tackling both the professional and personal fallout. But the characters she comes in contact with are casualties, too.
Having never lived through a major war myself I’ve always been fascinated by the romanticism that often comes along with the subject matter. A Bend of Light, however, takes a different approach to the genre. Fans of historical fiction mixed with mystery will enjoy this unique take on an otherwise prominent backdrop for historical novels
Luckily Amie has Shibby, a woman whose been like a mother to her. Together the two women find a boy who needs shelter. They take him in, but as more mysteries (and people) resurface, a return to a simpler life ends up growing more complicated than Amie ever expected.
There’s a lot to unpack in this novel as it has many angles and layers. While loosely connected, all roads come back to life in the aftermath of war. For Amie, she’s tackling both the professional and personal fallout. But the characters she comes in contact with are casualties, too.
Having never lived through a major war myself I’ve always been fascinated by the romanticism that often comes along with the subject matter. A Bend of Light, however, takes a different approach to the genre. Fans of historical fiction mixed with mystery will enjoy this unique take on an otherwise prominent backdrop for historical novels
lisaarnsdorf's review
I couldn't get into the story, and after our book club discussion, I wasn't enthusiastic about picking it back up. Maybe I'll come back to it in the future.
amy_alwaysreading's review
2.5
Many thanks to @tlcbooktours for including me on this tour.
There were many things to love about this story:
📷Bold female characters
📷Small town setting
📷1950’s vibe
📷Look into photo interpreters
📷Theme of found family
📷Slow burn mystery
And yet, I found myself wanting. With disjointed writing and a muddled plot, the I quickly found myself waning of interest. Perhaps if I had felt connected to the characters or setting, the missteps in storyline could’ve been overlooked. Unfortunately, the things I usually love within this book were overrun by the parts that didn’t work.
There were many things to love about this story:
📷Bold female characters
📷Small town setting
📷1950’s vibe
📷Look into photo interpreters
📷Theme of found family
📷Slow burn mystery
And yet, I found myself wanting. With disjointed writing and a muddled plot, the I quickly found myself waning of interest. Perhaps if I had felt connected to the characters or setting, the missteps in storyline could’ve been overlooked. Unfortunately, the things I usually love within this book were overrun by the parts that didn’t work.