The Tinderbox by Beverly Lewis

Good Day!  A Killer Latte by Tonya Kappes will be out on April 23.  It is the sixth A Killer Coffee Mystery.  Sifting through Clues by Daryl Wood Gerber is the eighth A Cookbook Nook Mystery & also comes out on April 23.  You do not want to miss this engaging new cozy mystery which I will feature on April 20. Knit One, Die Two by Peggy Ehrhart comes out on April 30 with The Refuge by Ann H. Gabhart (I just got a copy of this one).  Kylie Logan has a new cozy mystery series coming out on May 7.  The Scent of Murder is the first book in A Jazz Ramsey Mystery series.  I saw a saying recently that I thought I would share with you.  "In my dream world books are free and reading makes you thin."

The Tinderbox by Beverly Lewis takes readers to Hickory Hollow, Pennsylvania.  Sylvia Miller has always been curious about the brass tinderbox in her father’s clock shop.  She knows that it is a family heirloom, but her father, Earnest keeps the box locked which peaks her curiosity.  One day Sylvia is dusting the clock shop and finds the key to the box.  She opens the it and is surprised by what she finds inside the box.    Sylvia is puzzled by one of the items and reluctant to discuss it with her father.  When Earnest realizes that Sylvia looked in the tinderbox, he feels he must tell his wife, Rhoda the truth about his past. This long held secret distresses Rhoda and it endangers his marriage just before their twentieth anniversary.  When Sylvia sees that Rhoda is distraught, she presses her father for answers.  His revelation stuns Sylvia and upsets their once close relationship.  The ramifications of Earnest’s confession are just being felt.  If word gets out, it can disrupt Sylvia’s engagement to the preacher’s son as well as their standing within their community.  Can the Miller family recover from Earnest’s deception? 

 

The Tinderbox is different from other Amish novels.  It addresses unique issues.  Sylvia is eighteen years old and has been courting Titus Kauffman, the preacher’s son.  She is sure that he will propose soon.  Sylvia has always been close to her father, but she does not understand why he is reluctant to discuss his past. When Sylvia gets the opportunity to look inside her father’s tinderbox, she cannot resist.  Little did she know that her snooping would unleash a host of problems.  In The Tinderbox we see what happens when an old secret is revealed and its repercussions.  There is quite a bit going on in the story.  Besides the secret, we have Sylvia’s relationship with Titus, Rhoda’s sister has suffered a miscarriage, and Preacher Mahlon Zook is dying.  Mahlon Zook has cancer and he is the man who welcomed Earnest into the community.  They have always been close, and his death is upsetting to Earnest.  He needs to be there for the Zook family while dealing with his own problems.  Titus is one individual I was not fond of in the story.  As the story progresses, Titus’s disposition is revealed (I do not want to give anything away).  The Tinderbox is well-written (as are all of Beverly Lewis’s novels) and the story progresses at a gentle pace (a little slow for my taste).  The characters are developed and realistic. What I call Christian elements (prayer, faith, Scripture) are an intrinsic part of the story and the characters’ lives. We see how this secret causes issues of trust and creates a division.  Is it possible to forgive and move forward?  I like this phrase from The Tinderbox that addresses this issue “forgiveness is one of the greatest forms of love”.   My favorite phrase from the book is “Remember, we’re connected to our heavenly Father by threads of love we can’t always see.” The ending will astonish readers and have you eager to read The Timepiece.  The Tinderbox is a moving and intriguing Amish story.

The Timepiece will be available on September 17, 2019 (my birthday--I hit a milestone this year).  Thank you for visiting my blog today.  Tomorrow I am sharing my review of A Dream of Death by Connie Berry.  The first book in A Kate Hamilton Mystery series.  There will be a giveaway!  I hope you have a blissful day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader