The Crow's Call by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Happy Book Release Day!  There are several new books out today.  They include:  The Numbers Game by Danielle Steel, One Little Lie by Colleen Coble, The Ungodly Hour by Laura E. Egan, The Happy Camper by Melody Carlson, Secrets of My Heart by Tracie Peterson, Mouse of Cards by Erin Johnson, Love and Marriage at Harpers by Rosie Clarke, Lavender Blue Murder by Laura Childs, and An Amish Picnic by Amy Clipston, Vannetta Chapman, Kelly Irvin and Kathleen Fuller.  A nice variety of books!  Which one appeals to you?  

The Crow’s Call by Wanda E.Brunstetter takes us on a journey to Strasburg, Pennsylvania in April.  The King family is celebrating Belinda’s (the mother) birthday with a special dinner.  When they go to eat the cake, there is no ice cream.  Vernon, Toby and Abe decide to run to the store for the creamy confection.  The buggy has just left the drive when it is hit by a semi leaving the remaining members of the family devastated.  With the greenhouse as their only source of income, they must get back to work.  Amy had been courting Jared for a year and knows that a proposal is imminent.  Now, though, her mother needs her help in running the greenhouse.  She cannot marry and leave her mother to struggle alone.  Sylvia, her older sister, is grief stricken at the loss of her husband along with her father and brother.  She is left with two young children to raise which she finds overwhelming. Henry King is fifteen years old and now must assume the work that was previously done by his father and older brother, Abe.  He resents doing work that he does not enjoy and takes out his anger on the family.  Belinda and Amy are struggling to get through each day when the incidents begin.  A pipe breaks, bees in the greenhouse, and all their fall plants destroyed are just a few of the problems.  It seems someone wants them out of business, but who is behind the sabotage?

The Crow’s Call by Wanda E. Brunstetter is the first novel in the Amish Greenhouse Mystery series.  Michelle and Ezekiel from The Prayer Jar trilogy are in this series.  I thought The Crow’s Call was well-written with steady pacing and developed, realistic characters.  You could feel the character’s emotions pouring from the pages.  I felt so bad for this family who suffered such a devastating loss.  To lose three family members in one day is unthinkable.  Each one of them is grieving and each one handles it differently.  They struggle to get through each day.  Their workload has increased, but they must soldier on.  Unfortunately, Sylvia, the eldest daughter, is too grief stricken to do more than mind her children.  Henry, the youngest child, is full of anger and bitterness which he takes out on the family.  Amy is our main protagonist.  Before the deaths, she was looking forward to her beau proposing.  With all the added responsibilities, Amy has little time to see Jared Riehl.  Ezekiel and Michelle are settled in Clymer, New York where their bee business is doing well, and Ezekiel just drew the lot for a minister.  He feels he should move back home, but his mother does not want him to disrupt his new life.  I enjoyed getting to know the various characters and their stories.  It makes for an interesting book.  As if the King family does not have enough to handle, someone starts sabotaging the greenhouse.  They do not know if it is Henry acting out, the new English neighbors, the homeless woman, the owners of the new greenhouse in town or an unknown entity.  The crow was an interesting addition.  Amy has feared crows since a child and believes its caw foretells doom.  Is the crow warning them of danger or just a coincidence?  Faith plays an important part of the King family’s lives.  A terrible tragedy can either draw you closer to God or pull you away.  We see a combination of both in The Crow’s Call.  The Crow’s Call allows us to follow the King family as they struggle with their grief and attempt to move forward with their lives.  It is not an easy process.  You move forward a step and then go two steps backward.  This realistic novel will tug at your heartstrings.  The Crow’s Call has family, friendship, community, faith and mystery.  I am eager to read The Mockingbird’s Song when it is released.  

The Crow's Call is available from Amazon* and other major booksellers (Barnes & Noble, CBD, Kobo, Google Play).  The next book is The Mockingbird's Song (no release date yet). Sign up for Wanda E. Brunstetter's newsletter so you can be notified of new releases. Thank you for taking the time to read my review today.  I will be back tomorrow with my review of The Numbers Game by Danielle Steel.  Here is the book pun of the day:  The author wasn't pleased to see a review of his book on cappuccinos.  The review said the book was all froth and no substance! I hope you have a harmonious day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader  

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