Ever Present Danger

I absolutely lvoed this book. I read a lot of Christian mysteries, etc. and will definitely purchase more of Kathy Herman's books. She holds your interest to the very last page, a "page turner"!

Popular, honor student Ivy Griffith went down the wrong path starting with dating Pete Barton basketball player and hanging out with his buddies Reg and Denny. As the fab four getting stoned was the normal way of life. Than one afternoon Ivy sat dumbstruck and stoned in Pete's car as Pete strangled Joe Hadley classmate and teammate and Pete, Reg and Denny buried his body. The fab four made a pack to never tell what happened. Spinning out of control Ivy ran from home to college never looking back. Ten years later thanks to seventy year old Lu Ramirez, Ivy has cleaned up her life, has been off drugs for three years and has a seven year old son Montana. Gramma Lu as Montana calls her lived next door and cared for Montana when Ivy was stoned and pulled Ivy back from the pit of self-destruction. But now Lu is dying and Ivy doesn't know what else to do but go home to her parents even if it means facing the past. Ivy's parents welcome her home and take care of the arrangements for Lu after she dies and starts to help take care of Ivy and Montana. Pete keeps hanging around pressuring her to make sure she keeps the pact. Also in her life is Bill Ziwicki one time classmate and drug dealer for the fab four. At the high school reunion feeling pressured by Pete, Ivy agrees to sit with the fab four. Reg and Denny get very drunk and Ivy suggests Pete should take them to their room. While gone Ivy dances with Bill with a start of a romance. Later Ivy worries about Pete being gone for so long so Ivy and Bill go to the guys' room to find all three have been murdered! Bill and Ivy find themselves in the mist of a murder investigation and the police and FBI believe both murders are related and that Bill and Ivy are involved. And that is only the beginning....... This awesome page turner was too good to put down! Not only is it a compelling story but you'll learn about God's unfailing forgiveness and grace. Between the pages is an awesome lesson of temptation and how sin leads to more sin. Author Kathy Herman has done an outstanding job of telling this story of suspense and intrigue. A perfect read for high schoolers and adults alike. Also included is a reader's guide perfect for a reader's group or even a Bible study as the teaching is that amazing. But what I really liked was the "Afterword", a letter written by the author to the reader that will have you stopping and analyzing your own life long after you've finished this book. So sit back and enjoy this awesome spellbinding tale and be prepared the ending is amazing!

Ivy Griffith was a disapointment to her parents. In school she preferred getting stoned with her boyfriend, Pete, and two of his friends to studying. Then an argument got out of hand, and Pete and the others murdered Joe Hadley as Ivy watched. The four agreed to never tell what happened. Ivy went away to college, and spent the next ten years trying to forget. Most of the time she wandered in a drug and alcohol induced haze. Now she's clean, has a young son and has returned back home to try to make her peace with her parents. The four high school friends are reunited at a school reunion. They are still keeping to the pact, although Ivy has some reservations about whether she should come clean or not. Then someone starts killing off Ivy's friends until she's the only one left who knows what happened to Joe Hadley. Or is she? As usual, Kathy Herman serves up a tense, fast paced mystery that will keep the reader guessing right up to the end.

After a ten year absence, Ivy Griffith is returning home to Jacob's Ear, Colorado, with her seven year old son, Montana, and her closest friend, seventy year old Lucia. Her parents, especially her father, have mixed emotions about their prodigal daughter's return. Will she stay this time or leave, shredding their hearts once more? This time, Ivy has every intention to stay. She has a past to make amends for, but first needs to be sure her son will have a loving home. Ten years ago while high on drugs, Ivy, her bad boy boyfriend Pete Barton and their friends Denny Richards and Reg Morrison murdered a classmate and buried his body where it couldn't be found. They swore a pact to one another to keep their secret. The fall after graduation, they went their separate ways and their secret went with them. Now, it has driven Ivy back home. But before Ivy can confess to her part in the long-ago crime, bones are discovered at her father's new condo development. After ten long years, Joe Hadley has been found. Pressure mounts on Ivy to keep her part of the pact. Pete Barton moved back to Jacob's Ear before Ivy arrived and the other two, Denny and Reg, swing into town for a visit and to remind Ivy of their pact. She decides to keep her secret until after their ten year class reunion. But by the end of the evening, the sheriff has three more murders on his hands and Ivy is left to wonder if she's next. Ever Present Danger is the first book in the Phantom Hollow series by Kathy Herman. Readers of her previous novels may recognize two of the characters in this book, Brandon Jones and his wife Kelsey, from Not By Chance, Book 4 in the Seaport Suspense Series. Brandon is employed by the Three Peaks Christian Camp and Conference Center, owned by Elam Griffith. He's involved in a subplot of his own, one that may destroy his marriage before its first anniversary. But this book is Ivy's story, as she seeks to right a terrible wrong and put to rest her guilt. She needs the support of her family and friends to find the courage to face up to her past. But will she live long enough to confess or will the killer get to her first? Cheryl Russell [...]

Is Ivy Griffith guilty of murder? Or is the fact that she witnessed then conspired to cover up murder a lesser crime? In her latest release, Ever Present Danger, Kathy Herman brings us a confused high school senior Ivy Griffith, who doesn't know the difference. She spends ten years trying to numb her guilt with drugs, until she finally comes clean and returns to her hometown of Jacob's Ear, Colorado to make things right. Knowing her confession will likely lead to a jail sentence, Ivy must allow time for her seven-year-old son, Montana to bond with her parents before she spills the details. But at her ten-year high school reunion, a surprising twist of events puts her plan on hold. Discovering whether Ivy finds the courage to confess her part in the murder and face her punishment will keep you reading until the end. And I did just that read each and every page. I have to admit that I figured out who did it early on in the story. What you say, did what? You'll have to read the book to discover that little secret. You don't want me to spoil the surprise. But even though I was pretty certain how the book would end it didn't discourage me from reading and enjoying the complete novel. In the first of her Phantom Hollow series, Herman successfully weaves suspense with a strong family drama. The book begins with great character angst and pain, and some readers might question if it really is a suspense novel. But keep reading as the story takes a sharp turn toward suspense when a surprising sub-plot surfaces and speeds up the page turning. A strong faith message is woven throughout the book reminding all of us that compromise even on the smallest things can lead to downfall. Herman's plots are strong and move stories forward, but her characters are her real strength. I've never met a character Herman created that I couldn't identify with or develop strong emotions about, and Ever Present Danger is no exception. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who wants to get to know and come to care for the book's starring cast. Ever Present Danger is in The Suspense Zone's giveaway so be sure to register to win a copy. And if you don't win, be sure to buy a copy as this is a story you don't want to miss.