My take on: Twist of Faith

Ava Saunders has always had a difficult relationship with her adoptive mother, Claire. Growing up, Ava never understood the nomadic lifestyle Claire subjected her to. Moving from town to town, never setting down roots or making lasting friendships was the norm for Ava and Claire. Questioning Claire about her past, has never resulted in answers for Ava. All Ava knows about her past, is that she was left on the steps of a convent as an infant. How or why she came to be there remains a mystery. Now that Claire has died suddenly, Ava is determined to solve that mystery. A photo of an abandoned house, found in Claire's belongings, could be the first piece of the puzzle in Twist of Faith by Ellen J. Green.

Ava's life was a mess before and after Claire's death. She's managed to hold down a job at the local courthouse, but the end of each day is lost in a sea of alcohol. Her moments of clarity are spent delving into her past. She's convinced that photo is the key to everything, and Ava's not the only one. Someone is following her. That someone might have even broken into Ava's home. Things have been moved and the picture is missing. Is Ava getting too close to the truth? Perhaps, and that means she can't continue this quest on her own. Ava's friends and co-workers, Joanne and Russell get pulled into the fray. Russell is a cop and uses his connections to get information. The deeper they investigate, the more danger they encounter.

The chapters are short and to the point, making it a bit of a compulsive read. With each chapter I kept reading. I wanted to know what was the big mystery. The book is told from multiple perspectives, which sometimes made the story difficult to follow. But I thought the author did a good job of planting seeds in each chapter. As a character, Ava was annoying because I kept wanting her to grow up. What Ava was lacking, Joanne made up for with her sassiness and strength. Russell was often the voice of reason but occasionally he let his attraction to Ava cloud his judgment. I think where the book came up short was the ending, specifically the last page. You have to read the book to know what I'm talking about. I didn't expect the cliffhanger, for me it came out of left field. Overall, it was a worthy read.


Rating: Give it a try

Note: I received a copy of the book from the publisher (Thomas & Mercer) in exchange for an honest review.