Carol Awards Semi-Finalists 2023 -Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

First off — what exactly are the Carol Awards?

They are awards given out by American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) in recognition of outstanding Christian fiction in the previous calendar year. So these 2023 finalists are books published in 2022. You might have read them already, you might not. I’ll include links to books I’ve read and reviewed.

How does this giveaway work?

You select which of the Carol Award finalists 2023 — Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Category you would like to receive. Mention the title in your comment (or an email if you’re entering that way) and if you win, that’s the book that will be sent to you. Easy Peasy.

Of Note: In past years, ACFW has announced the three finalists of each category in June and then the winners during their annual Writer’s Conference in late August/early September. This year they’ve switched it up and have announced seven semi-finalists in each category which will be whittled down to three finalists the first day of the conference at the end of August and then the winners in each category will be announced on the final day of the conference. So., with only two days in between the finalist announcements and the winner announcements, we’re going to have to go with wading through the seven semi-finalists so these weekly giveaways are going to be lengthy. Sorry about that. And now here are the Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Semi-Finalists.

Cliffhanger by Susan Page Davis; Scrivenings Press — paperback or ebook giveaway —

A charming themed inn, breaking waves, and a missing guest. What more could one ask? 

The Novel Inn’s reopening goes smoothly until a guest vanishes. The new owners prepare for their first large group—a former squad of cheerleaders meeting for a reunion. Things go awry when the head cheerleader fails to show up. Sisters Kate and Jillian, the innkeepers, enlist the help of their brother Rick, a local police officer. They’re confident the missing woman will be found, but they soon learn to expect the unexpected, even during a walk on the beach.

The Case of the Artist’s Mistake by Jan Drexler; indie — paper or ebook giveaway – The new art gallery in town is causing quite a stir, and Emma is in the middle of it!
The Sweetbrier Inn is filled with guests, and the town is teeming with tourists who have come to celebrate Paragon Days, the official kickoff to the summer tourist season. But even before the festivities start, amateur sleuth Emma Blackwood stumbles upon a dead body. With no visible signs of violence, Deputy Cal determines the death is from natural causes, but Emma isn’t so sure. Why would a seemingly healthy woman drop dead? And what does the picture she was holding have to do with it? If Emma doesn’t solve this puzzle soon, a killer may get away with committing the perfect crime.

To Heal a Heart by Shane Layle; Guidepost — no editions available for giveaway — To Heal a Heart is the 9th book in the Miracles & Mysteries of Mercy Hospital fiction series. Evelyn Perry’s morning stroll with her husband takes an unlikely turn when they witness a runaway horse-drawn carriage hit a man riding his bike. She rushes to his aid and sees him off to Mercy Hospital. But soon Evelyn discovers that the carriage driver was operating off-route, and when a witness insists the incident wasn’t an accident, Evelyn begins to wonder if there is more going on beneath the surface. The victim, Paul Simmons, is a likable guy with no enemies. So why would someone try to hurt him? Can Evelyn find out the truth behind the accident before someone else gets hurt?

Fallout by Carrie Stuart Parks; Thomas Nelson — paperback or ebook giveaway — In the dusty farming community of LaCrosse, Washington, art teacher Samantha Williams manages to save her students when an SUV crashes into the school. Her car isn’t so lucky. Oddly, her purse—containing her driver’s license, credit cards, and other identification—is missing from the wreckage, forcing her to rely on the kindness of strangers. Never one to trust easily, Samantha is thrust into a world far different from her simple life of jigsaw puzzles, children’s books, and lectures at the library.

One of the strangers who befriends her is a reporter from Spokane who is in town investigating two sets of skeletal remains that were recently discovered. When authorities discover that the driver in the school accident was shot before the crash, Samantha quickly becomes enmeshed in strange events, which turn ominous with the discovery of blackmail, murder, an abandoned town, and a secret government project.

Samantha has long tried to forget the tragedy of her past, but the links here can’t be ignored. Yet these are secrets that others are determined to keep buried, and they’ll use any means necessary to stop Samantha’s search for truth.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4621051624

Pieces of Dark, Pieces of Light by Linda W. Rooks; Elk Publishing Inc. — ebook giveaway —

In 2052, weapons of mass destruction are relics of the past until an unlikely discovery in Tajikistan thrusts their danger into the present. To keep terrorists away from the weapons, US leaders call on American diplomat Janssen LaMarche, whose diplomatic skills, family connections, and charismatic personality make him uniquely qualified to avert a world crisis. But before LaMarche begins his mission, doctors identify a health problem as terminal. Now forced to wage a life and death battle for himself, he must first travel back in time where an unknown fate awaits him, and family secrets on two continents come to light.

As a world crisis moves the plot through suspenseful twists and surprises, at the heart of the story is the personal saga of a man on a mission and the women who fear for his life.

Off the Chain by Janice Thompson; Barbour Publishing — paperback or ebook giveaway –– Marigold Evans’ first attempt at rescuing an abandoned pooch lands her in a drainage pipe in Brenham Texas. . .and almost in jail, until Parker Jenson comes to her rescue. Then a bad day only gets worse as the Lone Star Vet Clinic, where they both work, is vandalized and the list of suspects starts to climb. With the help of her fellow employees, Marigold sets out to simultaneously solve the crime, rehab the rescued dog, and help more dogs in crisis. But why would anyone continue to work against all their good efforts?

The Souls of Lost Lake by Jaime Jo Wright; Bethany House (Baker Publishing Group) — paper or ebook giveaway — Wren Blythe has long enjoyed being among the Northwoods, helping her father with programming at a youth camp. But when a little girl in the area goes missing, an all-out search ensues, reviving the decades-old campfire story of Ava Coons, the murderess, who still roams the woods. Joining the search, Wren stumbles upon the Coons cabin ruins and a rotting porcelain doll. But even more terrifying is seeing her name etched on the doll’s foot like a sinister omen.

https://bestreads-kav.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-souls-of-lost-lake.html

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Please pay attention to the book formats available for this giveaway noted after the publication info for each individual title. Ebook wins are available to anyone, anywhere who has a .com kindle account. Paperbacks are available to readers in US and Canada.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of one of these Carol Awards semi-finalists, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday July 22, 2023. Good luck!

51 thoughts on “Carol Awards Semi-Finalists 2023 -Mystery/Suspense/Thriller”

  6. As much as my heart may be drawn to cozy mysteries, on this one I have to pick “Fallout” by Carrie Stuart Parks. It sounds amazing and makes me want to just sit down and read it. It is already on my TBR list too.

    Thank you for the fabulous chance to win a copy. Have a wonderful week!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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    1. Oooh, I didn’t know it was a real town! That’s cool. I know about bluebonnets from the children’s picture book, The Legend of Blue Bonnet by Tommy DePaola but hadn’t heard about the ice cream. This sounds like a great cozy mystery series. Good luck, CC!

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  11. Souls of Lost Lake was soooooo good. I’ll choose Fall Out as Carrie’s books are great. Thank you book twin. leliamae54(at)aol(dot)com

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  12. I will have to throw in for the popular Jamie Jo Wright book!
    The Souls of Lost Lake. It’s the only one of hers I don’t have.
    paulamarys49ATgmailDOTcom

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  15. Oh I see cozy mysteries up there! I didn’t know Jan Drexler wrote one, I think of Amish fiction when I see her name.

    My pick is “Cliffhanger” by Susan Page Davis. I’ve read a few of her books and enjoy her writing.

    I agree with everyone, Jaime Jo Wright is amazing! You can’t go wrong with her books. I’ve read all but her two latest ones (Premonition of Withers Farm and The Vanishing at Castle Moreau)….those I have in paperback waiting for me 😁 I just gotta get brave enough 😂😂

    AND…she has another one coming out in April 2024 entitled “Night Falls on Predicament Avenue”. Yikes!!

    teamob4 (at) gmail (dot) com

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    1. I read the first book in Jan Drexler’s series and it was good…and bit of a stretch from her Amish fiction but a fun read — I do love a versatile author! You’re the first one to pick Cliffhanger! I haven’t read anything by Susan Page Davis in ages. Okay…you actually have two unread Jaime Jo Wright books in your library right now?! I’m amazed at your self-control. 🙂 And thanks for the inside scoop on the title for her next book…all her titles are so odd but they fit the stories. I wonder who thinks of them — her or her publisher? Good luck, Trixi!

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  16. I’ll go with Souls of Lost Lake. I think I’ve only read one other book by this author because several of her books have sounded kind of creepy to me, but I’ve read the reviews for this one and it definitely sounds intriguing 🙂

    ckbarker at gmail dot com

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  18. I’m choosing Fallout by Carrie Stuart Parks because the suspense sounds like it’s over the top! Plus your review nudged me that way, too. I would choose Jaime Jo Wright’s but I’ve read everything she’s published but I’m patiently waiting for The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theatre which comes out on October 10th….sigh.

    So little Brenham, TX is a real place! Bluebell Ice Cream, an antique rose emporium, a lavender farm and is very near the site that’s considered the birthplace of Texas. I need to take a day trip there, I’ve only driven through on the way to my Dads. If you ever get this far south, I’ll meet you there! 😊😊😊😊

    Perrianne Askew
    perrianne (DOT) askew (AT) me (DOT) com

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    1. Oh wow, so she has another one coming out before the 2024 release?! Who knew? Fallout is awesome for the suspense…all kinds of skews plot twists. 🙂

      Oh…and antique rose emporium and a lavender farm? I’m in for a road trip…once this whole heat dome thing over Texas thing goes away. I don’t do hot well. In fact, how does one even eat ice cream in Texas? It would melt by your third spoonful. 🙂 Good luck, Perrianne!

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      1. Yep! jaime Jo Wright has an October 2023 and April 2024 release. I can’t wait!

        Yes, we are HOT, incredibly so. It was 104 today and we may be under a hundred next Tuesday, 99 degrees predicted……otherwise 100+ every day. NO RAIN in quite some time, so it just keeps getting hotter. I try to run errands well before noon. I have a son that works outdoors and it’s very concerning.

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  22. So many good ones to choose from, but I haven’t read a book by Susan Page Davis in a while and I love her stories, so I’m going with “Cliffhanger”.

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  23. I love Jaime Jo Wright but I already have that book. If I should win, I would love to try The Case of the Artist’s Mistake by Jan Drexler. I’ve read several of her books but none were mysteries. Thanks for the chance. cps1950ATgmailDOTcom

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