Dinah Harris Mysteries

For Christmas my dear daddy gave me two books that are the beginning of the Dinah Harris mysteries from Christian author Julie Cave. It sounds awful but often I don't read books I'm given as gifts mostly because I procrastinate and I'm not a huge reader. As my father said, this time he picked two books that I probably wouldn't have picked up on my own, but I really enjoyed reading these two novels! I procrastinated at getting the review of the first book up, but now I can review both together!


Deadly Disclosures by Julie Cave21 Chapters, 283 Pages, First printing March 2010
As the first book in this series we are introduced to Dinah Harris, a former FBI detective who, because of problems in her past, is now reduced to teaching new FBI recruits. But when she's asked by her former partner to help him on a high profile case she reluctantly accepts and is swept into the case of the disappearance of Thomas Whitfield, Secretary of the Smithsonian. As they investigate leads and interview Thomas Whitfield's family and associates they come face to face with the spiritual battle of Creation vs. Evolution.    
Author Julie Cave does a good job of revealing enough about Thomas and his captors that the reader is one step ahead of the detectives, while at the same time keeping enough back that I was surprised by the ending and the true identity of the criminals. There is a lot of grit and quite a few crime scenes are described. I could definitely see both books making for great TV crime drama. Julie Cave's attention to detail means that we get to follow the detectives as they enter crime scenes, hear the coroner's detailed reports, and histories of creation, evolution, and many other topics. 
Dinah Harris is a very human character, many flaws but some endearing qualities. She's impatient and brisk and struggles with a huge secret in her past that keeps her self esteem low. When we meet her she's not a Christian, she battles with alcohol addiction and suicidal thoughts. But this case will prove to be life threatening and life changing for Dinah. 
This is probably my favorite of the two books. There's a lot of debate dialog about creation vs. evolution. The gospel is clearly presented at least three times and the changing grace of God can be witnessed in the character's lives. 




The Shadowed Mind by Julie Cave:21 Chapters, 281 Pages, First printing October 2010
In this second book we see Dinah Harris coping with life after the Smithsonian case. Trying to stay on the right track and learning to trust in her newfound Savior for every problem in life. When Dinah is hired as a private consultant by police detective Samson Cage to investigate a string of similar homicides the pair quickly find themselves on the path of a ruthless serial killer who attacks the weak and helpless choosing who should live and who should die! 
In this book author Julie Cave does a great job at stringing four different story lines that weave in and out of each other and ultimately coming together to form one picture. The reader follows the nameless killer as he chooses his victims and leads them to their death; Dinah and Cage as they investigate the murders and the killer's motives and techniques; Ella Barnett as she struggles with caring for her father with Alzheimer's, wondering if euthanasia is the answer; and a crooked politician who is helping a eugenics group push their agenda forward.
I must say that I pretty much tagged the killer right away but I was still very surprised by every twist and turn. I enjoyed this book very much, I don't know why but the interest of catching a serial killer appeals to me. This book has a lot about the history of eugenics which I didn't always understand but it was interesting and a bit scary to learn about. The gospel is presented very clearly and the message of forgiving and loving others is the ending theme. 

My Recommendation:
I enjoyed both books very much! The mysteries kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Some of the themes were a bit more mature than I thought they would be but Julie Cave deals with these topics very gently and honestly. I'd definitely recommend these books for everyone ages 16+. Fiction is such a great entertaining way to learn about history and current events. I enjoyed the character of Dinah Harris even if I didn't identify with her all the time. Her character isn't that perfect all-knowing detective, she's smart but flawed, serious bit with a dry wit. I can't wait to find out what's going to happen to her next! The third book in this series, Pieces of Light, will be out June 2011. 
Both books and the author Julie Cave have been heavily influenced by Answers In Genesis ministries and are highly recommend by them. Creationist Ken Ham talks about Deadly Disclosures on his blog. Visit JulieCave.com for more information on the author and her books.