Title: Effective Immediately
Author: Chautona Havig
Series: The Agency Files, book 3
Major Themes: Christian Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Science, Books for Women
Synopsis: When he loses two clients in a row, Keith’s faith is shattered—how can he regain it?
I have read nearly all of Chautona Havig’s books now. I believe the last series of hers that I hadn’t read is The Agency Files, and I’m now working my way through them. Sometimes I wish I didn’t have my self-imposed rule that I must review one book in a series before reading the next one—I want to know what happens after the cliff-hanger that ended Effective Immediately! I don’t read a lot of mysteries; as a homeschooling mother with several children, and all the household work that goes into keeping things running smoothly, I don’t have much time to get sucked into a book. Once in awhile, though, it’s worth taking time to read something like this—and exercise the self-control that it takes to still get everything else done, too!
When I finished Mismatched, the second book in the series, I knew there was more to come. There was a character in that book that didn’t seem to be quite what he portrayed himself to be. Ernie had me intrigued—so I was glad to have his story cleared up here. That was not the only plot in this book, though. I think there were at least three stories playing out simultaneously. Two of them were resolved by the end—now I badly want to read the fourth book in the series to find out what happens next with the third plot!
This book was a bit different from the first two in that a person that Keith was protecting died. His world was shattered; he couldn’t believe that God had let him down. His relationship with Erika took some interesting twists and turns as he tried to sort out his life and his faith—and the part of the story that involved her father was great! Along the way there were many gems. I love Keith, although there were times in this particular book that I wanted to shake him up. In short, if you love a good mystery with a lot of suspense and occasional danger, and a strong faith element, give this series, and especially this book, a try. If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, it might be difficult to pick up the storyline; they are best read in sequence, as they build on each other with no or very little repetition of previous books to bring you up to speed.
The main thrust of this book has to do with whether we can really trust God. After a couple of traumatic experiences, Keith pretty much lost his faith. I liked the way an unbeliever challenged him. This story is a challenge to me, too. Do I have faith in God—or in myself?
The author gave me a free ecopy of this book and I chose to write a review.
WARNING: There was a bit more violence in this book than in the first two in the series. Two or three times, people were shooting at each other. There were also a few swear words, always used with a purpose by unbelievers. I noticed several incidents where people lied to protect themselves, as well.
Age levels:
Reading Independently—Adults
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
Book Depository: Paperback
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