Smoke Screen by Terri Blackstock

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Smoke Screen by Terri Blackstock

I have no idea why I waited so long to get this book read. Have you ever looked forward to reading a book and almost didn't want to start because you were afraid that the hype might not prove worth it? I think this was that kind of book for me. I believe I have read the last 4, now 5, books that Terri Blackstock has written and they have been excellent. But I wasn't sure about this one, maybe it would let me down and so I put off reading it or at least that is the mind game I think that I subconsciously played. It just wasn't pulling me in. But then....

I picked up this book on Sunday and I finished it this morning, two days later. It did not disappoint at all and I will definitely have my eyes out for the next book by Terri Blackstock.

A murder and a fire take center stage as the underlying themes of the book, but there are so many facets of the story that streak out from that central theme.  A few things I came away with is that community can be hurtful or it can be helpful.  Nate experienced what he perceived as rejection when he was a teenager, but then he also got to watch the community come together 12 years later and surround the woman he cared deeply about and support her in her greatest hour of need. He also was able to see the community applaud him and his heroism. The challenge I take from that part of the story is what kind of community am I part of? Am I one who encourages and comes alongside someone who needs my help or am I someone who judges and makes false assumptions without digging down through the layers of facts and feelings to find the true story? It's so easy to be the latter person and that is not who I want to be.

I really enjoyed the story. It was pretty fast-paced, what I would call plot-driven. There were a few big events that the entire book was built around and while the time frame of the book was only a couple of weeks, it feels like it should have been a few months more realistically. The only downside for me was the divorce and remarriage issue; otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

I received this book from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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