Terri Blackstock writes Christian suspense, and boy, is she good. In “Cape Refuge,” she tells the story of Wayne and Thelma Owens, a kindly middle-aged couple who have turned their home into a half-way house for people who are going through difficult times and need help getting back on their feet. Many have shady pasts, but all have been given a second chance and the means to start over again. Wayne and Thelma consider this to be their ministry in this life. Their daughter Morgan and son-in-law Jonathan help them run the place, but their daughter Blair has turned her back on her faith and doesn’t want anything to do with her parents’ religious service.
But then a brutal murder rocks the quiet community – and Wayne and Thelma are the victims, killed with a weapon that belongs to Jonathan. Police Chief Cade doesn’t want to believe that his good friend is guilty, but the evidence is stacked and he has no choice but to make the arrest.
Meanwhile, the residents of Cape Refuge turn their suspicion toward the residents of the half-way house. Many have police records; one of them has to be guilty. Not wanting to think that one of her parents’ friends could have done such a thing, but also knowing that her husband is incapable of such a crime, Morgan decides that she has to solve the case and find the true culprit.
Blair, on the other hand, wants to sell the house and move. Haunted by her own past, she has no desire to stay in Cape Refuge. Together, the two sisters work out their differences while trying to work out the crime.
Breathtaking suspense, intricate family ties, and a surprise ending – Terri Blackstock’s trademarks. It’s easy to see why she is one of the top-selling Christian authors on the market today. Check back here for reviews on her other novels (including the sequel to Cape Refuge) and make sure to ask your librarian to order all Terri’s books.
(This book was published in 2002 by Zondervan)
