A Table by the Window, Reviewed

A Table by the Window
Lawana Blackwell
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (March 30, 2005)
ISBN: 0764224727 Bethany House

Book Description:

"Having survived a tumultuous childhood, Carley has fashioned an orderly life for herself in San Francisco. Then a private investigator brings her news of a large inheritance—and a house in Tallulah, Mississippi, from a grandmother she can barely remember. Carley visits Tallulah and the serenity of small-town living charms her into staying and opening a bistro there. But Carley finds more than she bargained for in Tallulah: along with faith, self-worth, romance…a murder mystery that threatens her newfound happiness. From bestselling author Lawana Blackwell."


Reviewed by Kelly Klepfer

Carley Reed has made a new life to overcome a dark past. But is it he life she dreamed of as she worked herself through college and into a teaching career at a prestigious school?

Into her lonely world, comes a stranger, bringing surprises. News of a family she didn't realize she had, and an inheritance she never dreamed of.

A short trip to settle things shows her the missing pieces in her life. She embraces family and finds fulfillment in a career change, but also townsfolk with secrets and troubled pasts.

Lawana Blackwell's story is compelling. As it unfolded, I found myself pulled into the plot of this character driven novel, Ms. Blackwell's eleventh.

Suspense amps up in the second half of the book. It is hinted at a bit earlier and comes to a well-written conclusion.

A smattering of romance may satisfy the romance crowd, though it is a light subplot.

The suspense thread would be perfect for those who like a sprinkling without the gut-churning, fingernail-biting, sleep-robbing, heavy-duty thriller genre.