A Woman Besieged By Her Past – My Book Review

A Woman Besieged By Her Past – My Book Review

“The expression on Peg’s face as she shifted made it impossible for Maribel to look away. “And Maribel, dear, don’t lie there letting the vultures-whatever they are-blind you. Stand up and fight.””

When a splendid book cover leads to an intense story it becomes the epitome of forgetting your own troubles.

A body. A disappearance. Several bangs on the head later to the main character – I was reading an engrossing story about Maribel who is a highly relatable character in A Firm Place to Stand by Lori Altebaumer.

Maribel is definitely besieged by her past and tries her best to outrun it. She’s not looking so much to start over but what she is desperately wanting is to forget her past mistakes.  Hey, we all have been there at some point. And they are plenty for Maribel. What she finds instead when she arrives in Texas is a group of people from an old woman to a young girl, and then Conner.  These immediate people become her world quickly in the best of ways, especially Conner who becomes a love interest.

However, what Maribel really finds is a continuous whirlwind that begins with a body in the river, and the action never stops. I never was able to guess who was behind all this crime centered around Maribel. High-five Lori!

Passages of Bible scripture are inserted throughout the story. At no point did I find them to be overpowering within A Firm Place to Stand. Matter of fact they carried the story well without centering on the Christianity aspects. That is a major plus for a reader like me.

Many parts of the story are very fast-paced. A Firm Place to Stand blends the genres of crime, thriller, Christianity, suspense, and romance practically perfectly. I have read this is Lori’s first fiction book. If so, then high applause to Lori for her debut novel.