Vicki Hinze has written many award winning books showing her skill to take risks with writing and genre to excellent effect. She has multiple advanced college degrees and is the vice president of the International Thriller Writers board of directors. Hinze and her husband live in Florida. Her latest Christian thriller is Not This Time.
Storyline of Not This Time
Sara and Beth have been friends for years and work together in their highly successful business. When Sara's husband is kidnapped and the guests at a wedding are drugged, Beth becomes a suspect.
The drugging at the wedding quickly becomes evident as the work of NINA a group led by Raven. This group is out to destroy the small town, Seagrove Village, Florida, and its inhabitants. Several murders and disappearance occur.
Beth begins to suspect that Sara's husband, Robert isn't really missing, but working for NINA, a terrorist group. With the assistance of an old flame, Joe, who is an investigator. With the help of Sara, who finally tells them her marriage wasn't all it appeared to be, and several other citizens, Beth and Joe are able to figure out all the puzzles and make Seagrove Village a safe place again.
Characters of Not This Time
Sara and Beth have been friends since their days as college roommates. They share a deep bond to the point of thinking of each other as sisters. They want what is best for the other, and try to keep each other safe. Their faith. though wavering at times, gives them the strength they need to be successful and strong.
Joe is a wonderful male character. He arrives on the scene as tough investigator. But he quickly realizes he has feelings for Beth. He shows these feelings through his depth of caring and love.
Robert and the other members of NINA are delightfully evil. They want to rid the town of its citizens so that they can move their headquarters there. Robert is quite the mastermind and manages to keep the police off the scent of what happened in his "kidnapping" with finesse.
Uses of Not This Time
Vicki Hinze has included a reader's guide in the back of the book. This guide features questions which not only dive deeper into the book but into the reader's personal walk with God. Scripture references for the questions are given as well. This guide would makes the book a good choice for small groups who want to explore their own relationships with God or want to further discuss the mystery.
The book shows Christians quietly living out their faith. They do talk to each other about their faith and it is an important part of all their lives. They show their faith through their actions. Prayer is a part of the story, but the characters are not forced to participate.
This book is a quick read with the inclusion of many red herrings in the trip to discovering what happened to Robert and who's in charge of NINA. The reader will wonder what the solution will be until the very end of the book, which is definitely one to be enjoyed by all readers.
Not This Time by Vicki Hinze
Waterbrook Mulrnomah, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-60142-207-1
Kelley Huston - A reader of all kinds of books, Kelley is an teacher who loves crafts and scrapbooking. She is a Disney fan who loves all things Disney.
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