Empowered by Craig Parshall

Empowered by Craig Parshall - 495 pages

Just when a mysterious death in Washington, DC, appears to have voodoo connections rooted in New Orleans, Trevor Black also receives an invitation to speak at the national ABA convention in the city.

He knows he’ll be in enemy territory, both as a disbarred attorney and as a follower of Jesus, but he determines to travel there and confront the supernatural element. Right after a grisly murder in his hotel room puts him on the suspect list, his daughter disappears...

Very interesting book.  Author gets a few too many characters in story for me, though.

The Pages of Her Life by James L. Rubart

The Pages of Her Life by James L. Rubart

Allison Moore is making it. Barely. The Seattle area architecture firm she started with her best friend is struggling, but at least they’re free from the games played by the corporate world. She’s gotten over her divorce. And while her dad’s recent passing is tough, their relationship had never been easy.

Then the bomb drops. Her dad had a secret life and left her mom in massive debt.

I have never read this author's work but this was enjoyable.

The Trial by Robert Whitlow

The Trial by Robert Whitlow
402 pages / 6 hrs, 53 mins

"A lawyer ready to die takes one final case...the trial of his life. Attorney Kent "Mac" MacClain has nothing left to live for. Nine years after the horrific accident that claimed the life of his wife and two sons, he's finally given up. His empty house is a mirror for his empty soul; it seems suicide is his only escape. And then the phone rings. Angela Hightower, the beautiful heiress and daughter of the most powerful man in Dennison Springs, has been found dead at the bottom of a ravine. The accused killer, Peter Thomason, needs a lawyer. But Mac has come up against the Hightowers and their ruthless, high-powered lawyers before -- an encounter that left his practice and reputation reeling. The evidence pointing to Thomason's guilt seems insurmountable. Is Mac defending an ingenious psychopath, or has Thomason been framed--possibly by a member of the victim's family? It comes down to one last trial. For Thomason, the opponent is the electric chair. For Mac, it is his own tormented past--a foe that will prove every bit as deadly."  --from the publisher

Once again I managed to get an abridged version. (eyeroll to self) That said, it is a good story and written well. I'm surprised the publisher's summary doesn't mention it is an overtly Christian novel, and I felt like that part was a bit too simple. Still, I liked the characters and the drama. I gave it 4 our of 5 stars.

A Cry from the Dust by Carrie Stuart Parks

A Cry from the Dust by Carrie Stuart Parks - 489 pages

In 1857, a wagon train in Utah was assaulted by a group of militant Mormons calling themselves the Avenging Angels. One hundred and forty people were murdered, including unarmed men, women, and children. The Mountain Meadows Massacre remains controversial to this day--but the truth may be written on the skulls of the victims. 
When renowned forensic artist Gwen Marcey is recruited to reconstruct the faces of recently unearthed victims at Mountain Meadows, she isn't expecting more than an interesting gig . . . and a break from her own hectic life. 

Loved this mystery....face paced and nicely written.