Despite her years of experience investigating homicides for the force, Captain Linda Turner is haunted by the murders of the Hansen family. The two small children, clothed in tattered Disney pajamas, were buried with their father, a pastor, in the flower garden behind a church parsonage in Lincoln, Nebraska. But Mrs. Hansen is nowhere to be found—and neither is the killer. In St. Louis, the … televangelist Ray Williams is about to lose his show—until one of his regular attendees approaches him with an idea that will help him save it. Despite his initial misgivings, Ray agrees to give it a try. He can’t deny his attraction to this woman, and besides, she’d assured him the plan is just—God gave her the instructions in a dream. Multiple story lines entwine throughout this compelling mystery, delving into the topics of murder, religious faith, and the inherent dangers in blindly accepting faith as truth. While Reverend Williams is swept up in his newfound success and plans for his wedding, Captain Turner can only hope that she and her team will catch the Hansens’ cunning killer—before more bodies surface.
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Greed does funny things to people.
Our story starts out in Lincoln Nebraska with the discovery of several bodies. What then follows is one police captain’s determination to find the killer no matter what it takes. The story then jumps to St Louis Missouri where another storyline begins and we eventually learn how these two different locations and events will intersect, much to one woman’s dismay.
The story spans approximately eighteen months while Captain Linda Turner hunts down clues about the suspected killer in other towns. Because this is set in the early 2000s, there are computers and the internet, but not used to the extent that they are used today. I liked this because it reflects the depths an investigation was conducted without relying on technology.
It isn’t hard to figure out how the two stories are connected and I appreciated the work by the characters to get to the truth on both ends. I enjoyed watching the characters develop and learn what they should or shouldn’t do in certain situations with certain people. Love is blind could never be more true in this book when it came to Reverend Ray and when the truth is revealed in the end, you feel sorry for him and what he endured.
There have been news stories in the past that have depicted the corruption that could be found in a church. This story shows you how it could be done and what better reason for oversight and audits in any organization? I was amazed at the lengths the perpetrator went to in order to steal funds donated by others in good faith.
I appreciated the author putting a date and location at the beginning of each chapter and even sharing the location when a different storyline emerged. It allowed me to better picture the location in my mind and I could watch the progression of events which I believe mirrors most true investigations. They are rarely solved quickly and determination is needed to see a case through to completion.
There is a hint of a love story between Linda Turner and a detective, Malachi, from St Louis. Should this become a series, I would be interested to see how a long distance relationship is explored between these two.
There are several twists and turns near the end of the book but the ending is what one would expect considering the magnitude of the crimes.
Because of the church setting, there are many bible verses quoted and prayers said for various characters. I think this enhances the story because of the location and involvement of several characters.
For a debut novel, this author does an excellent job of telling a story and creating fascinating characters. We give this book 4 paws up.
SALVATION STATION by Kathryn Schleich is a debut police procedural suspense/thriller by a new to me author. It is an intense story revolving around a dogged police captain searching for a heinous female serial killer who preys on widowed preachers and their flocks.
I was surprised when I found out this is the author’s first novel. The intertwining plots of the police investigation lead by Captain Turner and the crimes and manipulations of Susannah Baker as she works her way into a new preacher’s life and televangelist show are well paced, compelling and realistic. The author was able to both move the plot along at a good pace and yet depict that this case took many months to solve.
Linda Turner is a police Captain that the author brought to life with her dogged pursuit of justice for Rev. Hanson and his two children. Susannah Baker is a serial killer who is a master manipulator with no conscious, but the author does give her a background that shows that she could have chosen a different path. Her only love is money and self-preservation. All the secondary characters were realistic and fully fleshed.
Religion plays a big part in this suspense/thriller, but not like you would find in a Christian themed book. Both Linda and Malachi state their suspicion of organized religion after years of being investigators and seeing the worst in people. The killer uses religion and peoples’ blind faith to manipulate and steal from them. Then you have the preachers who all truly believe and they only see the good and a second chance for happiness with the supposedly god fearing Susannah. I thought the author did a well-balanced depiction of good vs. evil with religion being used as both.
I can highly recommend this suspense/thriller!
Salvation Station is your next must-read mystery. Kathryn Schleich perfectly blends together a taut tale of murder in the church. A devilishly good tale.
Have you ever read a book that plays out like a movie in your head? That’s this book. You know who the villian is from the beginning but following the storyline and the tasks the police take to get the culprit is interesting and attention-keeping. This was an enjoyable police procedural that I definitely recommend.
I appreciate the publisher for providing this E-Book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone.