Rising Darkness by Nancy Mehl

Rising Darkness is Nancy Mehl’s third book in her Finding Sanctuary series.  Having read her second book in the series (but still haven’t read the first!) I was eager to find out more about the town of Sanctuary.

Sophie has left her strict Mennonite hometown far behind her.  She is earning her degree and is working for the local newspaper where she aspires to be investigative reporter.  While at work she overhears about a convict who has contacted many local news outlets as he has information regarding a wanted man.  She follows his lead and goes to Sanctuary.  She takes on a false identity and a false reason for being there in order to secretly look for the suspect.  While there she receives threatening letters and is even attacked.  While there she runs into someone she hasn’t seen since she fled the town she grew up in.  Someone she loved and thought she would never see again.

While Sophie pursues her leads she remembers many thing from her dark past she has tried many times to forget.  The people in Sanctuary, both the Mennonite people and all the others are there to help her and encourage her.  Will she learn to put her trust in God?  Will she learn that God loves her?  Will she herself fall in love?

Nancy Mehl has done a remarkable job!  This book was very hard to put down.  Whenever I was forced to put it down I couldn’t wait to pick it up again and read more.  Near the end it became almost impossible to put it down until I was finished!  She masterfully draws you in and leaves you in suspense of who the guilty party is until the very end.  When you find out near the end, you are just as surprised as Sophie!  I found she did a wonderful in expressing how Sophie was feeling about her past and the secrets and deep hurts she still carries as a result.  I can’t wait to read more in this series! (And I really need to get my hands on the first book!)

I received this book from Bethany House Publishers for the sole purpose of this review.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.