Wildwood Creek

February 15, 2014

Allie Kirkland leaps at the opportunity to be a costume assistant in a docudrama about an abandoned Texas frontier settlement. Once at Wildwood, she discovers strange connections between herself and Bonnie Rose, an Irish schoolteacher who disappeared a century ago. If Allie can't solve the mystery, history may repeat itself and she might be the next to go missing. Wingate's tense plot keeps readers wondering what happened to Bonnie Rose until the surprising ending. They will also be able to deduce that faith in God can produce amazing results. VERDICT Well known for The Prayer Box, Christy Award nominee Wingate scores again with a contemporary mystery that incorporates romance and history. It is also sure to appeal to fans of Jennifer Chiaverini's historical fiction (The Spymistress; Mrs. Lincoln's Rival).

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 10, 2012
In this third volume of award-winning novelist Wingate’s Moses Lake series, Mephistopheles meets modern love in a cozy but predictable story of leaning on one’s steady faith. In an office comedy of errors, congressional staffer Mallory Hale runs into handsome (“beautiful green eyes... seemed to glow with an inner light that was almost otherworldly”) Daniel Webster Everson and falls head over heels into the yawning chasm of love. Everson comes with baggage in the form of a young son, Nick, from a previous and unhappy marriage, and love-struck Mallory welcomes both into her yearning heart. Life swims with joy until Jack West offers Daniel a job in the middle-of-nowhere Texas; Daniel asks Mallory to marry him, and soon, Mallory, Daniel, and Nick are bound for the Lone Star state, where a series of mysterious circumstances on Firefly Island threaten their marriage and their lives. The novel’s moralistic ending is unsatisfying and fails to match the often suspenseful power of the rest of the novel.

January 1, 2014
Allie Kirkland's dream is to break into the film industry and follow in her father's footsteps to become a director, but she can't turn down an unexpected opportunity to step in front of the camera. Allie will play the part of Bonnie Rose, one of Wildwood's most mysterious residents, in a historical reenactment. Wingate (The Prayer Box, 2013) mixes past and present in this tale of romantic suspense as she immerses readers in the struggle-filled historical tale of Bonnie and Allie, her contemporary counterpart. Bonnie Rose contends with the burden of shame as she tries to make a life for herself and her young sister. Allie's fear of rejection could prevent her from finding true happiness. As the young women navigate their escalating challenges, each also faces the mystery of Wildwood. For her part, Allie makes a mission of clearing Bonnie Rose's name. Readers will love discovering the truth about the lives of these two strong women from vastly different times.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)