Genre: Historical Fiction / Mystery
Publisher: TouchPoint Press
Publication Date: March 20, 2020
Number of Pages: 324 pages
Scroll down for the giveaway!
Told in alternating timelines from World War II to 1992, debut author Shanessa Gluhm’s Enemies of Doves is a tale of family secrets, jealousy, and deception perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Katherine Webb.
On a summer night in 1932, twelve-year-old Joel Fitchett wanders into an East Texas diner badly beaten and carrying his unconscious brother, Clancy. Though both boys claim they have no memory of what happened, the horrific details are etched into their minds as deep as the scar left across Joel’s face.
Thirteen years later, both men still struggle with the aftershocks of that long-ago night and the pact they made to hide the truth. When they find themselves at the center of a murder investigation, they make a decision that will change everything. A second lie, a second pact, and, for a time, a second chance. In 1991 college student Garrison Stark travels to Texas chasing a rumor that Clancy Fitchett is his biological grandfather. Clancy has been missing since 1946, and Garrison hopes to find him and, in doing so, find a family. What he doesn’t expect to discover is a tangle of secrets spanning sixty years involving Clancy, Joel, and the woman they both loved, Lorraine.
PRAISE for Enemies of Doves:
“Enemies of Doves weaves a timeline of events that makes for compelling reading. It’s an ecological system of interlocking decisions, discoveries, and circumstances that spans some sixty years of love, danger, and revelations.” —D. Donovan, senior reviewer, Midwest Book Review
“I’ve read some amazing thriller and suspense stories this year, but Enemies of Doves takes the mid-year prize. I’m not one for dual timelines, but this one was perfection with the fifty-year time-span moving forward in tandem. Garrison’s search will cause time to collide, unlocking a lifetime of secrets, and THE PLOT TWIST OF 2020!” —author Felicia Denise
“Shanessa Gluhm is a brilliant writer. I very seldom read a book that I cannot figure out how it will end, but this one literally blew me away!” —Lori Thomas Harrington, author of The Point
“Pour alcohol on jealousy, and it made a worse monster than even Dr. Jekyll could create.”
Enemies of Doves by Shanessa Gluhm captures the reader’s attention from the first moment. What happened to young Joel and Clancy Fitchett on that fateful night in Carthage, Texas, in 1932? These boys are brothers and partners in a secret so tragic that it seals their lips to that night’s events and sets them on two different paths that continually intertwine and blur for the next 60 years.
Shanessa Gluhm packs a wallop in this debut novel that spans decades and leads the reader on a path of discovery, love, and loss, with a well-delivered ending that is unexpected and both heartbreaking and beautiful. In 1991, Garrison and Molly embark on a shared journey that is split between Joel, who is in prison, and Clancy, who is nowhere to be found. With different motives, Garrison and Molly join forces and a whole lot more as they work together and slowly tease out the truth of what happened with these brothers so long ago. The story often flashes back to before, during, and after WWII, with Clancy serving as a Marine and coming home damaged and Joel staying home and already damaged. In between these brothers stands Lorraine Applewhite, who is Clancy’s fiancé and Joel’s not-so-secret love. Lorraine is the linchpin throughout, holding the story together even as she continuously tears the brothers apart and brings them back together.
Shanessa’s smooth literary style makes this slightly complex story easy to navigate, with only a few major characters to keep track of and get to know. Nothing, however, is lacking in this amazing story because it has it all: mystery, murder, betrayal, love, anguish, twists, and turns. Doves provide a strong image of harbingers of death and destruction as well as freedom and peace. The author expertly interweaves this imagery of doves throughout, providing additional and exceptional character development for both Joel and Clancy.
When the worlds of Garrison, Molly, Lorraine, Clancy, and Joel collide, the story finds a place to land, one filled with revelations, sacrifice, forgiveness, and new beginnings.
Enter the giveaway below on or before August 7, 2020, for a chance to win some fabulous prizes.
I received a free copy of this book from Lone Star Book Blog Tours in exchange for my honest review.
1st: Signed Copy + $20 Amazon Card
2nd: eBook
JULY 28-August 7, 2020
(US ONLY)
CLICK TO VISIT THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE
| 7/28/20 | Playlist | The Page Unbound |
| 7/28/20 | BONUS Post | Hall Ways Blog |
| 7/29/20 | Top Ten List | Chapter Break Book Blog |
| 7/30/20 | Review | Max Knight |
| 7/31/20 | Review | Nerd Narration |
| 8/1/20 | Author Interview | All the Ups and Downs |
| 8/2/20 | Scrapbook Page | That’s What She’s Reading |
| 8/3/20 | Review | Jennifer Silverwood |
| 8/4/20 | Deleted Scene | Book Bustle |
| 8/5/20 | Review | The Clueless Gent |
| 8/6/20 | Review | Reading by Moonlight |
FABULOUS review! I am so excited that this book is out on audio end of the month — I’ve already pre-ordered my copy. Thanks for the post!
Thanks Kristine! It’s been a fabulous tour!
Thank you! You’ll love it, for sure!
Ruthie, I LOVE this review so much. I had the hardest time choosing just a snippet of it to post because every single sentence is so well formed and insightful. Thank you so much for reading and being a part of this tour!
Thank you, and you’re welcome. Your book was a delight to read!