ENEMIES OF DOVES

by

Shanessa Gluhm

Genre: Historical Fiction / Mystery

Publisher: TouchPoint Press

Publication Date: March 20, 2020

Number of Pages: 324 pages

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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.

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Praise

“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

While not officially on this tour, I wanted to share this amazing book with everyone.  This book held me captive from the beginning until the end.  I loved the span of 6 decades that covered the lives of Clancy, Joel, Lorraine, and Garrison, which gave me the opportunity to get to know each character and how they fit into each other’s lives.  I was also drawn into this book because of the location – East Texas, specifically Longview.  I lived for a time in this town and I could imagine this sleepy little town before it grew to the size it is now.

This book is about family, relationships, and has a bit of a mystery twist too.  Garrison is trying to find his grandfather Clancy based on something his grandmother said to him. This sets him on a trail in the early 1990s before technology and where research means looking at microfiche instead of the internet.  What he won’t know is that the truth will be right in front of him in more ways than one.  As secrets are revealed throughout the book, I was kept on the end of my seat wondering what could possibly be revealed next.

Joel and Clancy endured a lot as children including an event that they kept secret until near the end of the book. These twists are part of what kept me engaged in the story.  How did Joel get the scar on his face? What really happened that day? The answers are quite surprising and explain a little more about their fear of birds. There is also the question of how Joel ended up in prison.  Was he really guilty of killing his father? Again, another plot twist I didn’t see coming when all is revealed.

A good story is not without some romance or at least an inkling. Lorraine is loved by both Joel and Clancy, but Clancy is the one that captures her heart with their shared love of books. Their relationship is not smooth and while he is away fighting in the war, Joel and Lorraine become closer. It is hard when Clancy comes back because he was missing for many months and suffers from battle fatigue, or what we know today as PTSD. The scenes where Clancy gets lost in the past reflect what it feels like for those that have PTSD and the flashbacks they endure reliving horrific events over and over.  Will this end his relationship with Lorraine?

Garrison has a girlfriend, Amber, back home. While he is in Longview, he meets Molly who is just as intrigued by his potential family and believes that Joel doesn’t belong in prison.  Working together sparks something between the two.  Will he stay with Amber or move forward with Molly?  I enjoyed watching Garrison and Molly’s friendship bloom. There are some plots twists regarding Molly and her family that were unexpected.

This is a debut book and it is one that I highly recommend and give it 5 paws up.  I don’t know what the author might have in store for her next book but if it is anything like this one it will be a winner.

Shanessa Gluhm works as a librarian at an elementary school in New Mexico, where she lives with her husband and children. It was during her own elementary days when a teacher encouraged Shanessa to write and share stories with the class. She hasn’t stopped writing since. Enemies of Doves is her debut novel.

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GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

TWO WINNERS!

1^st: Signed Copy + $20 Amazon Card

2^nd: eBook

JULY 28-August 7, 2020

(US ONLY)

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