Katheryn's Secret by Linda Hall

Linda Hall is a new-to-me author.  I received this book as a freebie from Amazon for my Kindle and was intrigued by description given.  Overall I enjoyed Hall's writing style and the story. It was a bit slow moving at first.. took a bit to get "into" but once I did I was hooked.  

Sharon Colebrook is a mystery writer who finds herself in the midst of a real live mystery... actually more than one, but they all connect together.  Sharon's beloved Aunt Katie has died and left her and her brother the family home.  Mystery #1.. where is Dean (Sharon's brother)? He left home 20+ years ago and hasn't been seen or heard from.  Throughout the years, Katie talked of a mystery that occurred at the family home.  Mystery #2.. what was it.  Then there is Little Mary... the sister who died in her teens, but is not buried in the family plot.  No pictures of her are to be found. No talk was ever made of her.  It is as if she disappeared off the face of the earth in a flash. So what really happened.. that is Mystery #3 (and once the digging begins there are several connected mysteries that pop up!).  

Sharon seeks to find answers.. and healing.. healing for herself and for her family.

This book is billed as Christian Fiction. It is made clear that Sharon is reared in a strict overbearing legalistic church and as a result she has run as far from God as she can.  I would have loved to have seen more of this struggle from the internal perspective, as well as her make a real move back to God and true faith and grace.  As it was, this was (to me) dealt with lightly.  Yes, Sharon has questions, but I never really saw a true return to God... more an acceptance of how things had been and a realization that others found a different type of Faith.

The one mar for me comes late in the book, and honestly, I believe was not pivotal or necessary in anyway.  It is found that a character is homosexual.  The problem I have is that it was readily accepted by the Christians in the books.. even those from the legalistic church. I find it difficult to believe that someone so staunch and legalistic would change overnight on this issue. And, because I know the Word and what the Lord says concerning this, I am bothered that the Christians portrayed (those not legalistic) also embrace the lifestyle with ease. I would not have wanted to see them ostracize the person or berate him etc. but I do not see this as being Biblical.  It did not ruin the book, but again did not really add to the story. 

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would consider reading others by Hall.