Moving home after a recent job loss was supposed to reassure Camden Bristow and give her time to decide what to do next. But when she arrives in Et...
read full description
reviews
Oct 26, 2011
Victor
rated it: 
Melanie Dobson in her new book, "Refuge on Crescent Hill" published by Kregel Publications takes us into the secrets of the Bristow Mansion.
Camden Bristow is a free-lance photographer living in New York who finds herself having a really bad day. First, the magazine that she had done freelance work for, closed it's doors without paying for the pictures she had sold them. Now broke when she returns home she finds she will be evicted by 5:00 pm because of the two months rent s More...
Camden Bristow is a free-lance photographer living in New York who finds herself having a really bad day. First, the magazine that she had done freelance work for, closed it's doors without paying for the pictures she had sold them. Now broke when she returns home she finds she will be evicted by 5:00 pm because of the two months rent s More...
Oct 24, 2011
Charity
rated it:
Refuge on Crescent Hill
by Melanie Dobson
What do Stephanie, a college student researching a family mystery in Columbia, SC and Camden, a photographer in NYC have in common? A house that was a stop on the underground railroad and a runaway slave who stole a family’s treasure. Camden, after not getting paid for her last photography job and having no other jobs lined up, decides the only place she can go is the one place she felt safe growing up, her grandmother’s home, Crescent Hill. More...
by Melanie Dobson
What do Stephanie, a college student researching a family mystery in Columbia, SC and Camden, a photographer in NYC have in common? A house that was a stop on the underground railroad and a runaway slave who stole a family’s treasure. Camden, after not getting paid for her last photography job and having no other jobs lined up, decides the only place she can go is the one place she felt safe growing up, her grandmother’s home, Crescent Hill. More...
Oct 24, 2011
Brenda
rated it:
Camden Bristow is feeling the effects of the economy. She is a free-lance photographer living in New York who finds herself without any job prospects or money. Being kicked out of her apartment with less than five hundred dollars left on her credit card she decides to return to the home where she spent many happy summers with her grandmother Rosalie even though its been years since she has spoken to her grandmother, but when she arrives in the tiny town of Etherton Ohio what she finds at the fam
More...
Oct 24, 2011
B
rated it: 
The cover of Melanie Dobson's novel, Refuge on Crescent Hill, evokes the mysterious aura that lingers, almost tangibly, until the last page. The grand home on Crescent Hill is a primary character in the novel, and she shines with a faded beauty through the dust and peeling paint. Dobson speaks of Crescent Hill in rich detail, drawing the reader in to uncover its past and present secrets. Each of the main and secondary characters is somehow tied to the house, and their lives entwine in unexpecte
More...
Oct 24, 2011
Jori
rated it:
I received a copy of REFUGE ON CRESCENT HILL by Melanie Dobson from Kregel. This book is now one of my favorites, and I’ve recommended it to my friends who love history as much as I do. I’ve always been fascinated by old houses. This book really whets my appetite to discover more about those in my neighborhood, even if they don’t have as cool a past as the Bristow Mansion. It also inspired me to research my genealogy more.
The book began a bit slowly. Camden Bristow is a freelance More...
The book began a bit slowly. Camden Bristow is a freelance More...
Oct 23, 2011
DynamicUno
rated it:
History, tied in with a suspenseful mystery, all surrounding a house? I couldn't put the book down because I wanted to find out what was going to happen next in the story.
Despite the odds against her--no job, no income, and a town threatening the only thing she has left--Camden decided to (grudgingly at first) trust in God and let Him work everything out for her good. It's always a hard lesson, no matter how many times you have to learn it, but Camden was able to over-come the obsta More...
Despite the odds against her--no job, no income, and a town threatening the only thing she has left--Camden decided to (grudgingly at first) trust in God and let Him work everything out for her good. It's always a hard lesson, no matter how many times you have to learn it, but Camden was able to over-come the obsta More...
Oct 19, 2011
Kat
rated it:
In today's economic downturn it's easy to find yourself working one day and the next you're not. Camden Bristow returns home from Indonesia after the floods only to find her current office of employment vacant. No one is there. Her phone calls to her boss only return with a disconnected recording. With her credit cards maxed out, and her landlord threatening to toss her out by 5pm tonight, Camden has no choice but to head back to her grandmother's home on Crescent Hill in hopes she provide her a
More...
Oct 24, 2010
Edna
rated it:
After returning from a photo shoot in Indonesia, Camden Bristow finds herself without a job, and in debt. Fount magazine has gone bankrupt due to the economy and everyone has disappeared along with her paycheck. With her savings gone and and no other job in the future, Camden decides to make a trip to visit her beloved grandma, Rosalie. Upon arriving in Ohio, Camden learns her grandmother has recently passed away and left her home, Crescent Hill, to her. Crescent Hill her grandmother's home has
More...
Jun 23, 2010
Catrina
rated it:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was captivated by the story of the house, and the history behind it, including the secrets hid within it's walls. I thought the characters were easily relate-able and interesting. I usually find it a bit chaotic when a book jumps back and forth between different characters with their own story-lines, but "Refuge on Crescent Hill" was written in such a way that it didn't feel scattered, and all the characters and their stories came together in the end.
More...
May 24, 2010
Nora
rated it:
Camden has run into an unexpected financial crunch and evaluates who she can turn to for help! Her father’s dead, her mother’s, undependable, and then there was Grandma Rosalie. They’d written letters to each other over the years. Etherton was home, so she decides to go to Crescent Hill and see her grandmother. Camden bangs on the door. No answer. Where could her grandmother be? Jenny, a school friend, sees Camden and stops to tell her that Rosalie has passed away—funeral was Friday.
More...
More...
May 12, 2010
Jodi
rated it:
Refuge on Crescent Hill was full of surprises. Unlike Melanie Dobson’s other novels, Crescent Hill took two chapters of laying groundwork before I was fully sucked into the story. As the story progressed and the plot began to unfold, I found myself flipping back and forth between chapters, checking last names of characters trying to figure out how the dots connected. When my hunches were wrong, I gave up and immersed myself in the story. Much to my delight, Dobson connected the dots in suspe
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Oct 24, 2011
Kevin
rated it:
This was a thriller!
I wasn't sure I'd enjoy reading this at first. When I receive "romance" novels to review, I usually run to my wife, Ann, for her help. Yet she read this book and told me I would have to read it also. I will confess, it took a bit to get into the book; I had some difficulty keeping characters straight, kept getting the plot confused. Then I realized it was because I was tired and had too many irons in the fire to read this well. So, I set it down and waited More...
I wasn't sure I'd enjoy reading this at first. When I receive "romance" novels to review, I usually run to my wife, Ann, for her help. Yet she read this book and told me I would have to read it also. I will confess, it took a bit to get into the book; I had some difficulty keeping characters straight, kept getting the plot confused. Then I realized it was because I was tired and had too many irons in the fire to read this well. So, I set it down and waited More...
Oct 25, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
Refuge on Crescent Hill is a book that is a wonderful read and I’m not just saying that because I live in Ohio and the book is set in Ohio or the fact that it has a ton of history that centers around the Underground Railroad. This book pulls you in from the first chapter and will keep you wanting to read far into the night, which is what I did – I tried to sleep but I HAD to finish this book.
This is a suspense book written with a Christian viewpoint – so when ghosts are mentioned the More...
This is a suspense book written with a Christian viewpoint – so when ghosts are mentioned the More...
May 13, 2010
Carly
rated it:
When Camden returns to her grandmother’s mansion on Crescent Hill, she is met with many secrets and surprises from the past. As her story unfolds readers are taken along for a very exciting ride. This book is a perfect mix of suspense, mystery, romance, faith, and an incredibly interesting history lesson. I really liked the way this book was written and laid out. The author did not rush through any part of it. She peeled away each layer of secrets and mystery in just the right way that made
More...
Oct 31, 2011
Crystal
rated it:
Refuge on Crescent Hill is a wonderful novel with forgiveness being woven into a wonderful suspense plot as the main lesson. There is a lot to take away from Refuge on Crescent Hill and there is a lot to enjoy from it while reading it.
Ms. Dobson has done a wonderful job crafting a suspenseful story with a lesson and meaning in it. Refuge on Crescent Hill is not all about the lesson. It's really a suspense novel first and foremost, but it has wonderful truths and lessons that can be More...
Ms. Dobson has done a wonderful job crafting a suspenseful story with a lesson and meaning in it. Refuge on Crescent Hill is not all about the lesson. It's really a suspense novel first and foremost, but it has wonderful truths and lessons that can be More...
Oct 22, 2011
Laura
rated it:
Title: REFUGE ON CRESCENT HILL
Author: Melanie Dobson
Publisher: Kregel
March 2010
ISBN: 978-0-8254-2590-5
Genre: Inspirational/suspense
Camden Bristow is a free-lance photographer. Except, in today’s economy, the magazine who recently hired her has gone bankrupt, and now Camden is jobless, homeless, and broke. With no where to go, and no one to turn to, Camden decides to visit the grandmother she hasn’t seen in years. However, when Camden arrives, she discovers her More...
Author: Melanie Dobson
Publisher: Kregel
March 2010
ISBN: 978-0-8254-2590-5
Genre: Inspirational/suspense
Camden Bristow is a free-lance photographer. Except, in today’s economy, the magazine who recently hired her has gone bankrupt, and now Camden is jobless, homeless, and broke. With no where to go, and no one to turn to, Camden decides to visit the grandmother she hasn’t seen in years. However, when Camden arrives, she discovers her More...
Oct 23, 2011
Ann
rated it:
I just finished reading this captivating tale of faith, family, service, mystery and suspense.
In regards to faith, characters wrestle with salvation, grace, fear, forgiveness, and mission. The characters are easy to relate to, and the simple messages of faith easily slip into your conscience to influence thinking and actions for good.
The mystery is the search for family jewels, slaves in the Underground Railway, strangers snooping in the mansion, and secret life missions More...
In regards to faith, characters wrestle with salvation, grace, fear, forgiveness, and mission. The characters are easy to relate to, and the simple messages of faith easily slip into your conscience to influence thinking and actions for good.
The mystery is the search for family jewels, slaves in the Underground Railway, strangers snooping in the mansion, and secret life missions More...
Oct 25, 2011
Melanie
rated it:
Camden inherits the Bristow Mansion when her grandmother dies, but the house needs so many repairs and Camden is almost out of money so she doesn't know if she can keep the house that's been in the Bristow family for generations.
Soon though, she learns that someone is sneaking around her house - and stealing her purse! What is this person up to and what does he/she want with the house?...
I find houses that have hidden rooms or secret passageways interesting - and since 'R More...
Soon though, she learns that someone is sneaking around her house - and stealing her purse! What is this person up to and what does he/she want with the house?...
I find houses that have hidden rooms or secret passageways interesting - and since 'R More...
May 20, 2010
Molly
rated it:
Wow! Loved this one! A story of uncertainty, mystery, and longing, Melanie Dobson skillfully creates a book that reaches out and pulls you in, grips your heart, and holds you til the end. Dobson' story is full of everything from secrets, history, and mysterious goings-on. The beautiful characters she created in Camden and Alex, and even in Jenny, Jake, Stephanie and all the others, really brings this story to life. I felt everything that was happening in this amazing book! I really felt as if it
More...
Dec 29, 2010
Heather
rated it: 
I won this book through First Reads. I found this a light and refreshing read, although I didn't ever get emotionally involved with the story. I was interested enough to keep reading until the end, wondering what would happen, but the conclusion was rather anticlimactic and the characters were far from dynamic. Still, I can see why people would enjoy this book. It's solidly written.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 17, 2012
Lisa
rated it:
When I began to read this book, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it. The first two chapters seemed to me to be slow going. I kept reading, and soon I was immersed in the story.
The author has done her historical research about the setting of the story very well. I enjoyed the dual story lines, running parallel throughout the book and finally converging. There are multiple themes present in the storyline. The prodigal child returning home, both physically and spiritually, is presen More...
The author has done her historical research about the setting of the story very well. I enjoyed the dual story lines, running parallel throughout the book and finally converging. There are multiple themes present in the storyline. The prodigal child returning home, both physically and spiritually, is presen More...
Oct 27, 2011
Michele
rated it:
Oh my. This the first book I have read by Melanie Dobson and I am sure it will not be my last. I loved this book! I could not put it down! This story is full of twists and turns and will keep you in suspense until the very end.
The story has a very real feel to it. The characters are well developed and the plot line is very believable. If you love suspense you will really enjoy this story! I really loved the Camden and Alex. Camden grows and changes so much throughout this story. Y More...
The story has a very real feel to it. The characters are well developed and the plot line is very believable. If you love suspense you will really enjoy this story! I really loved the Camden and Alex. Camden grows and changes so much throughout this story. Y More...
Jun 22, 2010
Andrea
rated it:
I loved this book. I'm a history geek honestly even though I'm no good with dates. I loved the way this book had the mystery of murders done by family and the ties in with the underground railroad with sheltering abused women in today's times, the way the leads were all drawn in like it was destiny that they all join at Crescent Hill right then. There was romance but it had more of a christain theme which was a good change in pace.
The first few chapters started off a little slow, and the More...
The first few chapters started off a little slow, and the More...
May 21, 2010
Clockstein
rated it:
Refuge on Crescent Hill by Melanie Dobson is a romantic suspense novel with a labyrinthine mystery. Camden Bristow returns home to her beloved grandmother's home, Crescent Hill, after being away for nearly twenty years. Jobless, homeless, and about to max out her credit card, she just wants a safe place to go where she is loved. But her grandmother recently passed away, leaving the house and all its contents to Camden. Instead of this being a blessing, she has two offers on the house, plus it's
More...
Oct 07, 2010
I won this through the goodreads first reads giveaway program.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Oct 27, 2010
*Thanks to Kregel Publications for providing a copy for review.*
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Dec 28, 2011
Brooke (i blog 4 books)
rated it:
I wasn't sure what to think of this book when I first picked it up. The copy on the back cover intrigued me, but it started a little slow for me. However, once I got into it, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Camden is alone, out of work, behind on her bills, and can't imagine things turning around anytime soon. She decides to go to the last place she remembers being truly happy - her grandmother's home, Crescent Hill. Upon arriving, she learns that her grandmother has died but left her the hous More...
Camden is alone, out of work, behind on her bills, and can't imagine things turning around anytime soon. She decides to go to the last place she remembers being truly happy - her grandmother's home, Crescent Hill. Upon arriving, she learns that her grandmother has died but left her the hous More...
Oct 28, 2011
Sara
rated it:
Refuge on Crescent Hill is told from four people’s perspectives about the mysteries surrounding Crescent Hill. At first I was afraid the different points of view would get confusing, but I actually enjoyed getting the whole story as it unfolded. Since the reader does follow the different perspectives, you tend to know everything as it is discovered by each person, rather than just as one person discovers it. Because of this, I wouldn’t call it a hard-core suspense novel that leaves you guessing
More...
Jul 31, 2010
Caitlin
rated it:
Many thanks to Kregel and Goodreads for providing me with a copy of this book!!
So, the first thing I think the average reader should know about this book, is that it is classified as Christian fiction. I only mention this because I was not aware of it until I received the book in the mail, and on the bottom of the back cover it said "Christian suspense".
Now, I am no expert on Christian fiction. I've had ONE previous experience with it, and it was terrible. More...
So, the first thing I think the average reader should know about this book, is that it is classified as Christian fiction. I only mention this because I was not aware of it until I received the book in the mail, and on the bottom of the back cover it said "Christian suspense".
Now, I am no expert on Christian fiction. I've had ONE previous experience with it, and it was terrible. More...
Jul 05, 2010
Mybucklingbookshelf
rated it:
This latest book from Melanie Dobson is teeming with suspense, includes a well developed set of characters, and provides a multi-layered plot that will keep you turning pages as quickly as you can. I love how she tied events in history, both real and fictitious, into this contemporary story. I couldn't help rooting for the good guys and wishing ill on the bad guys, especially as things get tense near the end. I loved this book and am putting it on my best read books of 2010.
