Pieces of Light

Dec 22, 2012 Lisa Johnson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Title: Pieces of Light (Dinah Harris Mystery #3)
Author: Julie Cave
Pages: 301
Year: 2011
Publisher: Master Books
Pieces of Light is the third book in the Dinah Harris Mystery series and what a book! Julie Cave entertains and educates while engaging the mind to solve a crime. The setting remains in Washington, D.C., present day. Some characters from the prior two books return as well as the introduction of a possible love interest for Dinah. The evil Senator Winters also remains active, trying to a...more Title: Pieces of Light (Dinah Harris Mystery #3)
Author: Julie Cave
Pages: 301
Year: 2011
Publisher: Master Books
Pieces of Light is the third book in the Dinah Harris Mystery series and what a book! Julie Cave entertains and educates while engaging the mind to solve a crime. The setting remains in Washington, D.C., present day. Some characters from the prior two books return as well as the introduction of a possible love interest for Dinah. The evil Senator Winters also remains active, trying to advance his cause of eradicating all Christianity from the United States as well as putting himself in the President’s Oval Office.
Dinah is called in to help with an investigation of church bombings by her old partner, Ferguson. He is now Special Agent in Charge and has the authority to request whomever he wants to help him solve the case. He also has an agent with a specialty in bombs working with him, Aaron Sinclair. The moment Aaron and Dinah meet an attraction is sparked. Will their attraction get in the way of their work? As Dinah is a new Christian, she doesn’t realize the ramifications of dating a non-Christian until she meets with her Bible study group and they give her soundly Christian wisdom. As Dinah and Aaron grow to care more for each other, will she have the strength and courage to tell Aaron of her faith and her past?
As the investigation continues, more churches are bombed and more innocent people are killed. Who could be targeting churches? Why? Another storyline is developed from the bomber’s point of view along with his family and his past. Dinah begins to unravel the bomber’s clues, and finally he is caught on video with someone recognizing him and turning him in. A standoff ensues at the bomber’s house. A skilled negotiator is needed. Can Aaron resolve the standoff without force? Can Dinah discover the bomber’s motivation? Can a killer be truly saved?
Once again, Julie Cave has invested herself in telling a story that teaches the reader about the persecution of Christianity in the United States. We also see the transformation of Dinah from a suicidal alcoholic to someone who knows she is loved by God, has received His grace, and will live in eternity with Him. She is not going to deny her faith and learns to count on Him for protection. She shares her past and how God is real and how He gave her the joy of living. This is a great series and I highly recommend reading all three books. You will learn more than you thought possible from a mystery/suspense fictional book. I wish there were more books in this series, but since there aren’t, I’ll be looking forward to reading more books written by Julie Cave.
My rating is 5 stars.
Note: I received a complimentary copy for an honest review of this book. The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility. Other reviews can be read at http://seekingwithallyurheart.blogspo... . Also follow me on Twitter @lcjohnson1988, FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/lisa.johnson...
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Nov 23, 2011 Cafelilybookreviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Pieces of Light is the third and (sadly) final book in this series and delivers up just what Julie Cave’s fans have come to expect from her writing: spine-tingling suspense and non stop action! I find myself quickly hooked by Julie’s books which is interesting, because I tend to not enjoy mystery and suspense! Which goes to show you that if you tend to dislike a particular genre, it may just be that you haven't found the right author for your interests.

Pieces of Light picks up where we last left...more

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Aug 27, 2011 Karel Deich rated it 5 of 5 stars

I received this book as a free advanced Reader's copy in return for a review. Thank you.

Even though I haven't read the first two mysteries from this series, I feel this book stands alone. I am a big fan of mysteries and especially when the main character is a Christian. I like the way the author portrayed Dinah as a new Christian. Julie described Dinah's past and how she was changing her life by attending church, meeting with a Bible study group and her resolve to not date a non-christian. The a...more

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Jul 16, 2011 Cindy rated it 5 of 5 stars

A Dinah Harris Mystery
Julie Cave
2011
Master Books a division of New Leaf Publishing Group
Fiction/Suspense

Dinah Harris is consulting with the FBI on a bomber case. Someone is bombing random churches and Ferguson, Dinah's former FBI partner, now a supervisor has called Dinah in to consult. Three churches have been bombed, but they are not overkill bombings. This is puzzling, it is not as if the bomber is intent on killing everyone, just like he is trying to send a message, but what is that mess...more

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Jun 24, 2011 JoyAnne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Detective Dinah Harris hunts down a serial bomber targeting religious icons and buildings. The bomber is on a mission to rid the city of religion and establish a ‘new world order’. Can someone so intent on ridding the world of God experience redemption? What lies behind his hatred of God? Will his darkened soul search for pieces of light?

The first two books of the series, Deadly Disclosures(link to product page) and The Shadowed Mind(link to product page) reveal the amazing grace of God while sh...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Tammy rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: All my friends

Having read Deadly Disclosures and The Shadowed Mind I eagerly awaited the third and final book in this series, Pieces of Light by Julie Cave. I enjoyed ALL of the books but, in my opinion, Julie has come "into her own" with this third book.
The characters in Pieces of Light are quite realistic. At times I had to remind myself that this is a fiction piece of art.
Having been reared in a loving christian home where every child is valued and allowed to respectfully speak from the heart, my mind ha...more Having read Deadly Disclosures and The Shadowed Mind I eagerly awaited the third and final book in this series, Pieces of Light by Julie Cave. I enjoyed ALL of the books but, in my opinion, Julie has come "into her own" with this third book.
The characters in Pieces of Light are quite realistic. At times I had to remind myself that this is a fiction piece of art.
Having been reared in a loving christian home where every child is valued and allowed to respectfully speak from the heart, my mind had a hard time grasping the "awful hell" that an abused child must endure at the hand of a demented and angry parent. As I read this story I cried, I smiled and I cheered because God cares so much for each of us. But the chilling fact on page 276, "Did you know that two-thirds of young people who were brought up in the Church are walking away because they begin to doubt the Bible?" made me re-think about the seriousness being the only bible that most people will ever read.
In the first two books, Dinah Harris, is trying to come to grips with her own life, losses and loves. But in this last book, Dinah, is a stronger christian, a more lovable lady and a seems to truly care more for those around her. Her life values are not so introverted now because, it seems, that she has come to a life response that God truly and completely forgave her and she is getting on with her life.
The storyline is believable and practically jumps at the reader like a newspaper headline. But Julie goes beyond the headline and lets the reader "inside" the head and heart of the characters. The issue of cutting one's self was wonderfully illustrated by the written word.
The mystery of the bomber, the suspense of Senator Winter's life and the romance in Dinah's life....along with the churches response to helping (or hindering) our youthful parishioners was SO interesting that I simply could NOT put this book down.
I loved the ending!
This is a wonderful, fantastic read! If you've read the previous two titles then this a must read for you! This read can easily be a stand alone read BUT reading all three in order is simply the better storyline!
*This book was provided for review by MasterBooks/New Leaf Publishing*(less)

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Jun 21, 2011 Debbie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian, suspense

"Pieces of Light" is a Christian suspense novel. This book was the third in a series, but you don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one...though you'll probably like the ongoing characters better if you have. Also, this one didn't spoil the mysteries in the previous novels.

The suspense was built nicely by having Dinah and the FBI try to stop the bomber before another church was bombed and more people died. There was also some suspense about how her relationship with the hands...more "Pieces of Light" is a Christian suspense novel. This book was the third in a series, but you don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one...though you'll probably like the ongoing characters better if you have. Also, this one didn't spoil the mysteries in the previous novels.

The suspense was built nicely by having Dinah and the FBI try to stop the bomber before another church was bombed and more people died. There was also some suspense about how her relationship with the handsome guy would work out. Though the bomber wasn't named from the beginning, the author wasn't trying very hard to hide "whodunit." There were only two possible suspects (from the reader's point of view), and only one would connect the plot threads together.

Actually, the novel felt disjointed because there were several seemingly unrelated plot threads going on. The purpose of one thread seemed solely to argue against the political agenda promoting "separation of church and state." Even the child abuse element was pushed to the point that the purpose seemed more to raise awareness about the results of child abuse than simply provide a driving motivation for the bomber.

Several of the main characters were complex and dealt with realistic personal struggles (like being abused). However, the reoccurring characters weren't really developed and would probably come across as simplistic if you haven't read the previous novels. For example, in this novel, the bomber had a valid and developed reason to hate Christians, but the Senator seemed to hate Christians, be greedy, etc., "just because."

Dinah was a Christian. She engaged in daily Bible study, small group Bible study, and an occasional prayer. While we're told her relationship with Christ is vital to her life, we don't see that so much in this novel as in the previous one.

I'll mention that I also had a "believability" problem near the end. I can't believe that a leader of a SWAT team, when faced with the choice of injury to two civilians or injury to his team would immediately and unhesitatingly plan for the civilians to be hurt instead of his team.

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting novel to those who have read the previous novels in the series.

I received this book as a review copy from the publisher. (less)

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Jun 16, 2011 Hope rated it 5 of 5 stars

A serial bomber is on the loose in Washington, D.C. and he's targeting churches! For 3 weeks in a row, a different church has been the victim of a car bomb parked nearby during their normal worship service. Ex-FBI Agent Dinah Harris is back in town, with former partner Agent (now ASAC, Assistant Special Agent in Charge) Ferguson, and a newbie to the series, bomb specialist Aaron Sinclair.
Yes, this book starts out with a bang and keeps you spellbound throughout the whole novel!
While it may soun...more A serial bomber is on the loose in Washington, D.C. and he's targeting churches! For 3 weeks in a row, a different church has been the victim of a car bomb parked nearby during their normal worship service. Ex-FBI Agent Dinah Harris is back in town, with former partner Agent (now ASAC, Assistant Special Agent in Charge) Ferguson, and a newbie to the series, bomb specialist Aaron Sinclair.
Yes, this book starts out with a bang and keeps you spellbound throughout the whole novel!
While it may sound like any Christian fiction thriller novel on the market today, there is a big difference, and it makes the Dinah Harris series one of my favorites! Author Julie Cave doesn't just write to entertain; she weaves some very important themes and messages throughout her stories. In Pieces of Light, the main topic is domestic abuse and child abuse. How abuse as a child can create a person who can't relate to people and life normally. How Christians need to step in and make a difference. And, ultimately, how God can still save and forgive, no matter how great the sin, as long as they truly repent! I'm getting ahead of myself, though :)
The book opens with a family attending the funeral of their father, who was quite abusive towards his family, yet cheerful, compassionate and helpful with fellow Church-members. As a result, while the whole community and church is mourning their loss, the children (now adults) are, in a way, thankful that he is gone. As the story unfolds, you are drawn into the darkness of these 2 young adult's lives. While they seem to be normal and happy on the outside, they are both suffering enormously from what they went through as children. Each of them has a different way of coping with the pain, and one of them is out for revenge. After all, the Church that they attended faithfully growing up never stepped in to help. The minister didn't even look into it when one of the children approached him about the abuse at home. When a local church is bombed during their worship service, Dinah Harris is called in as a consultant by her former partner Agent Ferguson (if you've read the other books in the series, you will certainly remember Ferguson!) and a bomb specialist, Aaron Sinclair. For those of you who have read the previous books and were pleading for Dinah to find romance, you guessed it-Agent Sinclair! As the trio uncovers clues and tracks down the bomber, Dinah and Aaron grow closer together-until Dinah is confronted with the Scriptures about believers marrying non-believers. This puts a hold on their relationship, even as they still have to work together. A court document that comes into their possession gives them a tie between the churches already bombed, and alerts the team to other churches that could be in danger. Also playing out in the novel is an underlying theme of the battle for separation of Church and State. This doesn't seem to fit in to the rest of the book at first, but Julie ties it in very carefully, and even keeps you updated on Dinah's old nemesis, Senator Winters.
I don't want to ruin the story for those who haven't read it yet, but you will be surprised at the ending. I would say the major themes in this book are forgiveness, redemption and a call for Christians to reach out to those who are hurting. I give Pieces of Light a 5-star rating! This isn't just entertainment -although it will keep you up late at night reading (yes, I speak from experience :) -this is fiction with a serious message.
My only concern is-Where's the next book in the Dinah Harris series?!(less)

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Jun 16, 2011 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Julie by: Jennifer White

Shelves: 2011-reads, read-on-my-kindle, christian-fiction, mystery, suspense

In Julie Cave's newest novel, Dinah Harris is at it again. She has a church bomber on her hands and when Ferguson calls to ask her to help out, she's more than ready to work with her former partner again.

Isabelle and Michael have just lost their dad, but they aren't really grieving. After all, he beat them and their mother so many times growing up, he deserves to die. Why can't people at church see that he wasn't the saint that everyone makes him out to be? Isabelle is also dealing with a husba...more

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Aug 26, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really good! This trilogy really could have been one long book. The first book was mostly set up, (certainly not boring though), the second book was the climax, and the third book was the happy ending. The books have a very heavy on the gospel message. These books do a very good job of educating about controversial topics without detracting form the plot or making you feel like the book is dragging. Also the amount of gory details, or lack of them was quite refreshing. The author gives you a thr...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Vera Godley rated it 5 of 5 stars

"Pieces of Light" by Julie Cave is the first book I have read by this author, but I plan to be sure to read more of her works. She has written an intense, multilayer story from a completely Christian worldview. Not just "Christian" in name only. She lays the truth out there for all. Without being too heavy weight or over bearing, Ms. Cave lets her readers experience the love of God through her main character, Dinah.

Dinah is a new Christian but she has no fear when she shares her faith with her c...more
"Pieces of Light" by Julie Cave is the first book I have read by this author, but I plan to be sure to read more of her works. She has written an intense, multilayer story from a completely Christian worldview. Not just "Christian" in name only. She lays the truth out there for all. Without being too heavy weight or over bearing, Ms. Cave lets her readers experience the love of God through her main character, Dinah.

Dinah is a new Christian but she has no fear when she shares her faith with her co-workers or with her arch-enemy.

This is a mystery novel replete with suspenseful moments and scenes. There are several story lines running through the book but they culminate nicely in an amazing conclusion.

Society's ills are exposed in their ugly "here and now" as well as the ramification on lives and future events. Spousal and child abuse. Hypocrisy.

Life is full of evil, good, mystery, solution, and yes, romance. When Dinah encounters a potential new romantic interest in her life, she must face her past life and how it will impact a new relationship. She must also fact the fact that she must share her faith with her new romantic interest even if it means they can not continue to pursue the relationship.

"Pieces of Light" is a very well written and interesting mystery. I can highly recommend it to the Christian reader as well as the non-Christian reader. You will come to grips with the work of those who keep us save in our society as well as the difficult topic of abuse.

Author: Julie Cave credits her parents for introducing her to books at a young age, which fostered an enduring passion for reading and writing. As a child, her favourite authors were Enid Blyton and C.S. Lewis and it wasn’t long before she began copying them, writing short stories for anyone who would read them.

At fifteen, two things happened which would shape her future: she heard a creation science speaker at her church which cemented her faith in God; and she finished her second novel-length story and realised she had fallen in love with writing novels.

The following is an excerpt written by Ken Ham in his blog, in February 2010:
“Through the genre of a thrilling, “nail-biting” mystery book (that I think you won’t be able to put down), talented fiction writer Julie Cave has written a great novel. It will help fiction fans everywhere engage with the foundational importance of the biblical authority message we give—and its impact on the culture.” http://bit.ly/d8h71t

I was provided a complimentary copy of "Pieces of Light" by New Leaf Publishing Group and Master Books in order to review the book. I was not required to render a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.(less)

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Jul 03, 2011 Beverly Frisby rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone

From the Press Release of "Pieces of Light" ~
From Rage to Redemption
What if your spiritual authority abused you? How could you accept the love of God when His earthly representative only brought you pain and shame? Just how long could you contain your rage?
In "Pieces of Light," detective Dinah Harris hunts down a serial bomber targeting religious icons and buildings. It becomes clear early on that the bomber is on a mission to rid the city of religion and establish a ‘new world order’ of secular...more From the Press Release of "Pieces of Light" ~
From Rage to Redemption
What if your spiritual authority abused you? How could you accept the love of God when His earthly representative only brought you pain and shame? Just how long could you contain your rage?
In "Pieces of Light," detective Dinah Harris hunts down a serial bomber targeting religious icons and buildings. It becomes clear early on that the bomber is on a mission to rid the city of religion and establish a ‘new world order’ of secular humanism. Can someone so intent on ridding the world of God experience redemption? Will his darkened soul search for pieces of light?
"Pieces of Light" is the third book in Julie Cave’s Dinah Harris series. The two previous books, "Deadly Disclosures" and "The Shadowed Mind" reveal the amazing grace of God while showcasing a world losing sight of Him. Cave’s compelling story lines use believable characters and realistic situations to:
- Identify the importance of living under the authority of the Bible
- Deliver a Biblical worldview perspective to current events
- Illustrate the power of Jesus’s sacrifice and desire to redeem every life.
- Provide believers a resource easy to share with skeptics
Recently, Ken Ham of "Answers in Genesis" described "The Shadowed Mind" (book two) as “another nail-biting mystery with an incredibly powerful message about God’s authoritative Word.”
"Pieces of Light" is an apologetic Christian fiction title published by Master Books®. Master Books®, an imprint of New Leaf Publishing Group, is the world’s largest publisher of creation-based material for all ages; including apologetics, homeschool resources, reference titles, and quality children’s literature.

My Reveiw:
The story begins in the mind of the bomber as he sits in prison isolation reflecting on what brought him to this place. Ms. Cave tells the story from two point’s of view: that of the bomber in present time and the year before as the events unfolded which brought Dinah Harris, the FBI and the bomber together. The characters are realistic, the suspense and drama make it hard to put the book down, and the message of faith is uplifting.

“Pieces of Light” deals with the heartbreaking issue of physical and mental abuse, not just of children but of adults. The storyline follows the victims of abuse – brother, sister, and wife – and how their abuse affected their entire lives. The abuser, a man who to the public appears to be the epitome of all that is good, but to his family, is evil in human form.

A second storyline is that of a U. S. Senator, former foe of Dinah’s Senator Winter, with an agenda of greed and power that includes promoting further separation of church and state. This separation has an end goal of wiping out all Christianity.

Ms. Cave weaves current events into the “what-if” scenarios that cause the reader to reflect at what is going on in our world today. This is the first book by Julie Cave that I have read and I truly enjoyed it. Although third in the series, “Pieces of Light” is a stand alone book and you do not need to read the first two to enjoy the third. You may learn more about Julie Cave by visiting her website, http://juliecave.com/.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from New Leaf Publishing in exchange for the writing of an honest review. A positive review is not guaranteed, and all opinions are my own.(less)

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Jul 05, 2011 Maureen Timerman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-read

I couldn't put this book down, it is a real page turner. The events in the book are fictional, but appeared to be so very real. They could really happen!
Loved that Dinah is totally living a Christian life. She is a remarkable character, and felt so sorry for all that she had been through.
The book opens at the Funeral of a man who was much loved by his Church, and spent the rest of his time terrorizing his family. Your mind rages against this man's brutal attacks on innocent children.
The book sho...more

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Jul 10, 2011 Renee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sometimes doubts about God and the reality of His promises assail my joy. When this happens, there’s one thing that convinces me faster than any other that all I believe is true: the opposition to God found in every corner of our world today. The louder the voices raised against Him, the more I know that He’s real, that He matters. If He didn’t matter, why would the strongest, most sophisticated, most influential folks unite in an effort to deny Him and silence us?

Pieces of Light by Julie Cave...more Sometimes doubts about God and the reality of His promises assail my joy. When this happens, there’s one thing that convinces me faster than any other that all I believe is true: the opposition to God found in every corner of our world today. The louder the voices raised against Him, the more I know that He’s real, that He matters. If He didn’t matter, why would the strongest, most sophisticated, most influential folks unite in an effort to deny Him and silence us?

Pieces of Light by Julie Cave brings this message home through an exciting, meaningful story. The main suspense plot involves a bomber who targets churches. A secondary storyline explores supposed first amendment violations by Christian groups. The investigator in these cases, former FBI agent Dinah Harris, is working to enter her life again after some painful setbacks.

Julie goes behind the scenes to show the spiritual realities in each strand of her story. And I love that! I’ve read secular detective stories where critics rave that the authors delved into the depths of their characters. But I’ve wondered how that can be true when the Bible says that God figures into each man’s journey—as each of us either rejects God or searches for Him.

God certainly figures into each man’s journey in this novel. From the sad past of the bomber to the abusive family profiled in one section of the book to the God-hate behind a corrupt legislator’s agenda. Even Dinah herself is learning to incorporate faith and Scriptural precepts into her day to day living—including work and dating—as this excerpt from early in the book shows . . .

“Dinah glanced around the little group as they opened the study in prayer . . . There were times she couldn’t believe she was here, sharing her life and faith in an intimate setting. Dinah shied away from close human contact . . . certain that it only led to heartbreak. She’d built effective barriers of sarcasm, alcoholism, and anger, designed to keep people at bay. It had taken the love and persistence of a Christian couple . . . to start the process of dismantling the walls.

When it became time to pray, Dinah quickly sent one for herself. ‘Dear Heavenly Father, I am confused about how my past and my future will fit together. Am I supposed to be alone for the rest of my life? . . . What is your will for me? Please give me Your wisdom in figuring this out. I don’t trust my own judgment, and I only want to do Your will . . . Without you I have nothing. Amen.’”

I enjoyed getting to know Dinah Harris as I rode along on her adventure. And I rejoiced at the hopeful ending for this character I’d come to feel so much sympathy for!

If you enjoy an engaging mystery with godly insights woven throughout, you'll enjoy this story.

Special thanks to Julie Cave and Master Books for providing my copy!(less)

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Aug 21, 2011 Tony Breeden rated it 5 of 5 stars

Pieces of Light is the third book in the Dinah Harris mystery series. I was a bit leery about diving into a fiction series without having read the first two installments. A lot of times an author builds off previous books, which is OK except when their subsequent offerings make little sense on their own. Fortunately, Pieces of Light is a stand-alone work, an enjoyable read all by itself, while benefiting from the depth of fleshed out characters and settings.

Julie Cave reminds me a little of fell...more Pieces of Light is the third book in the Dinah Harris mystery series. I was a bit leery about diving into a fiction series without having read the first two installments. A lot of times an author builds off previous books, which is OK except when their subsequent offerings make little sense on their own. Fortunately, Pieces of Light is a stand-alone work, an enjoyable read all by itself, while benefiting from the depth of fleshed out characters and settings.

Julie Cave reminds me a little of fellow Christian authors Frank Peretti or Ted Dekker in that she doesn’t pull any punches whilst delivering a riveting, yet relevant story. Her characters are flawed and deal with real-world problems. When I was a kid, I used to dread Christian film and fiction precisely because the characters, especially the protagonists, were so perfect and super spiritual once they got saved (which they inevitably did within the first few chapters or scenes). Cave’s protagonist, ex-FBI agent Dinah Harris, deals with lingering alcoholism, dating as a Christian, and guilt over past sins while trying to solve the identity and motives of a church bomber. Cave also tackles uncomfortable issues like domestic violence and church hypocrisy with unflinching honesty.

This book is part page-turning thriller and part mystery with dashes of drama and thought-provoking dialogue thrown in for good measure. It is so well-written that, even though I figured out who the bomber was before the protagonist, I was still very much interested in why they resorted to terrorism.

As a Biblical Creationist, I was bemused to discover a further reason why Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis calls Julie Cave his favorite mystery writer. On page 188, I discovered Andy and Sandra Coleman of Genesis Legacy ( an apologetics ministry based out of Cincinnati, Ohio… I’m smiling!), who are experiencing the same sort of misinformation campaign and legal opposition from humanists and atheists to their proposed Ark Experience attraction in Kentucky that the real-world Ark Encounter has been subjected to. As you might expect, this book contains an excellent refutation of the false charges leveled against the Ark Encounter and reminds us that our Founding fathers fought for freedom of religion, not freedom from it.

Bottom line: It’s an entertaining read with a solid Biblical worldview. Well worth picking up.

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Feb 08, 2012 Shaun rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Shaun by: Jennifer White

I've heard it said that you can't keep a good girl down and that seems to be the case with Dinah Harris. She is at it again in Pieces of Light, book three in the Dinah Harris Mystery series published by Master Books. When we last saw Dinah at the close of The Shadowed Mind, she had just wrapped up a case with detective Samson Cage, where they worked together to bring down a serial killer, who was intent on single-handedly bringing his own brand of neo-eugenic justice to bear on those he consider...more I've heard it said that you can't keep a good girl down and that seems to be the case with Dinah Harris. She is at it again in Pieces of Light, book three in the Dinah Harris Mystery series published by Master Books. When we last saw Dinah at the close of The Shadowed Mind, she had just wrapped up a case with detective Samson Cage, where they worked together to bring down a serial killer, who was intent on single-handedly bringing his own brand of neo-eugenic justice to bear on those he considered undesirable in the lower rungs of Washington D.C.'s societal ladder. As luck or fate would have it, the work of an expert profiler is never quite done and it is time to move on to a new case.

Since the time her career came to an abrupt halt at the bureau, Dinah has been working as a consultant, offering her profiling skills for hire. Her next client is none other than Ferguson, her long-time friend and former partner from the FBI. Ferguson has recently been promoted to the position of Assistant Special Agent in Charge for domestic terrorism. This new position gives him the leverage to bring in an outside consultant to assist with an investigation. When the Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church falls victim to a bombing during evening mass, Ferguson hires Dinah to help him and Special Agent Sinclair track down the person or persons responsible for this heinous crime. As one bombing turns into two and then three, it becomes clear that it will take the very best of Ferguson, Sinclair, and Dinah's sleuthing to apprehend those responsible.

At first glance, you may think that Pieces of Light is just another suspenseful mystery novel. While I acknowledge that it most certainly is that, it is also much more. As you work your way through the book, you will be exposed to several seemingly disparate story-lines that run parallel for a time, but as expected come together at the end of the book, brining the story to a riveting conclusion. It is no secret that Julie Cave is not afraid to expose the ills of modern society as evidenced by the difficult topics she took on in Deadly Disclosures and The Shadowed Mind. Pieces of Light is no exception. As we get to know the various characters in the story, we encounter spousal and child abuse and see some of the long-term ramifications for those affected by it. One of these victims finds release through self-mutilation and consoles herself through cutting.

If you are familiar with the earlier books in the series, it is not a huge surprise when Senator David Winters surfaces again in this story. Ever since their first encounter in Deadly Disclosures, Senator Winters has considered Dinah a personal enemy. He is up to his old tricks again, always ready to back whatever cause will pad his back accounts the most. Senator Winters could have benefited from a dose of reality from the book of Proverbs. His personal character continues to be tarnished by the corrupt circles he runs in and the wicked games he plays. In Pieces of Light, his former sins may come back to haunt him when justice comes about from an unexpected source.

Another exciting element in the novel is that readers are able to continue following Dinah's own journey of faith. Over the course of the first two novels, we watched Dinah's life unravel in the midst of debilitating grief and rampant alcoholism. Her life turns an important corner, when she accepts Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. It is only by His saving grace that she is able to pursue sobriety and find healing from the pain she felt from the loss of her husband and son. In Pieces of Light, Dinah is pursing a life of deeper faith. We see her regularly spending time in prayer and Bible reading and come to understand how precious it is to her. She also regularly attends church and is part of a weekly women's Bible study. When Dinah unexpectedly encounters a new love interest, she must come to terms with what that means in light of her memories of her late husband and son. More importantly, she must make a decision about whether or not she will choose to yoke herself to a non-Christian and set relational boundaries and standards as prescribed by God's word.

I trust readers will develop a soft place in their heart for the Dinah Harris character as I have over the course of reading all three novels in the Dinah Harris mystery series. Many thanks to Julie Cave for her continued willingness to delve into difficult subject matter in her novels. Just in case you have not realized it yet, I will let you in on a little secret. The main character in her books is not Dinah Harris, it is Jesus Christ. In Pieces of Light as well as her two previous novels, Julie continuously weaves a message of hope, proclaiming the power of Jesus' sacrifice and His desire to redeem every life from even the darkest of sins and the most hopeless of circumstances. With two very clear gospel presentations in the book, this message resounds loud and clear.

I sincerely recommend Pieces of Light and the other novels in the Dinah Harris mystery series. Each of theses novels reads fine on its own, but readers will get even more out of the stories if they read them in chronological order. If you are already a Christian, you will be both challenged and edified by what you find in these pages. If you are a non-Christian, I trust you will see the message of the gospel that Julie has woven into the story. Let me close by taking a moment to express my heartfelt thanks to Julie Cave for writing these great books and Master Books for publishing them. Now that Julie is a blessed mother of two little ones, I know her free time for writing is probably a bit more limited these days, but I hope this isn't the last we've seen of Dinah Harris.

Author Information:
Julie Cave credits her parents for introducing her to books at a young age, which fostered an enduring passion for reading and writing. As a child, her favorite authors were Enid Blyton and C.S. Lewis and it wasn't long before she began copying them, writing short stories for anyone who would read them. At fifteen, two things happened which would shape her future: she heard a creation science speaker at her church which cemented her faith in God; and she finished her second novel-length story and realized she had fallen in love with writing novels. After school, she completed a health science degree, got married, and worked in banking and finance. All the while she wondered how she could combine her love of writing and her strong passion for Christian apologetics and evangelism. One weekend at a church camp, a friend asked, `What if the guy in charge of the Smithsonian Institution went missing?' The result - and the answer to that question - is Julie's maiden published novel, Deadly Disclosures. Since then, Julie has written and released the other two books in this trilogy, The Shadowed Mind and Pieces of Light. Julie has two daughters and lives in Brisbane, Australia with her family. She divides her time between being a wife, a mother and an author.

Disclaimer:
This book was provided by Master Books for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.(less)

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Aug 12, 2011 Zach Mulkey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Julie Cave’s novel Pieces of Light is a story of hope for even the most hardened individuals, who feel they have no value to themselves or anyone else. Pieces of Light is the third novel in a series of mysteries written around the character Dinah Harris.

Dinah is called in by her former FBI partner as a consultant in a case involving a series of church bombings in the Washington D.C. area. While investigating the case, Dinah learns more about her new life as a Christian and that God may have some

...more

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Sep 28, 2011 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-fiction, christian-suspense, christianity, i-own-this, review-books, master-books

I cannot begin to say how great this book is, this is an excellent read, an edge of your seat Christian suspense that will have you wondering what next? and whodunit? This is not my first time having the pleasure of reading one of Julie Cave’s books and I truly hope it’s not the last as this book like the other one I have read served to both instruct as well as to entertain – and trying to do both of these in a fiction book can be near impossible but definitely can be done by the right person, a...more I cannot begin to say how great this book is, this is an excellent read, an edge of your seat Christian suspense that will have you wondering what next? and whodunit? This is not my first time having the pleasure of reading one of Julie Cave’s books and I truly hope it’s not the last as this book like the other one I have read served to both instruct as well as to entertain – and trying to do both of these in a fiction book can be near impossible but definitely can be done by the right person, and this person is Julie Cave.

Had I been able to sit through and read this book I would have easily spent all day reading it. From the first page to the last you’ll find yourself wrapped up in Dinah’s life and cheering from her both in her life as a recovering alcoholic and to telling a man she wants to spend her life with that she can’t since he’s not Christian. Some may think that mention of an attraction outside of Cincinnati called the “Ark Experience” may seem eerily familiar and even some of the Bible story seemingly redundant but if you keep in mind that Dinah is a ‘baby’ Christian and finding this all exciting then it will be exciting for the reader too.

Without being overbearing, Julie Cave, shares the love of God with both Christian and non-Christian’s alike and can readily express what some of us all need to hear. Incorporating a Biblical worldview, the innerancy of Biblical authority, delivers the message of Jesus’ act of Salvation and can even help Believers share their beliefs with naysayers, Julie has in fact done this all including keeping the reader entertained the entire time.

If you’re looking for a book that you can actually call Christian fiction without just paying lip service to Christian, this is that book! Dinah has no fear of sharing her faith and even letting a man she wants to love know where she stands on being with an unsaved person. There is no lip service here, this is a fully Christian book that could also be enjoyed by those searching for the Truth and even those who may be skeptical of the Christian faith. Definitely a must read for the Christian who enjoys suspense but is tired of the passing triviality of a prayer here or a God there.

**I was provided a copy of this book from New Leaf Publishing Group, in exchange for my honest opinion, no other compensation was given.(less)

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Mar 21, 2012 Cheryl Olson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: review

Well, it’s 2 books for the price of one! You’ll get a who- dunnit mystery suspense novel along with a well thought out apologetics novel all in one story. I guess the question is- do you like both packed into one? This is my first Dinah Harris mystery novel by Julie Cave. The character of Dinah Harris is a former FBI agent having been released from the FBI because of her alcoholic issues that resulted after the loss of her husband and son in a car accident. Dinah is a character who has come a lo...more Well, it’s 2 books for the price of one! You’ll get a who- dunnit mystery suspense novel along with a well thought out apologetics novel all in one story. I guess the question is- do you like both packed into one? This is my first Dinah Harris mystery novel by Julie Cave. The character of Dinah Harris is a former FBI agent having been released from the FBI because of her alcoholic issues that resulted after the loss of her husband and son in a car accident. Dinah is a character who has come a long way in her healing from those days, but she is still learning how to deal and how to live out her new faith.

This storyline is truly intriguing – someone is bombing local churches and Dinah is called in by her former partner, who still believes in her, as a consultant on the case. I love the way the author uses the present and past and goes back and forth as a wonderful literary device to unfold the story piece by piece to the reader; it opens with the convicted bomber on death row and flashes back to a year ago when the case is unfolding. As the story is told and I don’t want to give anything away here, but I believe the reader really does develop empathy for the “bomber” – unique because he/she is the “bad guy”, but then again aren’t we all?

As far as the apologetics side to the novel- there is plenty of it here. The author is logical and systematic in her delivery of the gospel message and its clear and very well laid out. I felt like the argument concerning the political side of separation of church and state was pretty drawn out and I felt that during this section of the book and even the later gospel arguments that I had switched to a Lee Strobel type of book. Here’s the rub for me- as a Christian, I agreed with everything that was written and really appreciated the systematic and logical thinking that went into these parts of the book. As a fiction reader, it took me away from the story and for me that is a red flag because then I am looking at the writer’s choices instead of staying in the story. But like I said before, if you like 2 for the price of 1, then you will really like this book.

Having jumped into the third book in this series without reading the first two always gives me a little disadvantage I feel, as I haven’t read the character’s entire previous story. So, I do want to go back and read the others. The author does a fine job at helping the reader know the main points of the character’s back story. I just would like to read more and see for myself. So when it’s all said and done, I did enjoy this book- lots of different sub plots going on that made the storyline interesting- some romance, political intrigue, and you can even brush up on your thoughts on separation of church and state arguments and apologetics thoughts. A lot packed in there.

Rating- 3.5 stars

Disclosure- I received a free digital copy of this book through the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.

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Jul 05, 2011 Melanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-books, christian-fiction, apologetics

Pieces of Light is the 3rd and final book in the Dinah Harris series. Though this book can be read alone I feel it helps to have read at least the first book where you can see Dinah‘s journey to Christ more clearly. She was an FBI agent who lost her job due to alcoholism. Now a freelance crime consultant Dinah has her life back on track and is serious about being in relationship with Christ.
A bomber is targeting churches with homemade bombs and Dinah is hired to help her former FBI partner David...more

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Aug 01, 2011 Cheryl rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is the third and final book in the Dinah Harris mystery series.The author develops the character and story lines enough to make this a stand-alone book, but it would be helpful to read the other two (Deadly Disclosures and The Shadowed Mind) beforehand in order to better understand the characters.

As with the other books in the series, Julie Cave has several subplots going on as well as the main plot. The main plot is about Dinah Harris, former FBI agent, being called in to investigate a ser...more

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Aug 23, 2012 David N. Walker rated it 4 of 5 stars

This story jumps back and forth between the thoughts of the perpetrator as he awaits execution and the efforts of Dinah and her FBI cohorts to solve the mystery and bring him to justice for blowing up churches.

Along the way, Dinah's new-found Christianity leads her to back off from a budding relationship with one of the FBI agents she's helping in the case, but in the end he expresses an interest in letting her lead him to Jesus.

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Dec 14, 2012 Jeffrey rated it 3 of 5 stars

This series was quite interesting. I thought that the first two may have been a little better conceived, though it was clear that all of these had a clear message to convey. I enjoyed the believability of the main character, though things seemed to clean up more neatly at the end than I had thought was believable.

All in all an enjoyable diversion with some good information thrown in about some hot button topics today.

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Feb 02, 2012 Alex rated it 5 of 5 stars

Julie Cave delivers yet another intense, nail-biting mystery in her third and final book in the Dinah Harris series, Pieces of Light. We once again follow Dinah as she works with the FBI to solve seemingly random bombings of churches & religious buildings, while dealing with her new-found faith and a potential love interest. As in the previous two books, Julie delves into key issues that are surrounding us as a nation today, one of the most prominent being the separation of church and state....more

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Sep 09, 2011 Maxie rated it 5 of 5 stars

So Happy I won the giveaway!! :-) Thanks New Leaf Publishing. Starting this tonight 7/22! Thanks again!

After reading this book Pieces of Light I am compelled to go back and read the previous books. Being a resident of Washington, DC the story was perhaps more alive for me as a reader. I could related to the locations, masses of people and the reactions of the characters. Julie Cave's style was very impressive and has a great rhythm and flows beautifully although it was painful that humans can re...more

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Jul 01, 2011 Rosalie marked it as to-read

Shelves: first-reads-giveaways-won

Reason for Reading_Won in First Reads Giveaways
I will read it and comment, but didn't realize it was a Christian Fiction when I entered. That is not my choice of books.

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Feb 21, 2013 Jeannie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian, fiction, mystery, own, read-in-2013, series, women-authors

Review to come.

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Jan 29, 2012 Carrie Baird rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked this book. Julie Cave illustrates in a good mystery setting how profoundly abuse can affect everyone - not just those directly involved, and how vital it is to break the cycle. She also weaves into the story a clear Christian testimony, using her fiction as a vehicle to share eternal truths.

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Nov 09, 2011 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

Note: This book was received through a giveaway.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It's fairly heavy on the Christian overtones and gets a bit preachy at certain points. Overall, it has a good plot and keeps you interested. Through the whole book there are a few different story lines. Two of them come together nicely one of them barely comes together but I imagine it's to lead into the next book.

A good read and fairly quick.

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May 01, 2013 Natalie Joy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very well done

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Pieces of Light (Dinah Harris Mysteries #3)

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