A Table By the Window

by Lawana Blackwell

Having survived a tumultuous childhood, Carley has fashioned an orderly life for herself in San Francisco. Then a private investigator brings her news of a large inheritance—and a house in Tallulah, Mississippi, from a grandmother she can barely remember. Carley visits Tallulah and the serenity of small-town living charms her into staying and opening a bistro there. But Carley finds more than she bargained for in Tallulah: along with faith, self-worth, romance…a murder mystery that threatens her newfound happiness. From bestselling author Lawana Blackwell.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Christian, Romance, Contemporary, Suspense

416 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2005

About the author

Lawana Blackwell is a full-time writer with 10 published novels, including the bestselling Gresham Chronicles series. She and her husband have three grown sons and live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Reviews

[Bookworman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upgraded to 5 stars. I just love this story! I’d love if there was a sequel someday.😊

The narrator was OK, not great.

This is a contemporary story from an author whose Victorian era books I have read and thoroughly enjoyed. It's full of likeable characters, a mini-mystery, and a overall satisfying story. The closest comparison I think is to Traci Dupree's Lake Emily series with some similarities to Jan Karon's Mitford series.

[Taija · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love books with independent female characters who find ways to strike out on their own and make a good life for themselves... women who, although fictional, inspire me to be stronger and better than I am. This is one of those books.

[Lisa Helble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read

A little mystery and romance. It also gets you thinking about your own prejudices and what is important in life.

[Carol Arnold · Rating 3 out of 5]

I initially gave this book 4 stars but after thinking about it, I changed it to 3. It is, overall, a good story. In the description, it is described as a murder mystery, but actually, the only mystery is how they are going to solve the mystery. The author tells us pretty much from the beginning who committed the first mystery. We just have to wait to find out how Carley and others discovered it. There was another mystery involved though. A young woman and her married lover had disappeared years earlier. Did they run away or were they murdered? This was better presented than the first mystery in that the author did not reveal the truth until the end of the book. Still, it was definitely anticipated and not much of a surprise when the truth was revealed.

The second reason that I lowered the rating was the author's almost obsessive tendency to describe everything down to the minutest detail. I mean, do we really need to know what everyone wore whenever they left their house?!!! Or when pulling into a driveway, is it necessary that we know the color of the house and the shutters? These details were distracting in that they did nothing to advance the plot. One exception was the description in the beginning of the book which described Brook's clothing. We needed this detail to know more of her personality. The rest just seemed to be a filler. The book was long enough! We didn't need these fillers.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say that parts of this book were very interesting. Spoiler alert. I don't usually give away parts of the plot but I have to say I like the fact that the main romantic leading man was a creep and a murderer. Interesting that the author decided to go that direction but I enjoyed it. The negative part of the story was that she gave this plot twist away half way through the story. It would have been an amazing plot twist if it came at the end when he's trying to kill the leading lady. But you can see it coming a mile away. Oh my goodness.
I have read many stories by Lawana Blackwell. She writes a great Victorian romance but not a great modern mystory\suspense. We all have our strangths. If you have never read her other novels give them a try.

[writer... · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liking the maturity of the writing and character perspectives throughout this author's work.

[Bonita]

This book was very disappointing and frustrating to me. There was very little mystery, suspense, or danger, and mostly just in the final pages. Even worse, though, for me, was how unrealistically the author portrayed the damage an adult (even a Christian one) suffers from childhood abuse. Not only was the heroine sexually abused by a stepfather, but she was severely neglected, abandoned, and not taught by any parent how to interact with people, have healthy boundaries or relationships, etc.



Yet in this book, the heroine is always very good at understanding her feelings and reactions, speaks up when she should, trusts when it's safe to but withholds trust when sensing red flags. She's able to tell people how she feels, why she feels that way, what she's been through and how it affects her as an adult, etc. She's able to be very honest, vulnerable, assertive, confident, and so many other qualities that are not realistic based on her upbringing and limited healing relationships.



As a survivor of child abuse myself, I've experienced tremendous healing from God and loving Christians and have developed much healthier ways of relating to others. But I still struggle with all these areas I mentioned before. It's frustrating to read this book which depicts a severely abused and neglected girl grow up to be an emotionally healthier person than the average person who grew up in only a mildly dysfunctional one.



I've never written a negative review of any book, ever, because I hate to insult something that I know was a labor of love for the author. I can't begin to understand all the time, sweat, thought, labor, etc. that go into creating a book, and I have the utmost respect for anyone who can accomplish that. But it's unfair to present this story as if it's an accurate representation of the kind of adult of 25 or so that's produced from a childhood of such abuse and deprivation.



I fear I haven't expressed very well why this book does a disservice to those of us fighting every day to collaborate with God in building a solid foundation and slowly mending all the damage done. I hope that by attempting to put my thoughts into words, someone else may choose to present a more realistic and true presentation of an adult survivor of child abuse.

[Tristy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book where almost nothing happens. I also found the subtle Christian overtones really offensive - be UP FRONT with your agenda, don't hide it in the form of a fictional novel. Also, the heroine, for someone who grew up in an incredibly abusive family is astoundingly well-adjusted, more so then the folks who had quite loving and decent families. I'm not saying that's impossible, but you have to explain HOW this woman healed herself so deeply and powerfully and we never hear that story. I also couldn't stomach the "charming Southern" stereotypes on every page. There was no depth to this story or the characters. I do give it an extra star for being a great book to inspire single woman to go into business for themselves - the subplot could have been a class in small business management!

[Shirley Henning · Rating 5 out of 5]

A relaxing book to read.

This is my favorite author. Her books are so easy to read, the plot is interesting with twists and turns, the characters make you feel like they are your friends too, good over evil. I recommend this book and all her others.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this simple little story. In a small town setting love can bloom. There is no trashy in this novel.

[Jennifer Fluegge · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first and only contemporary novel by Lawana Blackwell. Very good, well-written. Wish she would write another contemporary one!

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very slow, but i really enjoyed it..

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Table by the Window had been sitting untouched in my personal library for over 10 years. I had thought I had read it long ago but I couldn't remember much about it, but I wanted to read it again before donating or keeping it longer.
I am so glad I did! I couldn't remember it at all so I am sure I had never read it before.
I loved the story- please don't read it as a mystery, as it really isn't (I have no idea why it was marketed as such). It is a cozy coming home and finding your feet in the world type story.
The main character, Carley, comes from a sadly realistic and difficult background. But through the intervention of a couple kind people, and the prayers of her estranged grandmother, she is a hardworking and well adjusted adult.
She receives an inheritance from her grandmother and comes home to a small town in Mississippi. I especially loved the setting, as it is about as close to Laurel, Mississippi, as can be (from the show Hometown, which I love)! Small town, with antique shops, and huge trees and pretty wooden houses.
She opens a café and there are some romantic sparks.
Almost right away, you find out about a hit and run, and also the identity of the murderer. But I thought it was realistic how Carley doesn't figure it out until the end, although a cautious person, she assumes the best in people.
Her relationship with Brooke was the highlight of the story for me.
Very real characters, a beautiful setting and story.
The time it was written was quaint now too, looking back on the very beginning of the internet and cell phones.
I want to read more by this author!

[Kav · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

I discovered this retro read while helping restore order to a very neglected, upside down church library. I've read and enjoyed a number of Lawana Blackwell's historical fiction so this contemporary novel with a hint of mystery intrigued me.

Love the descriptive writing -- it has the same kind of rich details that she brings to her historical novels including charming small town life and the intricacies in Carley's tumultuous life. Sometimes it got too detailed, especially over the mundane things, but I found it a compelling read just the same.

I was expecting more of a mystery plot from the cover description -- this reads more like a coming of age novel than a mystery. Plus we know very close to the beginning who the villain is which makes it anti-climatic to wait for Carley and the rest of the town to catch up. Still, I enjoyed my time spent with Carley -- especially when she was in Tallulah, Mississippi. It has always been my dream to have been left an inheritance by a distant relative. :-)

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually associate Lawana Blackwell with historical fiction, so it was a bit of a surprise to find out that she also wrote stories set in contemporary times. When I first started reading A Table by the Window, I thought that the novel was a contemporary romance, but it is more of a story about a wounded and lost sheep returning to the Shepherd's fold. The wounded sheep in question is Carley Reed, a highschool English Literature teacher who suffered through a horrendous childhood with an alcoholic mother, and an abusive stepfather. Carley received the Lord as her Saviour as a child, but after experiencing harm at the hands of her stepfather, who was a church deacon, and being expected to act as a servant/slave in the home of the so called Christian foster parents, who took her in afterwards, Carley is no longer interested in spending time with a God Who would let evil things happen to good and innocent people or with His servants who act like hypocrites.


In the first few chapters of the novel, Carley again experiences unfairness and injustice when the principal of her school refuses to support her against students who have clearly cheated. This is because of the fear that influential relatives of those students would withdraw financial backing. At the same time, Carley discovers that she has received an inheritance from her estranged deceased maternal grandmother. With the knowledge of becoming debt free by claiming her inheritance, and because of her students' continued disrespectful behaviour, Carley finds herself taking a stand for herself and quits her position at the school, and makes her way to Tallulah, Mississippi to learn about her grandmother, her grandmother's sister, Helen, and Helen's family. Beside being neglectful in her care for Carley, her mother had also failed to inform her about other relatives and Carley had lived for years without knowing of their existence. The draw towards family, however unknown, is quite strong for Carley, who doesn't know who her birth father is, and whose only known relatives were her grandparents and mother who have already passed on.


Aunt Helen turns out to be a believer, and is a gentle witness to Carley who is reluctant to draw near to Him. Carley tries to settle her grandmother's estate, intending to return to California, but finds herself resettling in Tallulah, and opening a restaurant instead of returning to teaching. She even finds herself being romantically pursued by the local hero, Police Chief Dale Parker. However, even in Tallulah, Carley continues to encounter people who appear to have been neglected and forgotten by the Lord through unjust circumstances. One of these situations is the abandonment of a woman whose husband had disappeared with a known bad girl; neither the unfaithful husband or his paramour has been seen since then. Another is the unsolved mystery of Pastor Stillman's wife who had died in a hit and run accident. As the plot unfolds, it becomes apparent that someone wants to keep those mysteries unsolved.


The title of the novel refers to a request made by the daughter of the pastor's wife. This young girl requests a table by the window at Carley's restaurant so that she can watch the people who walk by when she and her family are dining there. I'm still trying to figure out what the significance of the title; is it alluding to watching all the people that are walking by in Carley's life, or is it referring to the question of whether the Stillman Family will eventually get justice if they sit back and watch the Lord do His thing? I'm inclined to think that it is the latter, even though this novel seems to have a wide range of characters who pop in and out of Carley's life, with some being unpleasant, others being quirky curiosities, others whom Carley tries to help and give assistance to, and others who encourage Carley to believe that God actually cares.


Carley is a likeable and sympathetic character. Her story made me think about how God can use a person's past, no matter how horrible it is, to minister to other people who may be going through similar circumstances. 2 Corinthians 1:3b-4 says, "...the God of all comfort, Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." In this novel, Carley reaches out to Brooke Kimball, a teenaged girl who must cope with an alcoholic parent, just as Carley had with her mother.


With respect to justice, this novel also addresses the question about whether God is just and whether He cares about those who belong to Him. Will He allow the wicked to get away with their deeds? According to His Word, we know that He will eventually judge everyone's deeds for all to see, even those done in secret. 2 Corinthians 5:10 says, "For we must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." How will these truths be reflected in the plot of "A Table by the Window?"


I think that waiting for God to carry out justice can be a hard thing to do, and sometimes believing that He can turn evil around so that good would result for those who love Him is difficult. However, He did it for Joseph (Genesis 50:20) and He did it ultimately for us through Jesus.


A Table by the Window made me think, especially since it addressed hard questions about the goodness of God. As I mentioned before, it didn't turn out to be the contemporary romance that I thought that I was going to read, and it certainly turned into an interesting piece of suspenseful fiction.


This review is also posted on my blog at:
http://whatiscbreading.blogspot.ca

[Lyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got about 60% of the way through before I almost gave up on this book.

My disgust for Dale had grown equal to my frustration with his still being built up as the romantic love interest. I could understand the hit-and-run choice made out of fear and desperation that only compounded over time like a black hole, growing in density and seeming impossible to escape. Initially, I had hoped that his would be a story of redemption and forgiveness, of a town being able to heal, and new beginnings. But then we get to be in his head for a little while. And we hear him consoling his girlfriend over the phone after the abortion that he pressured her into having. We hear him tell her that they'll have dozens of kids when the time is right. Then he hangs up with her, reflecting that that girl is not wife material and that he would never have kids with her. Then we see him continue to try to date Carley. I'd had enough.

I started skimming, jumping back and forth, trying to make sense of fragments. When I was assured that the story did not follow the path it had been set upon, I finally finished it. Wow. It was very different than what I expected. Chilling, and therefore, not something I'd want to read again, but well done all the same. This story had more mystery built into it than I had realized and the suspense builds so subtly that you don't realize you're literally on the edge of your seats, knees jangling, reading as frantically as you can. At least that was the case for me.

This is very different from every other book I've read by this author (historical romance), and so I probably would not recommend it to her fans. And most of the book operates as a story about a woman making peace with her past, finding healing with family, and stepping out on a limb in business. Despite the back of the book blurb, the way it's written, you don't realize you're in a murder mystery until the last chunk of the story. If you like thrillers that seem like they could happen to anyone and aren't the focal point of the story, then this might be the book for you. But then again, if you like mysteries or thrillers at all, you should give it a shot. It's definitely a unique story.

[Katarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Getting to know Carley was extremely refreshing. My favorite part about Carley’s character is the way she is so in control of her thoughts and feelings. Not only is she a very strong, smart, independent female character, she is one that has an awful past but has truly grown from that. Oftentimes, characters with any kind of difficult childhood are the target for a “bad” guy or a generally terrible person, but this was not the case with this story. The way she communicates and handles her emotions proves a very realistic tale of healing and maturity that a person coming from a bad past can fully achieve.

[Patsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having survived a tumultuous childhood, Carley has fashioned an orderly life for herself in San Francisco. Then a private investigator brings her news of a large inheritance???and a house in Tallulah, Mississippi, from a grandmother she can barely remember. Carley visits Tallulah and the serenity of small-town living charms her into staying and opening a bistro there. But Carley finds more than she bargained for in Tallulah: along with faith, self-worth, romance???a murder mystery that threatens her newfound happiness. From bestselling author Lawana Blackwell.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought it is From 2005 I hadn’t heard of it yet. Was reading through this author’s other books and saw this one which is a big departure from what I had read. This one is set in (at time of writing) the present and in the US instead of 1800s England. Blackwell is such a gifted, gentle storyteller and her characters are well fleshed out.
The part I really liked was when I figured out the bad guy was a vegan. 🤣🤣🤣

[Joann Standiford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book kept my interest

I have enjoyed all of this author's work however this story was different. The story played with dark &light. At times the subject matter was so heavy,I had to put it down but that was only for a little while because I had to find out what happened next! This book engaged me from start to finish.

[Eden Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning was certainly quite slow, but the ending was suspenseful. The mystery felt a little unfocused and not as integral to the plot as I expected from the blurb, but the relationships that the author explored for most of the story were really sweet. I especially enjoyed Carly's relationship with Brooke, and how that was able to bring them both healing.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this book. What I liked most was the intertwining of the stories and how I knew things about people that they didn't know about each other ... this made me protective of them and hoping for outcomes I may not have hoped for had the story been written in a different way. It was well done.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. The pace was a little slow at times and I think the book could have been shorter. But the fact that the fictional town in the story was actually my new hometown made it so much fun to read because I recognized so many places. Now I just wish our town would get a cute little sandwich shop!

[Gwenyth Lynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read though at times a little jumbled with all the peripheral characters one had to contend with but I enjoyed the interaction between Carley and Brooke and the persistence each had about what they felt to be right.

[Darian - Books With A Chance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the beginning of the book, the middle became a bit slow for me. A bit predictable that she would start her own cafe. I never had a good feeling about Dale through the book, he kept giving off this creepy vibe, for a bit I was worried she was going to actually start liking him.

[Loeta Mays · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!!!!

I’ve now read all of Lawana’s books. I love her work. The characters are richly developed and the story line challenges me to walk closer to Christ. I’m hoping a new book is coming soon!

[Linda Aldridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great contemporary story from an author who writes mainly historical. The 'bad guy' was such a creepy, smooth character! Satisfying end to the story. I must go finish reading her historical stories s0on

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Whilst I enjoyed the book, it didn't really keep my attention. I enjoyed the journey that Carley and Brooke took in their lives, but there wasn't really much of a mystery to it. Glad I read it though.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely story about a young woman who had a very rough upbringing and her chance to start a new life in a small town. There she befriends a young school dropout who had a similar story of childhood neglect. Lots of fun characters and a mystery running along in the background.

[alyssareads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give it a 3.5/5 stars.! It was a good wholesome small town story for the most part with tiny mentions of some drama. I was afraid that the cops story wasn’t going to be explained or expanded on but just you wait until the last like 50 pages !!