Still Life (By: Dani Pettrey)

Still Life

By: Dani Pettrey

Storyline

After being blacklisted by the art community of Baltimore, Avery Tate - a professional photographer - has been working as a crime scene photographer with crime scene analyst, Parker Mitchell. They are quickly attracted to one another, but there's a problem: Parker is still in love with and loyal to his old girlfriend who was murdered a number of years ago. So rather than be continually faced with what will never happen, Avery quits and moves on.

But when she discovers her childhood friend Skylar is missing after having been photographed for an art gallery showing, she suspects foul play. She knows of no one better to help her solve the mystery than Parker - and the two set out to find Skylar.

Also weaved in is a story about a mysterious ship of refugees that arrives in a Baltimore with illegal activities on board. And the question still remains - whatever happened to the gang's friend Luke, who disappeared without a trace seven years ago?

While the plot lines were exciting and very well written, a few places felt choppy and several things were left unexplained. It took us quite awhile to really get into the book. As in the first book, sometimes the many characters and their places in the plots felt confusing and chaotic.

Depth

Avery grew up labeled "trailer trash," and still has a hard time believing she isn't in that life anymore. Unfortunately, this case places her right back in the heart of her childhood. She feels responsible for Skylar's wild lifestyle since she introduced her to it in the first place, and fears that she may have died without ever having changed, like Avery had.

Faith

Faith is this book's strongest quality! Parker and Avery both have a strong faith in God. Parker continually reminds those around him that they can lean on and rely on the Lord. He encourages Avery that she is a new creation in Christ and Jesus has redeemed her from her past. Many characters pray for guidance and live clean lives, pleasing to God in purity and speech.

Love Story

Anyone who loved Dani Pettrey's Alaskan Courage series may be a bit disappointed in this series' romance. Although a genuine and respectable love story is certainly written, the emotions were hard for us to connect with. Parker and Avery have to overcome a few realistic obstacles before they can be together but even then, it didn't feel as though the romantic tension had built enough for us to be terribly excited about them as a couple.

Overall

This is the second book in Dani Pettrey's Chesapeake Valor series and some themes were continued from book one and will continue through the series, which we love! Unfortunately, some parts of the book were disappointing to us and left us a little confused. However, the faith was strong and the general storyline was extremely entertaining. We look forward to the next book in the series, where we can continue to explore the mystery that surrounds the entire series - what ever became of their missing friend Luke.

Find it on Amazon: Still Life

Note: We were given this book free in exchange for our honest review.