RANSOM FOR A SONG by Phyllis Clark Nichols
It is a good day when you find a book you enjoy reading. It is an even better day when you find there is a sequel to the first book and it too is enjoyable. It is a great day when you find there is a third book in the series and that there are at least two more to come. That has been my experience with Phyllis Clark Nichol’s novels RETURN OF THE SONG, FREEDOM OF THE SONG and now RANSOM FOR A SONG. They are all part of the “Rockwater Suite” and they just get better and better.
The main characters in the books are Caroline Carlyle and Roderick Adair. Their love story started in Book one and continued through book two. In book three RANSOM FOR A SONG they are heading towards a life together but cruel events separate them and put the continuation of their journey together in jeopardy. It takes a lot of faith, hope and love to enable them to bear the hands they have been dealt.
Caroline Carlyle is a wonderful leading lady. When we first meet her she is living in a small Georgia town. She is a brilliant composer and also a beloved piano teacher. Her music is very much a part of her total life. She uses this talent to bless others and to enrich the lives of all who hear her play. Although she has had challenges that threaten to silence her song she marches on with determination and optimism.
In this third book Caroline makes a trip to Guatemala to help a group of orphans there. She is accompanied by a pioneer type woman named Lydia Pipken who has been there done that with just about every situation possible. She and Caroline are quite a contrast in looks and personalities. Caroline is a bit more refined while Dr, Pipken is a little rough along the edges. But when dangers arise it is a combination of skills of both women that is brought forward.
Luckily for the reader Nichols does not just focus on Caroline. We still are privy to the actions of Roderick while Caroline is away in Guatemala. We also are kept informed about Sam and Angel who are an older couple who think of Caroline as their own daughter. Sam and Angel are delightful people and you wouldn’t want to read a book in this series that omitted them.
Nichols has stated she has traveled to Guatemala many times in past years. Her knowledge of the country seeps into her descriptions of the climate and locations which she describes perfectly. Although Caroline finds danger in this country there are also scenes portraying the goodness of the people there.
Phyllis Clark Nichols books are totally enjoyable in a variety of ways. She certainly knows how to create characters who come to life and live in your memory. Plus she makes her plots complicated enough to hold the reader’s attention from the start of the story until the end. Then it picks up again in the next book in the series and you are once again in familiar territory.
So you should not miss this series. Start with the first book and move through the second into this one, the third. You will find yourself fascinated and eagerly awaiting the next installment. It will be here soon.
RANSOM FOR A SONG is published by Southern Stories Publishing. It contains 372 pages and sells for $15.99.
Jackie K Cooper
www.jackiekcooper.com
