Member Reviews
I am very happy to be introduced to a new author. Robert Whitlow is the writer of over 15 legal/Christian books and several films. The latest, Double Indemnity, about a couple struggling within a marriage, the pastor that is working with them, and a lawyer that becomes involved after a hunting accident takes the life of the husband. But was it an accident, suicide or murder. The widow seems to be more concerned about how much money she will be getting vs how he was murdered. A very well written, intriguing story with excellent characters. Loved his writing style and am now going to find his other offerings. Highly recommended, Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
What Happens When A Lawyer & a Minister walk into a Death Investigation?
Robert Whitlow places Liz & Conner on a Rollercoaster Ride, with plenty of Loop-de-Loops, in his Great, Christian, Legal Suspense, "Double Indemnity"! The Story starts with a slow pace, that really takes off after a man dies.
Was the cause of death, murder or accidental? How does God show Himself real to Conner in a deeper way, even though he's a Pastor? How does Lawyer Liz come to know Jesus? How does Prayer play a Key Role, in the Truth coming out? What happens personally, between Liz & Conner? I highly Recommend You 📖 this Engrossing, Action Filled 📗, to find the answers!
I really appreciated that RW explains the technical Legal and Insurance terminology, so I wasn't confused. I was surprised at the end of the Investigation; & glad the Story didn't end there! ❤️d 📖ing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I received an electronic copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.
Other reviewers have offered synopses and plot summaries, and I won't repeat their efforts. This is the first book I've read by this author, and I will definitely look for more of his books. For me, the faith aspects of the story were quite realistic, as they showed people of faith struggling with life's challenges and looking for answers.
I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5 for technical reasons. I chose to download the book to my Kindle app so I don't know if the problems with the manuscript are found in the other versions available via NetGalley. The reading experience was challenging because a very large publisher logo appeared on every other page all the way through the book and in places interfered with the layout of the text. Also, I am 99 percent sure that a chunk of text that involved a crucial plot point was moved to a different place in the manuscript where it clearly did not belong. This sort of thing tends to throw the reader right out of the story, which is a huge fiction-writing no-no. I do hope these issues will be corrected when the book goes on sale, especially considering the asking price for the Kindle edition on Amazon.
Double indemnity is the double payment of an insurance policy if certain conditions are met. When Matt is killed while hunting, investigations begin since his life insurance includes double indemnity provisions. Was it an accident? Murder? Suicide?
Liz is a lawyer whose firm has been hired by Elena, Matt's wife. Conner is the pastor of the church Elena and Matt attend. Both characters are likeable with interesting plots. Connor particularly was fascinating. He is a good man of faith but who believes on a superficial level. He has to battle moral issues as well as legal ones which can have devastating effects on a pastor. His spiritual growth is the heart of this book.
For fans of mystery, there are red herrings and various twists to keep you guessing. This is Christian fiction so don't be surprised at the discussions of faith and prayer.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it everyone.
I’ve read and recommended Whitlow’s books for many years. I appreciate that they’re wholesome and filled with believable characters and spiritual elements.
In Double Indemnity, i appreciated that the main character, Connor, a pastor, wasn’t perfect. He had questions about faith and God and worked through them, Other Christians in the story came alongside him and demonstrated (not preached) what faith looked like.
If I could improve anything about the book, I’d change the way the author set up the crime. I’m not a fiction writer, so I can’t say what I’d do differently, only that the progression and unraveling of the crime was more choppy and confusing than suspenseful.
As always, I appreciate a clean read with legal and suspenseful elements.
I received a copy from the publisher with no expectation of a positive review.
This novel was a very light, kind of predictable murder mystery, although it took quite a while to determine it was murder. Once it was, the story moved ahead pretty quickly.
The characters were likeable for the most part and it was nice to read a book that had Christian themes and did promote the practice of prayer for the powerful intercession it can be.
From the standpoint of a Catholic who knows the bible and early Church history and its writings, the theology here was pretty weak (mostly non existent) and not sure what kind of church is featured. It seemed more like a weekly lecture without much worship. A nice community event once a week.
A light romance and a good book to read if you want to escape the sex and severe violence that makes up many murder mystery stories.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I have read many books by Robert Whitlow, and I generally enjoy them, particularly the faith element he weaves into his writing.
This book held my interest until the end, and the ending was satisfying though maybe a certain part of the story was wrapped up a little quickly for my liking.
I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review. 3-1/2 stars.
Outstanding! First book I’ve read from Robert Whitlow, but it won’t be my last!
Double Indemnity is a legal thriller with a spiritual undergirding. The faith based novel is beautiful but without spiritual overload! I loved the thematic messages of God’s love and presence, the power of prayer and surrendering to God.
Characters are round and dynamic! Plot is interesting and the mystery is intriguing! There is enough suspense to hold my interest throughout! Pacing is fast! Great resolution! My only regret: I don’t know if these characters will continue . I’d love a series to continue with Liz and Connor!
My thanks to the Thomas Nelson publishing , the author and NetGalley for an advanced copy. I am so glad to learn of this new ( to me) author. Kudos, Mr. Whitlow!
The premise was good, but I was disappointed in the reading experience.
After a near-thrilling introduction of the crime at the beginning of the book, everything moved slowly to get to the actual investigation. There seemed to be a lot more backstory along with descriptions of what people were wearing and scene settings - almost as if the book was being written in anticipation of conversion to a movie.
Some of the relationship developments and dialog didn't seem realistic to me, Expressions of faith were appreciated but in some areas bordered on beliefs that I might disagree with. I don't think they affect the story as a whole, so I chose to read past them.
The final outcome and reveal of the guilty was quite predictable once a few tidbits were provided. I was expecting more action in the law enforcement and justice system, but those were minor characters in this story. All of the "investigation" was done by the people of the community, with only tiny glimpses into what law enforcement agencies were doing.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
With several red herrings and lots of people to gain from the death of Matt Thompson, I was interested in seeing who committed the crime. This was the first book that I have read by this author and I learned quite a bit about legal cases without it being too detailed.
I loved the faith journey that Pastor Graham Grantham went through and especially his personal encounter with God. He was transparent with his church, wise in handling counseling sessions, and was a man of integrity. I was glad that he had staunch supporters who helped him when things were the toughest. I loved the ending of the story with his hike in the woods with Liz.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
I don’t think I’ve read a book by this author before so I need to get on it because this book was great. I really enjoyed this story and the characters. I highly recommend this book and this author.
This was my first book to read from Robert Whitlow and I was disappointed. The book moves slowly along and the characters lack depth or likability. The plot is intriguing but the dialogue is stilted at times. Not my favorite for a suspense read.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This is a spiritual filled legal thriller.
Liz Acosta has recently moved to North Georgia, from Florida. There were no good job offers in Florida, therefore she took on a position at the largest law firm in the small town of Bryson. She’s a new lawyer and her ability to speak and understand Spanish makes her a valuable asset to the partners. Unfortunately, she often feels more like a translator than a lawyer, that is until she is assigned a new client, Elena Thompson. Elena is in a rocky marriage compounded by her husband Matt’s two daughter and his ex-wife to whom he is still seems to be committed. The ex-wife, Anne lives in Florida with their two children and the two maintain a friendly long distance relationship. Matt has an apartment where the girls can visit him when he goes to Florida.
Elena, the current and desperate wife, is trying to cover her bases before things get ugly, and seeks legal advice in the event, she and Matt do divorce. Her husband, Matthew on the surface is a successful businessman with a large bank account. It may be large but there are a lot of demands on his money.
Then we meet Connor Grantham the beloved pastor of a local church in town. He is single and spends his free time in the woods, hiking trails and is out nearly every morning in meditative solitude. He has started counselling with afore mentioned, Matt and Elena Thompson who have some challenging marital issues. That is said lightly. These two are not compatible.
Liz has never been a regular churchgoer until one day her landlord invites her to join her at church on a day when there will be a potluck after the service. Coincidentally, Elena and Matt sporadically also attend Rock Community Church. Yeah small town. Complicated everything!
Liz continues to attend, and she and Connor become friends and maybe a little more than friends. They enjoy some hikes together.
The story heats up when there is a hunting event and one of the parishioners is found shot and is dead. Is it murder, suicide? And then the least likely character is suddenly a person of interest.
This is an intriguing, fast-paced story of friendships and faith, jealousy and envy. Mr. Whitlow has well developed characters I could identify with and feel their pain and struggles and their dependency on each other and God. Carefully note each character a# there are quite a few.
I also enjoyed the tangled aspects of the law and how it is used to solve the case.
"Double Indemnity" is another great legal thriller by Robert Whitlow. This book kept my attention the whole way through! I kept wondering how it was going to end, and there was a twist at the end that I didn't see going. The characters were very well developed and it felt like I was part of this story. I highly recommend this book and all of Robert Whitlow's books. He is one of my favorite legal thriller authors.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Robert Whitlow's books are always amazing. His stories have love, mystery, and intrigue all wrapped together and Double Idemnity didn't fail! It was incredibly good and ranks up there as one of my favorites of his.
Double Indemnity is a mystery that is very well written. The author captures the landscape of the North Georgia mountain region and you feel as if you're hiking them with the characters. It has a nice romance and a mystery that keeps one guessing to the end.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book, although it took me a little time to get into it. As a lawyer, I was curious how the author, a lawyer, would address legal issues like client confidentiality and conflicts. I was pleasantly surprised by the portrayal (mostly....no spoilers). I thought that the character development was well-done, even if the whodunnit wasn't a huge surprise. The book definitely has an overtly religious message, which was fine with me. I recommend for fans of Randy Singer and other Christian legal writers.
Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for a free e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
I wish I could slow down my reading when I’m reading a Robert Whitlow novel. But I can’t. His stories are so good and realistic that I want them to just go on and on. This one is no different. The characters could live on the same street that you live on- or better than that- they could go to the same church you or I go to. I have enjoyed the Robert Whitlow books I have read and I have shared them with several friends and family members. I particularly like the way his characters have the same occupations and interactions that “real” people have. This book is about a young pastor of a small town church. The heroine of the book is a young woman who has been a lawyer for about two years in that same small town. You will have to read the book to find out if you like Connor and Liz as much as I do. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.
Double Indemnity is just what I would expect from Robert Whitlow. I highly recommend for readers and fans of thrillers that are suspense filled. Five stars.
What an awesome book!! It captured me from the beginning and didn't let up until the end!! I definitely think this book is in the top 10 books for my year!!