Book Review (and a Giveaway!): The Waldensian Series by Donna Wichelman

SERIES: The Waldensian Series #1
GENRE: Inspirational Romantic Suspense
PUBLISHER: Soujourner’s Press
RELEASE DATE: April 2, 2018
PAGES: 320

A prestigious art exhibition turns into a horrific spectacle when a murder sends an art curator and a professor on a hunt for a highly coveted stolen painting.

Escaping a painful past in Cleveland, Ohio, Jamie Holbrooke flees to Milan, Italy as an art curator. But her past follows her during an evening stroll along Varenna’s shoreline walk when an assailant, who looks like her dead brother, presses a mysterious riddle into her hand. Still reeling from shock the next day, she discovers her long-time paragon, Dr. Alessandro Marianni, may have a link to the enigmatic riddle. Before she can discover the answers, their colleague falls prey to an assassin’s bullet. Convinced the riddle and murder are connected, Jamie and Alessandro risk their lives to uncover why an obscure painting has caught the attention of art critics and criminals alike. At stake is a two-thousand–year-old drama, unfolding in the contemporary world of the Northern Italian Alps.

Will Jamie and Alessandro stop powerful organized crime figures before the painting is lost forever and with it a secret more valuable than the prized artwork? Will Jamie find the answers to help her reclaim her life again? She will need the courage to face her fears and the persevering faith of Dr. Alessandro Marianni to heal her wounded heart.

SERIES: The Waldensian Series #1
GENRE: Inspirational Romantic Suspense
PUBLISHER: Soujourner’s Press
RELEASE DATE: April 2, 2018
PAGES: 320

For nature lovers, ski aficionados, travel enthusiasts and history scholars, the French Alps offer some of the most spectacular scenery and outdoor recreation in all Europe with its majestic mountain peaks, cascading waterfalls, unspoiled forests and quaint mountain villages. People come to get away from the daily grind and rejuvenate their spirits.

But when Alessandro Marianni’s grandmother Luciana is kidnapped during a church conference in Chamonix, the same landscape becomes an ominous height to scale, and Jamie Holbrooke and her fiancé Alessandro have difficulty distinguishing between friend and foe on the race to find her. They will have to weather a rainstorm on a mountain trail, negotiate a dangerous waterfall, outmaneuver a car chase, and defy an assassin’s gun in their search.

Will they find their beloved Luciana before it’s too late? Who will die on the way to the finish line? Who can they trust? And where will Jamie find the courage to confront her adversaries?

In this sequel to Light Out of Darkness, the answers will lie in unanticipated places and with unexpected allies and require Jamie to discover what it means to trust God with Undaunted Valor.

“…her soul yearned to find a place where it belonged.”

The Waldensian Series is unique and intriguing, immersing readers in the elite art world, the European mafia, and a brave group of people from history that I just discovered for the first time. Basically the Waldensians were a twelfth century pre-Reformation Protestant reformation movement (with roots in France and Italy), and these believers were intensely persecuted and nearly wiped out. This series from Donna Wichelman builds on that layered history by weaving in some fascinating art history intrigue and a modern day mafia suspense story.

We are introduced to the Waldensians as well as Jamie, Alessandro, and Nonni (Alessandro’s grandmother) in Light out of Darkness. While some of the dialogue lagged for me in places, bogged down a bit by narrative instead of conversation, overall this was a riveting read. Between the gorgeous Italian Alps setting (someplace I rarely get to visit in fiction – or otherwise lol) and the mysterious riddle, I was hooked from the beginning. Throw in the heart-in-your-throat suspense, Nonni’s delightful character, the chemistry between Alessandro and Jamie, and the history of a group of Christians that I previously knew nothing about, plus a tender message of trusting God, and I was able to power through the slower parts to enjoy the story.

In Undaunted Valor, Nonni is in danger in the French Alps even as Jamie discovers some startling finds in her own family’s history. The action is even more harrowing and high-stakes in this sequel, with Nonni’s life on the line and dangerous terrain to keep the tensions high. She continues to be a light in the darkness, though, making for some unlikely allies along the way (possibly my favorite part of this novel!) and very tender faith moments. Again, the setting is one I don’t see much in novels, so it’s fun to visit it vicariously with the characters and learn more about the Waldensians in the process.

Bottom Line: If you like different-than-the-norm settings, high-tension suspense, art and antiquities intrigue and sweet romantic chemistry, then you definitely need to check out The Waldensian Series by Donna Wichelman. Layered characters and fascinating history in a modern & picturesque locale draw you in and keep you engaged with the story and its outcome. Pop some popcorn and settle in for a riveting journey through Italy and France!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4 stars for each book / Love it!

Donna Wichelman was a communications professional before writing full-time. She has authored short stories, essays and articles in various inspirational publications and lives her dream writing novels and screenplays. She and her husband work with teens at their local church in Fort Collins, Colorado. They travel, bike and kayak whenever their schedules allows.

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1st Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card, Copy of the LIGHT OUT OF DARKNESS (signed print copy to US winner, ebook to international winner) + 4 oz. Tea of your choice from the Tea Source or 1 LB of Coffee from DazBog Coffee (will Add $10 to Gift Card for international gift in lieu of tea or coffee)

2nd Prize: $15 Amazon Gift Card + Copy of LIGHT OUT OF DARKNESS (signed print copy to US winner, ebook to international winner)

3rd Prize: Copy of LIGHT OUT OF DARKNESS (signed print copy to US winner, ebook to international winner)

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