Download The Face of the Earth: A Novel, by Deborah Raney
Spend your time also for simply couple of minutes to check out a publication The Face Of The Earth: A Novel, By Deborah Raney Reading a publication will certainly never ever decrease and also waste your time to be ineffective. Reading, for some people become a requirement that is to do everyday such as hanging out for eating. Now, just what regarding you? Do you want to read a book? Now, we will show you a new book qualified The Face Of The Earth: A Novel, By Deborah Raney that can be a brand-new means to check out the knowledge. When reading this book, you could obtain one thing to consistently remember in every reading time, even step by step.
The Face of the Earth: A Novel, by Deborah Raney
Download The Face of the Earth: A Novel, by Deborah Raney
Find much more experiences as well as knowledge by reviewing the e-book entitled The Face Of The Earth: A Novel, By Deborah Raney This is a book that you are trying to find, right? That's right. You have pertained to the best website, after that. We constantly provide you The Face Of The Earth: A Novel, By Deborah Raney as well as one of the most preferred e-books in the globe to download and install and took pleasure in reading. You might not overlook that visiting this set is an objective and even by unintended.
Checking out publication The Face Of The Earth: A Novel, By Deborah Raney, nowadays, will not force you to consistently acquire in the establishment off-line. There is a terrific area to get the book The Face Of The Earth: A Novel, By Deborah Raney by on the internet. This internet site is the best site with great deals numbers of book collections. As this The Face Of The Earth: A Novel, By Deborah Raney will certainly be in this publication, all publications that you need will be right here, also. Simply hunt for the name or title of the book The Face Of The Earth: A Novel, By Deborah Raney You could discover just what you are hunting for.
So, also you need obligation from the business, you might not be puzzled any more due to the fact that publications The Face Of The Earth: A Novel, By Deborah Raney will certainly always assist you. If this The Face Of The Earth: A Novel, By Deborah Raney is your finest companion today to cover your work or work, you can as quickly as feasible get this book. Exactly how? As we have actually informed previously, merely check out the link that our company offer right here. The conclusion is not only guide The Face Of The Earth: A Novel, By Deborah Raney that you look for; it is how you will certainly obtain numerous books to sustain your skill as well as capability to have piece de resistance.
We will reveal you the very best as well as best means to obtain publication The Face Of The Earth: A Novel, By Deborah Raney in this world. Bunches of compilations that will certainly sustain your responsibility will certainly be right here. It will certainly make you really feel so best to be part of this website. Coming to be the member to consistently see exactly what up-to-date from this book The Face Of The Earth: A Novel, By Deborah Raney site will certainly make you really feel best to search for guides. So, just now, as well as here, get this The Face Of The Earth: A Novel, By Deborah Raney to download and wait for your precious deserving.
From the award-winning author of After All, a man finds his wedding vows tested after his wife disappears.
What if she never came home . . . ?
When Mitchell Brannon’s beloved wife sets off for home after a conference, he has no idea that his life is about to change forever. Mitch returns from work early that evening, surprised that Jill’s car isn’t in the garage. But her voice on the answering machine makes him smile. “Hey, babe, I’m just now checking out of the hotel, but I’ll stop and pick up something for dinner. Love you.” Hours later, Jill still hasn’t returned, and Mitch’s irritation turns to dread.
When the police come up empty, Mitch enlists the help of their next-door neighbor, Jill’s best friend, Shelley, to help search. As hours turn into days and days into weeks, Mitch and Shelley’s friendship grows ever closer—and decidedly more complicated. Every lead seems to be a dead end, and Mitch wonders how he can honor the vows he made to a woman who has seemingly disappeared from the face of the earth.
- Sales Rank: #370905 in Books
- Brand: Simon & Schuster
- Published on: 2013-05-14
- Released on: 2013-05-14
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.37" h x 1.00" w x 5.50" l, .70 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 368 pages
Review
"This amazing story is difficult to put down until the ultimate resolution. . . . Raney's novel is gut-wrenching, but incredibly satisfying." (RT Book Reviews)
“Deborah Raney’s a total pro. Her latest book explores some painful areas of marriage—temptation, betrayal, and loss of trust. But with her exceptional skill and bedrock respect for marriage itself, she turns The Face of the Earth into a story both profound and memorable—even joyous.” (Sibella Giorello, author of the Christy-award winning Raleigh Harmon books)
“With a skillful blend of the details of small town life, shattering mystery, and deep faith, The Face of the Earth delivers a most satisfying read.” (Dorothy Love, author of Every Perfect Gift)
“Deborah Raney had me hanging onto every word. She never disappoints. It’s another wonderful story from a skilled writer. The Face of the Earth is engrossing, great suspense and drama. It’s an absorbing story and a message to the heart.” (Yvonne Lehman, author of Hearts that Survive)
“The Face of the Earth by Deborah Raney truly worried me, but in a good way. The characters are so believable, the situation so plausible, the unfolding of the story so gripping that from the first chapter I went mentally all in for the emotional journey. This is Deb at her best! (Mae Nunn, author of A Texas Ranger’s Family)
“The Face of the Earth is a tightly-written page-turner. Raney’s well-developed romantic element makes her novel sing.” (Eric Wiggin, author of The Hills of God and The Recluse)
“Love page-turners? Tension? Romance? A story that grips you from page one and never lets go? The Face of the Earth delivers on all counts—and more. I relished this book.” (Creston Mapes, bestselling author of Fear Has a Name)
“Raney is a master at probing volatile topics with finesse and compassion—and without ever backing down. Reading The Face of the Earth, I slipped beneath the skin of both the wife and the ‘other woman’ and will never look at marriage in the same way again.” (Tamera Alexander, bestselling author of A Lasting Impression and To Whisper Her Name)
“A thought provoking, page-turner of a book. Deb Raney once again offers readers a compelling read that also challenges us to think a bit deeper. Highly recommended.” (Kathryn Cushman, author of Almost Amish)
“Deborah Raney’s The Face of the Earth is a heartfelt exploration of commitment tested by loss and uncertainty, tempered by grief, and set free by faith. The author has drawn characters living a happy ‘normal’ life that is disrupted in a painful and confounding way. Only faith and obedience to God’s will can bring the peace they seek and restore a future of hope and joy.” (Kristen Heitzmann, award winning author of Secrets and The Breath of Dawn)
About the Author
Deborah Raney’s first novel, A Vow to Cherish, was awarded a Silver Angel from Excellence in Media and inspired the acclaimed World Wide Pictures film of the same title. Since then her books have won the RITA Award, the HOLT Medallion, and the National Readers’ Choice Award. Raney was also a finalist for the Christy Award. She and her husband, artist Ken Raney, make their home in their native Kansas.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The Face of the Earth 1
Friday, September 3
Mitchell Brannon fastened his seatbelt and navigated his Saturn through the Sylvia High School parking lot. “Good riddance,” he muttered, tossing a look over his shoulder at the rundown brick school building. Most of the time he loved his job, but this school year had gotten off to a rocky start and—today anyway—he would hand over his principal’s “badge” in a heartbeat.
Too bad the weather had taken a turn that felt more like the advent of winter than Labor Day. He flipped on the wipers and waited for them to whisk away the raindrops collecting on the windshield. At least it wasn’t freezing.
He hoped Jill hadn’t hit any weather on her way home from Kansas City today. But as much as his wife hated driving in the rain, from their phone call last night he knew she was ready to be home. He stopped at the entrance to the street, dug his cell phone from his pocket, and punched in her number.
It went straight to voice mail. She was probably in that dead zone around Oak Ridge. That or she forgot to charge her phone. “Hey, you,” he said, when the beep sounded. “Just wondering where you are. Give me a call so I know when to start the steaks.”
He’d had to do some fast talking to convince his wife to take a couple of days away from a classroom of third graders who adored her and to make time for this professional development conference. But he knew it would be a good distraction for Jill. Their last little bird had flown the nest last weekend, and Jill had been in mourning ever since.
They’d delivered Katie to the University of Kansas on Sunday, and from the gallon of tears Jill had shed since, you’d have thought they’d buried the girl instead of merely transporting her over the Missouri state line. Even though it was nice having Evan and Katie at the same college, their kids were almost six hours from home, and it had hit Jill hard.
They’d contemplated heading to their lake cabin to celebrate their first weekend as empty nesters, but because Jill had been at the conference since Wednesday, she’d talked him into a “stay-cation”—something she’d read about in her latest women’s magazine.
“Besides,” she’d told him, “it would be silly to go somewhere and spend money we can’t afford when we finally have the whole house to ourselves.”
The house-to-themselves aspect sounded promising. She agreed not to mope and tried to wheedle a promise out of him to not do any yard work or watch any football.
Now that was pushing it. “How about I’ll help you grade papers if I can watch football?”
She’d cocked her head, a spark lighting her eyes. “I’ll see your football and raise you steaks on the grill.”
“Deal,” he’d said, before she could change her mind.
Turning onto their street, he touched the garage door opener and smiled. He would never voice it while she was still missing the kids so much, but he was beyond happy they’d finally reached this milestone. He’d loved every minute of raising Evan and Katie, but he was ready for it to be just the two of them again.
He tapped the brakes, waiting for the garage door to open. Hmm . . . Jill’s car wasn’t in its bay beside his. It was after five thirty. Her conference in Kansas City had dismissed at noon, and it was barely a five-hour drive back to Sylvia. Maybe she’d decided to pick up a few groceries on her way home. Probably got stuck in a slow checkout line at Schnucks. But she usually called if she was running late. She knew he worried about her when she was on the road.
He pushed the remote, savoring the satisfying grind of the garage door going down on another workweek. Before he even opened the door, he heard TP’s toenails clicking on the kitchen tile. The dog pranced a circle around him, tongue and tail wagging in unison, proving that three-year-old, fifty-pound chocolate Labs were still puppies at heart. Mitch deposited his briefcase on the island and bent to administer his daily dose of affection. “Hey, boy, where’s Mama?”
He refilled the dog’s water bowl and checked his cell phone for messages again. Nothing. But the answering machine on the kitchen phone was blinking. Odd. They rarely used the landline. Jill usually just texted. Maybe she’d remembered he had a meeting this afternoon and didn’t want to bother him at work.
He grabbed the thawed steaks from the fridge and played back the message while he mixed up his famous steak marinade.
“Hey, babe . . .” Jill’s voice filled the kitchen, easing the tension he hadn’t realized was forming behind his temples. “I’m rushing to get packed and checked out of the hotel, but I should still be home by five—six at the latest. Tell TP I’m bringing him home a little treat.” Her voice turned sultry. “I might have a treat for you, too, Mitchell Brannon.”
TP sat at Mitch’s feet, his head cocked as if he understood every word. The Lab was Jill’s dog. TP stood for Teacher’s Pet, although after a certain Halloween when Principal Brannon had been a target of trick-or-treaters, she’d started telling their friends that it stood for Toilet Paper.
Mitch chuckled at the thought, while Jill’s cheery voice continued on the answering machine. “If you don’t mind getting the steaks started, I’ll stop off and pick up some salad stuff. Maybe a loaf of that French bread you like from Panera. Love you. I can’t wait to tell you about the conference. And other stuff. It was—” She giggled, and Mitch could almost read her thoughts. She was thinking about how much grief he always gave her for leaving “soliloquies” when she used voice mail.
“Never mind,” she said—he could almost see her rolling her eyes—“It was just a really good experience. I’ll tell you all about it when I get home.”
She sounded good. Really good. He’d worried a little that Jill was taking Katie’s leaving harder than she should, moping around the house like a mama cat looking for her kittens.
He checked the display on the answering machine. She’d left her message at one fifteen. Even allowing for a stop at the grocery, she should be home any minute.
It was plenty chilly for a fire. Perfect. He went out to the back deck to bring in some of the wood he and Evan had cut last time they were at the lake cabin. He got a fire started and lit some candles on the mantel. He wished he’d thought to pick up flowers on the way home. Candlelight and roses were usually just the ticket to a romantic evening. Though recently, with the pressure of getting Katie off to college and getting her own classroom ready for the school year, Jill seemed ticked off by his overtures more often than not. But he would take the risk tonight. Surely she guessed what his hopes were for their first weekend in a wonderfully empty nest.
When she still wasn’t home at six o’clock, he called her cell phone. Voice mail again. “Hey, babe . . .” He cradled the phone between his ear and one shoulder while he turned the steaks in the marinade. “Where are you? I’m going to fire up the grill. Let me know when I should put the steaks on. For what it’s worth, I’m starving.”
He set the dining room table with the good dishes—the ones they’d gotten as wedding gifts—and lit the tall candles that decorated the center of the table.
At seven thirty, he turned off the grill and put the steaks back in the fridge. At this rate it’d be dark before they ate. He scratched TP behind the ears. “Sorry, boy. Guess you’ll have to wait till tomorrow night for scraps.” The dog whined, looking disappointed.
The sky was clear and the rain hadn’t amounted to anything. But maybe it was worse up near Kansas City. Mitch went into the den and checked area weather on his computer. It didn’t look like anything to be concerned about anywhere along the route Jill would have taken. Surely the Labor Day holiday didn’t generate enough traffic to make her this late.
By eight o’clock the candles were puddled on the table runner and the sun sank below the rooftops of their cul-de-sac. Still no phone call. No text. He stood at the open front door, staring down the street. The trees cast long shadows across the pavement. It would be dark in a couple of hours. He’d left three messages on her voice mail and called the hotel to confirm she’d checked out. She had. But they had no record of when she’d left the hotel, since she hadn’t turned the key in. There were no incidentals charged to the room, and the bill had been paid by the Sylvia school district.
He paced the length of the kitchen, debating who to call next. He didn’t have a clue which other teachers had gone to the conference, and he didn’t want to bother Jill’s principal if it turned out to be nothing. The last time he’d worried over her whereabouts, she’d been home all along, yakking over the backyard fence with Shelley next door.
Maybe she’d called Shelley. Those two were like sisters. He went back to Katie’s room and parted the curtains to see if the lights were on next door. Not that he could tell if anyone was home by that. He hated to guess what the electric bills were over there. Shelley Austin kept a lamp burning in almost every room of the rambling ranch. Jill swore her friend simply liked the ambience the lamps created, but he suspected it had more to do with the fact that Shelley lived alone now that her own daughter was off at college.
The kitchen window cast a patch of light onto the back deck of the Austin home and Mitch keyed in the number Jill had set on speed-dial for Shelley.
“Austins’.”
“Hey, Shelley, it’s Mitch. You haven’t talked to Jill, have you?”
“Today?”
“Well, since noon or so. She had that conference in Kansas City, you know, but I expected her home by now. I just thought she might have said something to you . . .”
“No, sorry. I haven’t talked to her since the night before she left . . . Wednesday, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah. She left on Wednesday.”
“Did she ride with somebody? Or maybe had to drop somebody off?”
“I don’t think so.” He walked through the house and went out onto the back deck. “She drove up by herself anyway. I don’t think they were carpooling.”
“Oh. Well . . . Sorry. Wish I could help. I’ll let you know if I hear from her.”
“Thanks, Shelley.” He clicked off and dialed Jill’s cell again, hanging up as soon as he heard her voice mail. She was going to think something was wrong when she finally checked her messages. Served her right for making him worry. He checked the clock on his phone. If she still wasn’t home by eight thirty, he’d call her principal. Maybe she’d stopped by her classroom to pick up papers to grade or something.
He poured a Coke and ate some chips and salsa. A poor substitute for a steak. At eight forty-five, he called Carol Dorchester, Jill’s principal at the elementary school. “I’m sorry to bother you on the weekend, Carol, but Jill isn’t back from that conference yet, and I just wondered if you knew whether the conference ran late or something . . .”
“Oh? I’m not aware that it ran over, but Jeannie Brent is the only other teacher who went from Sylvia. I heard her tell someone that Bill was meeting her in Kansas City for the weekend.”
“Oh, that’s right. I think Jill said something about that. Okay, well, thanks . . . I’m sure she’ll be home soon. Again, I apologize for calling on the weekend.”
“Oh, heavens, don’t mention it. Let me know if she’s not home in an hour or so.”
Mitch hung up feeling a little foolish. He’d completely forgotten about Jill telling him Bill and Jeannie were staying in Kansas City for the weekend. She often accused him of not really listening to her. And too often he was guilty as charged. Maybe she’d told him something about where she was tonight and he’d forgotten that, too. But if that was true, she wouldn’t have left a message on the answering machine saying she’d be home by five or six and then not call to let him know she was going to be three hours late. And they did have a date planned.
Maybe she’d called one of the kids on the way home and pulled over to talk. He dialed Katie’s cell phone.
“Papacito! What’s up?”
Hearing her chipper voice made him realize how much he missed his little girl already. “Hey, kiddo. You haven’t talked to Mom tonight, have you?”
“No. Why?” His daughter’s voice turned wary. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing’s going on. I just wondered if you’d heard from her. She’s on her way home from that conference in Kansas City and I keep getting her voice mail when I call.”
“She probably forgot to charge her stupid phone again.”
“That’s what I figured. So how’s everything going with you?” He changed the subject quickly, relieved Katie had assumed the same as he. “Did you get all your textbooks bought?”
“Oh. My. Gosh. Dad, do you know how much they charge for those things? My psychology book was almost a hundred bucks. I’m talking for one book!”
He chuckled. “Why do you think we made you pay for books?”
“Yeah, well, next time I’ll trade you, and I’ll pay tuition. It’d be cheaper!”
“Not hardly. You talk to your brother lately?”
“Ha!” He could picture the familiar drama queen eye roll. “I try to avoid Big Brother at all costs.”
“Unless you need wheels, of course.”
She laughed, sounding caught.
“So everything’s going good? You’ve had a good week?”
“Yeah. It’s going real good. Calculus is gonna stink, but I like my other classes so far. And my roommate is cool. Hey, Dad, let me talk to TP.”
“What is it with you Brannon women? If I didn’t know better, I’d think you and Mom like that dog better than you like me.”
“Come on, Daddy. Please? He misses me.”
“No. I am not putting a dog on the phone.”
“Come on, Dad . . .”
He looked over to see TP staring up at him with sad eyes, ears drooping. “Sorry, he’s on the other line. I’ll have him call you back later.” He laughed at his own joke.
“You’re mean.” But he heard the smile in her voice.
“Sorry, but no go. You—” He stopped to listen, thinking he heard the garage door. “Hey, Katiebug, I think Mom’s home. I’ll let you go, but glad everything’s going good. Mom will probably want to call you later this weekend, so we’ll talk more then, okay?”
“Okay. ’Bye, Daddy. Love you.”
The lump that came to his throat at her endearment took him by surprise—and made him a little more sympathetic to all the moping Jill had done lately.
He hung up and went to open the door that led from the kitchen to the garage. He flipped on the lights. But the garage door was closed and Jill’s side was still empty. Apparently it had been wishful thinking. It was pitch black outside now, and the garage windows formed dark rectangles between the tools and lawn chairs hanging on the walls.
It was after nine o’clock. Jill should have been home four hours ago. Where on earth was she?
Most helpful customer reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful.
The Face of the Erath
By M.Fields
Deborah has done it again only this time I could not put the book down at all I had to find out where Jill was and if she was alive.
This is a fantastic book and a real page tuner. I just don't know how Deborah does it but each book gets better and better.
This book has a mystery and it has some romance. I just loved the ending also.
I highly recommend this book. I gave it 5 stars.
I Was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my review.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful.
The Worst Type of Nightmare
By Favorite Christian Books
I found this to be a captivating storyline with characters that were realistic and easy to relate with. I was captured from almost the beginning of the story and enjoyed it until the very end. This story got me thinking how a disappearance without a trace would affect a family.
The author did an amazing job pulling me into this story and the life of a husband dealing with all the questions that surround his wife's mysterious disappearance. She told the story from the two points of view, Mitch and Shelley and allowed me to glimpse at what both were feeling about the situation.
This story made me cry, smile and even laugh at times but I finished it wanting to read more by this author. She did a great job telling a powerful story that touched me deeply.
Disclaimer: I did receive this book from the publisher but was under no obligation to give anything but my honest opinion.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful.
Riveting!
By Ionia Froment
When I first saw this book, this author was new to me, but the description looked interesting, so I gave it a try. I hate the cliched term "If you only read one book this year..." but I honestly think that can describe this book. If I had to only read one book this year it would be this one.
I was not only surprised and delighted by what I found between these covers, but totally amazed that I had not yet discovered this talented author.
This is a Christian fiction book like no other that I have read. The author, Deborah Raney, has written a tender tale of love, loss, forgiveness and enduring friendship that transcends the everyday world. She has created characters who are worthy of the book they are in and who struggle to do what they feel is right in their own eyes and the eyes of their creator.
I was enthralled with this book for a number of reasons. First, there is mystery and it is the type of mystery that does not relent until the end of the book. My desire to know what happened and how it happened made me feel like one of the characters and in some way, caused me to sympathize in ways I never thought I could with those who have had things like this happen in real life.
Secondly, over the course of this book I grew to genuinely care for the characters in this story. My favorite character was Shelley. From the beginning she was strong and supportive, but also compassionate and the type of person you can't help but love. She put her desire to please the lord and help the family of her best friend over her own wants.
I was pleased with the way the author ended this story. There were no loose ends that still needed to be tied up and I thought the conclusion to the mystery was perfect.
If you are looking for a book that can make you feel, really feel something, this is where you should go.
This review is based on an ARC from the publisher.
The Face of the Earth: A Novel, by Deborah Raney PDF
The Face of the Earth: A Novel, by Deborah Raney EPub
The Face of the Earth: A Novel, by Deborah Raney Doc
The Face of the Earth: A Novel, by Deborah Raney iBooks
The Face of the Earth: A Novel, by Deborah Raney rtf
The Face of the Earth: A Novel, by Deborah Raney Mobipocket
The Face of the Earth: A Novel, by Deborah Raney Kindle
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar