The Mermaid in the Basement (Lady Trent Mysteries #1) - Gilbert Morris

I actually got this book from PaperbackSwap.  I saw it pop up on my recommendations and the title intrigued me.  Gilbert Morris is a big name in Christian fiction.  He has written many books, over 80 according to one article, but I had never given him a chance.  After reading the summary, I thought it might be worth giving it a chance and ordered it.

Serafina has a young son and a bad view on marriage. Her husband really ruined her and she vows to never trust a man or get married again.  When her brother is accused of murder, Serafina believes that he is innocent.  Even with overwhelming evidence, she pursues the truth.  A woman raised to believe only what she can prove with science and facts, this is a change for her.

Dylan became friends with Serafina's brother at the theater.  Her brother was pursuing a man-hating actress and when she is murdered, all fingers point to the brother.  Dylan and Serafina make an unlikely pair, but work well together to gather evidence and decide who to trust.  His devout faith pushes Serafina away at first, but after a while she is intrigued by the handsome man who seems willing to do anything to help her.

I actually liked this book.  If I sound surprised, I was somewhat.  I normally don't read other people's reviews too much when trying a new author, I don't like to be influenced. When I did read some of them, some people were complaining of historical inaccuracies and the book being too preachy.  I didn't catch the historical bits, but I did think that the amount of "preaching" in the book could be a little much for some.  I personally didn't have any issues with it.

I think the main thing to take away from this is that: 1. The book has nothing to do with a mermaid and 2. It also has nothing to do with a basement.  I was drawn to the idea that it might be an unusual and unique murder mystery, but it was pretty basic.  It took me a while to figure out who it was, but it was more about how to prove the brother's innocence. I have ordered the second book in the series, A Conspiracy of Ravens, from PBS and plan on reading it and donating it to the church library.  I still prefer the digital books for ease of reading and ability to highlight a word if I'm unsure what it means. There's also a third book in this series called Sonnet to a Dead Contessa.  I may end up ordering that one as well if I enjoy the second one as well.  Good Book!