Book Review: Salvation Station by Kathryn Schleich

Looking for a book that will completely suck you in and make you forget about what is going on in the world? Salvation Station is that book!

Goodreads Blurb

Salvation Station by Kathryn Schleich

When committed female police captain Linda Turner, haunted by the murders of two small children and their pastor father, becomes obsessed with solving the harrowing case, she finds herself wrapped up in a mission to expose a fraudulent religious organization and an unrepentant killer.

Despite her years of experience investigating homicides for the force, Captain Linda Turner is haunted by the murders of the Hansen family. The two small children, clothed in tattered Disney pajamas, were buried with their father, a pastor, in the flower garden behind a church parsonage in Lincoln, Nebraska. But Mrs. Hansen is nowhere to be found—and neither is the killer.

In St. Louis, the televangelist Ray Williams is about to lose his show—until one of his regular attendees approaches him with an idea that will help him save it. Despite his initial misgivings, Ray agrees to give it a try. He can’t deny his attraction to this woman, and besides, she’d assured him the plan is just—God gave her the instructions in a dream.

Multiple story lines entwine throughout this compelling mystery, delving into the topics of murder, religious faith, and the inherent dangers in blindly accepting faith as truth. While Reverend Williams is swept up in his newfound success and plans for his wedding, Captain Turner can only hope that she and her team will catch the Hansens’ cunning killer—before more bodies surface.

Review

I read Salvation Station in just one day. And for each minute that I read, I was in a state of anticipation, nervousness and sheer excitement.

See, we as readers know where Ms. Hansen is, and we know exactly what she is up to. It is a constant fear of wondering if she will pull off her next evil deed or will Linda Turner be able to catch up with her. Actually, it’s interesting that Linda Turner is not really the main character, in my eyes at least. The book itself goes back and forth between Linda and Ms. Hansen but it is really the latter that carries the story. Saying that, it is actually Reverend Ray who is my favourite character. I like the fact that he is not holier than thou. He also brings a lot of grey areas into the book; he wants to do well on his own regard but is not opposed to going the less moral route either.

Salvation Station also touches on the topic of religious institutions and ponders the question if what Ray Williams is heading is a church or a cult. It also makes us ask where the fine line between the two is. It’s a tough one, and a question I’m not sure I have an answer to.

Overall, I really, really enjoyed Salvation Station and am thankful for the hours of reprise it gave me. I would be very interested in reading more from this author.

Pick up your copy of Salvation Station here.