Book Review #The Wings of Poppy Pendleton # Melanie Dobson #Tyndale House Publishers # Christian Historical Fiction #Mystery & Suspense

MY THOUGHTS AND BOOK REVIEW

Poppy, the heir to the Pendleton wealth, mysteriously disappears from Koster Isle the night before her fifth birthday. Nearly a century later, the mysteries persist, and Chloe, the new owner of Koster Isle, has little time for conjecture. She worries about running the sweets shop that belonged to her late grandparents. Emma, a strange young woman in need, then appears on Chloe's shore. Chloe starts to piece together Emma's past with the assistance of the endearing reporter Logan and quickly realizes that it holds the key to solving the case of Poppy's abduction.

The book seamlessly integrates evidence from Poppy's past with Chloe's present, shifting between timelines in 1907 and 1992 to focus on various characters' thoughts. Poppy spends hours daydreaming about flying in her mother Amelia's aviary, while Emma appears to be holding a scrapbook with pictures of birds on it. This recurring flying motif alludes to the characters' longings when they feel imprisoned by brutality.

Amelia, who is devastated by Poppy's passing, discovers new meaning as a nun. Logan both protects Chloe and forces her to confront the truth about her grandparents. And in order to take care of Emma, Chloe faces her worries about becoming a mother. The narrative also touches on serious issues like drug use and human trafficking, but ultimately it is about triumph. Both Emma and Poppy experience horrific maltreatment as children but never lose hope in the kindness of others. 

The Wings of Poppy Pendleton is a captivating book that tells the experiences of two women who are separated by a century yet are linked by hidden memories. Beautiful, Haunting and Intriguing. An exciting read with unforgettable and troubled characters adding tension with a dual time setting. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Publisher ‏Tyndale House Publishers for a digital complimentary copy for my honest review. 

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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tyndale House Publishers (September 19, 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages

Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided a free copy of the book through Netgalley to have their book reviewed. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. I'm disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

In this compelling new time-slip mystery, a little girl goes missing from her family’s castle in the Thousand Islands of New York. Eighty-five years later, a journalist teams up with a woman living on Koster Isle to find out what happened to Poppy, once and for all.

1907. On the eve of her fifth birthday, Poppy Pendleton is tucked safely in her bed, listening to her parents entertain New York’s gilded society in their Thousand Islands castle; the next morning, she is gone, and her father is found dead in his smoking room.

1992. Though Chloe Ridell lives in the shadows of Poppy’s castle, now in ruins, she has little interest in the mystery that still captivates tourists and locals alike. She is focused on preserving the island she inherited from her grandparents and reviving their vintage candy shop. Until the day a girl named Emma shows up on Chloe’s doorstep, with few possessions, save a tattered scrapbook that connects her to the Pendleton family. When a reporter arrives at Chloe’s store, asking questions about her grandfather, Chloe decides to help him dig into a past she’d thought best left buried. The haunting truth about Poppy, they soon discover, could save Emma’s life, so Chloe and Logan must work together to investigate exactly what happened long ago on Koster Isle.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Melanie Dobson

Melanie received her undergraduate degree in journalism from Liberty University and her master’s degree in communication from Regent University. Prior to her writing career, she was the corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family and the owner of Dobson Media Group. When she's not writing, Melanie enjoys teaching at writer’s events and as an adjunct professor.

Jon and Melanie Dobson live in the Pacific Northwest where Jon works at Bible Project. They have two daughters and enjoy travelling, hiking, and serving together in their community.