Echoes of Mercy by Kim Vogel Sawyer - Review

Sometimes a secret must be kept for the truth to be revealed.

When a suspicious accident occurs at the famous Dinsmore Chocolate Factory in Sinclair, Kansas, Caroline Lang goes undercover as a factory worker to investigate the circumstances surrounding the event and how the factory treats its youngest employees—the child workers. Caroline’s fervent faith, her difficult childhood, and compassionate heart drove her to her job as an investigator for the Labor Commission and she is compelled to see children freed from such heavy adult responsibilities, to allow them to pursue an education.

Oliver Dinsmore, heir to the Dinsmore candy dynasty, has his own investigation to conduct. Posing as a common worker known as “Ollie Moore,” he aims to find out all he can about the family business before he takes over for his father. Caroline and Oliver become fast friends, but tension mounts when the two find themselves at odds about the roles of child workers. Hiding their identities becomes even more difficult when fate brings them together over three children in desperate need. When all is revealed, will the truth destroy the love starting to grow between them?

Book available through Waterbrook and other online locations.

About the Author:

Kim Vogel Sawyer is a best-selling author highly acclaimed for her gentle stories of hope. More than one million copies of her books are in print and have garnered awards including the ACFW Carol Award, the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Kim lives in Kansas, where she and her retired military husband, Don, run a bed-and-breakfast inn with the help of their four feline companions. She enjoys spending time with her three daughters and nine grandchildren.
Visit the authors website at http://kimvogelsawyer.com/

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest opinion. I am not required to give a positive review. 

What I thought:

I have a sticker my grandmother gave me years ago when I was a kid. It says "If I had to live my life over, I'd live it over a chocolate factory." That said... you can imagine one of the things that drew me to this book. CHOCOLATE!! Combine that with a mystery and you have my attention.  This book is well written, and will keep your attention. I had never read Kim Sawyer before so I really enjoyed indulging in a new authors writing. I will certainly be reading more of her books.  Back this one though... Carrie is an 'undercover' agent attempting to discover whether the previous agent was murdered. While working at the factory she discovers another somewhat 'undercover' agent. The plot thickens as they both discover interesting oddities about each other, while trying to hide their true identities.  I really appreciate the way Kim incorporated faith in God as an important part of her story.  She gives a clear plan of salvation discreetly intertwined in the pages of her book.  I also really enjoyed the bit of history on child labor and laws of the day as well as those individuals who tried to fight for those children forced to work to help their families or because their families did not care about their education.  Great book! Recommended reading!

Your thoughts:

How do you feel about child labor? 

Carrie had a difficult time doing her job because as a Christian she hated to lie. How would you feel if you held a job like that? Does it make lying excusable?