Candace is back in Texas after losing her job in New York, so she’s obviously not the sort to last long in any kind of job that requires you to wear jeans instead of fancy dresses. And she’s living at Ric’s place, so she’s clearly not into church, love and marriage either. But Candace defies the stereotypes and turns out to be strong-willed, a good shot, and maybe even a perfect match for the handsome guy who seems so down on her. Sadly there’s someone else who thinks she might be a perfect match too.

Down and Out has some excellent characters – especially those three old ladies! The dialog’s convincing. The situations are believable. And the tension plays quietly in the background, taking turns with humor and the everyday, until sudden terror strikes. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable Christian romantic suspense, with believable faith woven naturally into the characters, church nicely drawn as a place to meet good friends, Christians as flawed and as salvageable as everyone else, and small touches of prayer offered with a light and gentle hand. The story will raise your heartbeat in the middle, then leave you comfortably content as you reach its close.

Disclosure: I won a copy and gave it to myself for Christmas. ( )