The Killing Tree - a book review

The Killing Tree

by Rachel Keener

The Killing Tree is about the life and love that was taken from Mercy on the day she was born and her battle to reclaim it. To do this, Mercy will have to overcome the pain of her family history, one soiled by murder and small town rumor. She will have to fight against her grandfather as well as her own crippling fears which work to trap her on Crooktop. With the love of a man, who, like her, is outside of all that is considered "good" on Crooktop, Mercy will find the courage to wage this battle. On the side of the mountain one stormy night, Mercy will make her last stand.

My review:

The characters and the plot grabbed me from the first page and didn’t let me go until I finished. I enjoyed reading about a different part of the country and a culture about which I know nothing.

The scenery came alive for me and I could almost feel the tomatoes and smell the rich soil of the land where Mercy lived. I struggled along with Mercy as she fought her way out of the life she had always known.

I thought it was a Christian fiction book, but I did not get the sense of a Christian theme in the book. God and Jesus and redemption were mentioned but not in a way that would make me want to examine theology or Christianity. If you’re looking for a book with a feel good message steeped in God’s word, then you’re not looking for this book. If you’re looking for a good book that shows how people struggle and make it, then this is the book for you.