Review: Double Minds by Terri Blackstock
Not only is Terri Blackstock one of my favorite people (yes, I did get to meet her in person several times. Check out the podcast interview here!,) but she’s also one of my favorite authors. Terri mixes mystery and suspense with deep characterization. And Double Minds was a perfect example of that.
Parker James is a songwriter, wannabe Christian pop star, but because of her “unique” sound, she has to settle for watching her best friend sing her way to the top of the Christian pop charts. But when a music intern is murdered at Parker’s desk while she’s singing to a youth group across town, her homicide detective brother is on the case. Against her brother’s advice, she starts to dig into the case, getting close to those close to the victim, trying to find out if the murder had anything to do with her. An anonymous note says it does. Instead of backing down, she uncovers Christian music industry corruption and another murder. Throw in Parker’s growing insecurity about ever landing her dream, and having to edit out the faith words to the songs she wrote just to help her friend go mainstream, and Parker is in for a crazy, emotional ride.
Though the suspense wasn’t the main thrust of the novel, the mystery was engaging and had me guessing and coming up with possible suspects and theories. Yet, it was Parker’s character and growth that drove the novel. So that’s good news for all you squeamish readers out there. If you’ve been “afraid” to try a Terri Blackstock novel, this is the perfect opportunity!
