Thank you, dear readers, for taking a look at my debut novel. This particular book tumbled around in the back of my head for some time. It was actually the second book in the series, but I d it better than the first, so put that one on the back burner.

I'm not sure exactly where the idea for this novel originated. I have a number of LDS friends and had studied their faith at length. As a forensic artist myself, I was fascinated with the facial reconstructions done by my instructor at the Little Bighorn battlefield. Other tidbits got tucked away in the back of my brain: no known image of Joseph Smith, the search for his burial site in 1928, and of course, Mountain Meadows. I researched the book extensively to be sure I made it as accurate as possible, using a great deal of published LDS material. My husband and I traveled to Salt Lake City to visit the history museum.

As a breast cancer survivor, I thought it would be interesting to make my protagonist a cancer survivor. I wanted readers to know that it's not only possible to live beyond cancer, but to live fully. A few folks have said that all the bad stuff happening to Gwen wasn't realistic, but I assure you, things were pretty rough for me: not only did I have cancer, my work dried up and I was taking care of my dying mother.

Of course, no other dog would work for the canine in this book but a Great Pyrenees. My family has owned a Pyrenees kennel since 1960, and "Winston" is a blending of a number of my favorite Pyrs over the years.

I love to hear from my readers, so please feel free to contact me.
Blessings,
Carrie23 s Heather GilbertAuthor 38 books805

Wow! I will definitely be reading this entire series.

What I loved:
-a heroine who's unique--a plucky breast cancer survivor divorcee
-lots of research and obvious knowledge of the subject matter
-as I mentioned above, twists I can't see coming (and I can see most twists, being an Agatha Christie devotee since teen years). I did guess whodunit, but how we GOT there was a whole different matter!
-a non-preachy yet solid Christian worldview--I love that the MC is a character in progress. She's not perfect and neither are we, so it's realistic
-she has a teen daughter so I love that family element

I will be recommending this one to friends. So glad to find another mystery author to enjoy.

2017-reads14 s Matt4,085 12.9k

In her debut novel, Parks presents a powerful story whose action does not stop until the final page. Desperate for work after a recent battle with cancer and divorce, Gwen Marcey finds herself at the Mountain Meadows Information Center in Utah, home of the infamous massacre which, in 1857, marked a dark day in the Mormon Church. Using her background as a forensic artist, Marcey is working on reconstructing skulls found in the area. After a group of protesters cause trouble at the Center, two people are found murdered by the following morning and Marcey cannot help but want to solve the mystery. Returning home to handle a rebellious teen daughter, Marcey discovers that there is a religious undertone to these murders and that the Mormon Church is at the centre of the controversy. Using a patchwork of Church history and a skull that may hold significance, Marcey begins working with the FBI to lure out a set of Mormons who call themselves the Avenging Angels, tasked with handling issues within the Church. When Marcey pushes too hard for answers, she finds herself caught in the middle of the Angels and uncovers the master plan, set to play out on the anniversary of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Unsure who she can trust while being framed for murder, Marcey must reach the authorities and save her daughter before devastation strikes again. Parks grips the reader from the opening pages and weaves a masterful novel that mixes historical fact with mysterious fiction. A novel not to be missed by those who love forensic-based mysteries.

When I discovered Parks recently, I could not believe how strong her writing could be. I parachuted into the second book in the series when offered an advance copy and wondered how much backstory would emerge in this, the first novel. While the reader is given some more context into Gwen, Aynslee, and even Gwen's friend, Beth, there is much that is only insinuated and could be fleshed out into more flashback pieces. Parks tells a very strong story and uses what she knows best, forensic art, to carve a niche into this well-established genre. The amount of research that must have gone into the novel is astounding and it surely caused its share of controversy, though the reality in which it is rooted makes it all the more plausible. Parks uses these strong factors to sculpt a great story, with strong characters and believable dialogue, all while ensuring the reader is kept on edge with no chance to lull themselves into a spot of comfort. The jump to fiction writing was a profitable gamble for Parks and her fan base should grow exponentially with further novels of this calibre.

Kudos, Madam Parks for this sensational piece. I am pleased that I stumbled onto your novel and cannot wait to read more of your work, in the years to come.

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11 s Kalena674 32

Suspense/Thriller; first book in the Gwen Marcey series. This is the first book I have read by this author and it resided on my TBR list for an unfortunate amount of time. I am reading it now because of my interest in Montana authors and settings. Ms. Parks truly is an artist and her other books include instructional material on drawing. Her mentor is the one and only, Frank E. Peretti. I felt this novel was a great debut. It was very character driven and I did enjoy the cast of characters she created, particularly Gwen. Gwen has been through a lot and she is super intelligent, from being a forensic artist to understanding deception in its myriad of forms, she uses her powers for good. I love that. She is doing the best she can in the situation she finds herself and she is fallible in ways many of us will identify with. I felt the plot was interesting but very choppy and rather unbelievable in places. This was distracting. However, there are some points in her favor. I have always wondered about the validity of history texts or exhibits. Who decides these "facts" for us... Which leads me to another point. Who can we trust? Who knows our character so well they can vouch for us in the face of contrary evidence--even in the face of people manipulating appearances? Author did an excellent job with handling details of violence and while some of the commentary on religion seems a bit slanted, I was able to keep an open mind while reading. With all this in mind, I gladly pick up the next book in this series, The Bones Will Speak.kindle-read mt7 s Carrie SchmidtAuthor 1 book429

Gwen Marcey is such a great character! She's "real" and authentic, and her inner dialogue is delightful. Her relationship with her best friend Beth is both hilarious and sweet, and Gwen's struggles with her ex-husband and her teenage daughter are ones to which many women can relate. On top of all of that, her job as a forensic artist is fascinating as are her skills at deception detection. In short, she's a fictional character I would want as a friend should that ever be possible.

In Carrie Stuart Parks' debut novel, she takes this great character and plops her down in the middle of Utah where she encounters an extremist religious group, gruesome murders, and a century-old mystery that begs to be solved. It starts out intriguing and gets intense really fast - and then stays that way through most of the novel. Just about the time you think it's safe to relax.... it's not.

The story is told in first person, from Gwen's perspective - which allows for more of that delightful inner dialogue - with occasional brief switches to other characters and the third person. This added to the suspense and the tension for me, and I really enjoyed it. Because you know at those moments you're seeing things that Gwen isn't seeing and it makes you want to holler the updates at her when next you switch back to her perspective.

A Cry From The Dust is a strong debut novel - with well-plotted suspense, an intriguingly possible historical mystery, and vivid characters. I was completely absorbed in this book from word one, and I highly recommend it to any one who loves a good thriller!contemporary family-ties heroine-addict ...more5 s Sarita1,276 640

This book was not for me. Maybe I reached a reading slump, or perhaps it was because I just finished 3 great books from Irene Hannon, but I found the book a bit boring and the subject matter did not interest me at all. I didn't connect with any of the characters and was glad the book was done so that I could put it aside.5 s ColleenAuthor 137 books5,159

What a fabulous mystery! Love the protagonist and the entire premise of a forensic artist. 5 s Cindy Davis- Cindy's Book Corner1,163 69

I love reading Carrie Stuart Parks books! I did not realize this was her debut novel until I started writing this review
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