Pendant

Author: M. L. Hamilton
Genre: Mystery/Suspense

A field trip gone awry. A student gone missing.

Haunted by her student's disappearance for more than a decade, Elaine finally stumbles across a vital clue--and discovers someone is desperate to keep the truth buried.
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When her life is threatened, she allows the one person she trusts to whisk her away to safety in Texas. But assuming a false identity and 
hiding among the quirky residents of a retirement home is not what she had in mind. Now Elaine must solve the mystery from afar, as soon as she figures out if her friend is keeping her from danger...or keeping her from the truth.

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Reviewer: Crystal P

This is a book you'll want to start and finish. It begins with showing the main character, Elaine, and her life with her husband Roy. Her life is changed in the blink of an eye and finds herself on the run from whoever murdered her husband. With some help from a police officer she knows, she attempts to solve the crime of what happened to a student of hers from years ago. It's really hard not to spoil the book, as always, since it was such as great read!

The mystery and suspense drew me in, especially once her husband was murdered. I was always trying to figure out who did it, which is a sign of a great mystery read. As soon as Elaine got paranoid, I would be paranoid as well. M.L Hamilton's writing just had that wonderful effect on me, and is not something you come across often enough. I did feel like there were some unnecessary paragraphs at times, but the book was simply divine nonetheless.

This is something you should pick up from Amazon, and you'll be glad you did!

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Reviewer: Lynn Rountree

M.L Hamilton does an excellent job of opening up the story in a way that pulls the reader in for more. 

From the genesis of the book, you are flipping pages to connect the dots. 

I gave the book four stars instead of five because, while the nursing (not nursing) home scene is endearing, I found myself speed reading in order to get to the weightier details. 

I feel that while I THOROUGHLY enjoyed seeing my familiar Waco, Texas in the book the middle part of the story was a little harder to get through. 

I DO absolutely love how she ties the Lord into the whole book much like the writer of Esther in the bible. You can see His fingerprints everywhere. 

Also, please keep in mind that I am the sort of person who has trouble finishing a sucker (past 30 seconds) without biting it to a pulp, so my lack of appreciation for the middle details may just be my impatience. I will most definitely look for other books from this author and follow her on social media.

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Reviewer: Sabrina Wade

While I don't particularly like to read books centered on women or children being harmed in anyway, especially sexually,  I enjoyed this novel through and through. Packed with inspiration, mystery and the thrill of “will the bad guys win in the end?”

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Reviewer: Gee Dixon

I was hooked from the first page. This book was a page turner. Elaine, the main character had a life full of action and suspense. The characters are heart-warming, with a Christian message entwined with the story. One of the best books I have read.

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Reviewer: Kandace Perry

The cover drew me in with its hint of warmth and mystery.

There was no doubt that the novel, Pendant was faith based; it was relatable and realistic. Pendant depicts our struggle to hear God when times are tough, wondering how long to hold on before our prayers are answered and yet allowing us to have our eyes and hearts open by someone in our life that has held on and draws faithfully and consistently on God's strength. It was a good reminder that God is always with us no matter what happens in our life, no matter how far we slip away. He is ready and waiting for us with open arms.

Pendant, by M.L. Hamilton was filled with mystery and intrigue; warmth for loved ones; passion for the truth and freedom from the past. It drew me in and held me there until the end. Through the fear, the heart ache, the emotional connections of family and friends; Pendant reminds us that even though we are fighting for survival, and searching for answers, God is with us in every breath we take waiting for us to call out to Him and accept His presence in our lives.

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Reviewer: Jill Jones

“Pendant”is the story of Elaine, a former school teacher who lost a student on a field trip and has been haunted by the memory for more than a decade. She and her husband, a police officer at the time of the abduction, lose their jobs over the incident.

After 12 years, a girl’s picture in the paper triggers memories as Elaine sees the pendant her student was wearing the day of the disappearance around the neck of the girl in the photograph, prompting her husband to reopen his file and start investigating the case again.

As Elaine loses everything in her fight for justice, she fears for her own life and turns to her neighbor, a police officer, to help keep her out of danger, but can she trust him?

M.L. Hamilton has a way with words. She grabs your attention on the first page, but just as the action begins to pick up, the story seems to halt until the mystery is near resolution.

As much as I found the plot riveting, this would have made a better short story.  The details about the retirement home where she was “hiding” is material for a separate book and was too much to include in this story.

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