A Slow Burn by Mary DeMuth is the second book in the Defiance, Texas trilogy. The trilogy tells the story of Daisy Chance's murder through several POVs: her best friend, Jed (Daisy Chain, the first book), her mother, Emory, and the man who considers himself Emory's protector, Hixon (A Slow Burn, book two), and Jed's mother, Ousie (the final book of the trilogy). The third book reveals Daisy's killer, although in this book, DeMuth gives us a few more pieces of the puzzle.
Emory Chance struggles with the guilt of losing her daughter. If she hadn't been strung out on drugs, she would've been able to protect Daisy. She lives with all the regrets of denied hugs and neglect. She promises to flush the drugs, but her guilt and shame spiral her downward. Drugs are her only chance for relief.
Hixon is a man of prophecy. God told him he'd marry Emory. Though Emory holds him at a distance, he sees past her hardness to her hurt.
With clean writing, DeMuth puts the reader into the center of Emory's remorse and pain but is able to write redemptively, offering hope to the worst of sinners (to quote Paul and presume Emory's feelings). In her Southern fiction style, DeMuth shows grace to people grappling with glorifying God in painful circumstances.
An accomplished writer, Mary’s parenting books include Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture, Building the Christian Family You Never Had, and Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God. Her real-to-life novels inspire people to turn trials into triumphs: Watching the Tree Limbs (2007 Christy Award finalist, ACFW Book of the Year 2nd Place) and Wishing on Dandelions (2007 Retailer’s Choice Award finalist).
This post has been a part of a blog tour. You can read more reviews and interviews at the following blogs:
Admissions of a Suburban Philosopher
All are welcome here
A Musing Mom Speaks
A Sandy Path Book Reviews
A Writer’s Journey
Adventures of the Duncan Six
AP Free Writing 101
Arkansas Dreams
Aspire2 Blog
Awesome God…Ordinary Girl
Be Your Best Mom
Beams of Light Ministries
Bell Whistle Moon
Blog Tour Spot
Bluebonnet in the Snow
Book Nook Club
Caregiving and Beyond
Carla’s Writing Cafe
Carly Bird’s Home
Carma’s Window
Cheaper by the Half Dozen
Cindy’s Stamping and Reviews
Communicating the Vision
CommuniKate
Critty Joy
Declaring His Marvelous Work
Drive Home Productions
Edgewise
Elizabeth Bussey
Faith…Creativity…Life
Fiction for the Restless Reader
Fictionary
First Impressions
Five Bazillion and One
Fresh Brewed Writer
Gatorskunz and Mudcats
Heading Home
His Reading List
i don’t believe in grammar
J’s Spot
Joy in the Journey
Karen R. Evans
Kristin Early
L’Chaim
Latte with Me
Lit Fuse
Literary Fangirl Book Reviews
Luxury Reading
Merrie Destefano
Mocha with Linda
Moments with MarLo
Musings by Lynn
Musings of Edwina
My Alabaster Box
My Life Message
Net’s Book Notes
Niki Nowell
One Desert Rose
Paper Bridges
Passionate for the Glory of God
Pollywog Creek
Ranunculus Turtle
Real Hurts, Real Hope
Rebecca Barlow Jordan
Refresh My Soul
Restore
Scraps and Snippets
Sheila Deeth
Sherri Woodbridge
Sky-High View
Snapshot’s Photoblog
Surviving the Chaos
The 160-acre Woods
The Gospel Writer
The Harrison Kaleidoscope
The Heart of Writing
The Stubborn Servant
The View from Here
This That and The Other
To Be Beautiful
Unreasonable Grace
Walking Daily
WhadUsay
Where Romance Meets Therapy
Word Vessel
Write 2 Ignite
Write on the Knows
Writer’s Wanderings
Writing to the heart of the matter
Thanks so much, Heather, for reading and reviewing A Slow Burn!
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