-Therese Heckenkamp
This is a long overdue review of Mrs. Heckenkamp's latest religious thriller, entitled Frozen Footprints. For those in search of a fantastic, edge-of-your-seat thriller to cozy up with during the final days of winter, look no further. Mrs. Heckenkamp has outdone herself with her latest young adult novel.
The Perigard twins have grown up in their wealthy grandfather's home, where they have access to anything they could ever want, except love. Charlene has always been the more sensible of the two, while Max is overly fond of pushing the limits. The two eighteen year olds have a great relationship, though Charlene's motherly concerns for her brother tend to frustrate him. After Max and his grandfather end a huge argument on ill terms, Max decides to run away. He disappears, and a ransom note appears a couple days later, containing threats against Max's life unless the proper amount of money is delivered. When Charlene tries to meet the kidnapper's requests, she herself falls victim to his schemes, and she and her brother must desperately try to hatch an escape plan that will work while fighting terrors greater than pain itself to do so. "Devoid of all worldly comfort and consolation, will faith and hope be enough to get them through this chilling nightmare?"
I thoroughly enjoyed Mrs. Heckenkamp's first suspense novel, Past Suspicion, and was excited when she sent me this one. In Frozen Footprints, Mrs. Heckenkamp's growth as an author is apparent; the writing style is improved, and the characters believable. The glimpse into the lives of the rich is extremely interesting, and showcases one's inability to fill the holes in his heart with material goods. This book is a fast-paced page turner, and will have you on the edge-of-your-seat until you finish. It is religious without being preachy, and provides guilt-free thrills. I especially liked the way that the author followed her characters beyond the horrible ordeal, and explored the ways they coped with the different burns they suffered. It is definitely geared toward young adults, and would be too much for early teens. The characters are very well-formed, react in realistic ways, and display both flaws and virtues. The ending is unpredictable; this is the kind of novel which could draw anyone in, and hold them until the very last page.
I absolutely loved Frozen Footprints, and would highly recommend it to all those looking for a book that is wholesome without being boring, exciting without being inappropriate, and leaves you with a satisfied feeling. I'm looking forward Mrs. Heckenkamp's future novels, and hope she will continue to produce books which are as thrilling as Hitchcock films, but still succeed in teaching valuable lessons.
Those interested in finding out more about the book, or purchasing it, can visit the book's site: www.frozen-footprints.com, or purchase it on Amazon. It would be a great gift for a friend, daughter, son, or for yourself! :) Happy reading!
