Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze

Back of the Book:

THEIR ELUSIVE ENEMIES TOOK EVERYTHING. NOW THEY WANT MORE. Crossroads Crisis Center owner Benjamin Brandt was a content man—in his faith, his work, and his family. Then in a flash, everything he loved was snatched away. His wife and son were murdered, and grief-stricken Ben lost faith. Determination to find their killers keeps him going, but after three years of dead ends and torment, his hope is dying too. Why had he survived? He’d failed to protect his family.

Now, a mysterious woman appears at Crossroads seeking answers and help—a victim who eerily resembles Ben’s deceased wife, Susan. A woman robbed of her identity, her life, of everything except her faith—and Susan’s necklace. The connections between the two women mount, exceeding coincidence, and to keep the truth hidden, someone is willing to kill. Finding out who and why turns Ben and the mystery woman’s situation from dangerous to deadly. Their only hope for survival is to work together, trust each other, and face whatever they discover head on, no matter how painful. But will that be enough to save their lives and heal their tattered hearts?

My Opinion:

Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze is a story about two people who lost everything and somehow find each other.  Benjamin Brandt's wife and son were both murdered and their killers are still at large.  He's lost his faith, he's lost his family, and now a woman who looks just like his wife comes into his crisis center claiming she's a victim and has lost her memory.  The mystery woman brings danger and God into his world again, but is she real and genuine?  Ben and the mystery woman will have to go through many frightening situations to figure out why their paths crossed and what their past has to do with each other.

This is a story that keeps you guessing the whole way through.  Just when you think you have things figured out, another twist or turn comes along to make you question your theories.  The story, overall, is a good one, although it doesn't always keep you attached to the book.  It's easy to put down, despite, or maybe because of all the twists and turns.  The unquestioning faith of "the mystery woman" is a little hard to believe, considering she's lost almost all of her memory.  Ben Brandt, the lead male character, has a hard time believing her memory loss in the book, and while reading the book, you agree with him.  I think it's a little too contrived.  Her memory loss is just a little too unbelievable, but because even the main character has trouble with it, the reader can get past it with him.

Overall, I would say this is a good book.  I like the twists and turns, I like the mystery of not only who's behind the murders and the other incidents, but also why the two main characters came together.  There are some exciting elements to the story, but it's not action packed.  It is a story that is a testament to undying faith, confirming to some that God will guide them in the right direction.  I would recommend this book to someone who can get past the unbelievability of the mystery woman's memory loss, or someone who needs their faith boosted.

My rating: 3.0 stars

Product Details

• Author: Vicki Hinze
• Publisher: Multnomah Books (March 16, 2010)
• ISBN-10: 1601422059
• ISBN-13: 978-1601422057