A Slow Burn, Defiance, Texas Series #2 #2: A Slow Burn

Burying her grief, Emory Chance is determined to find her daughter Daisy's murderer-a man she saw in a flicker of a vision. But when the investigation hits every dead end, her despair escalates. Not even the kindness of her persistent suitor Hixon can soften her heart towards the community of friends that long for her healing. And as the questions surrounding Daisy continue to mount, and Emory's safety is shattered by the tattooed man's dark pursuit, she can't shake the sickening fear that her own choices contributed to Daisy's disappearance. Will she ever experience the peace her heart longs for?

A gripping suspense novel, A Slow Burn is about courageous love, the burden of regret, and the bonds that never break. It is about the beauty and pain of telling the truth and letting God take over. Most of all, it is about the strength of forgiveness and what remains when shame no longer has power. Mary DeMuth's distinctive new voice in Christian fiction will keep readers enthralled as they ask soul-searching questions in this second book of the Defiance, Texas Trilogy.

Emory Chance needs to find who killed her daughter Daisy and unravel the mystery behind a sickening premonition—a man with a snake tattoo. The second book in the Defiance, Texas Trilogy, A Slow Burn is a suspenseful story about courageous love, the power of forgiveness, and the bonds that never break.

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Reviewed by Amy Lund (Onalaska, WA), February 01, 2010

In this follow-up novel to Daisy Chain, DeMuth had found her groove. Editorially sound, this gripping story set in Defiance, TX takes readers into the beauty and pain of real-life, and will touch their hearts along the way. I highly recommend this book.

Reviewed by blanche mead (south bend,in), January 03, 2010

Iam disappointed that the author did not reveal who killed Daisy in her second book. There was too much jumping back and forth from the past to the present, This second book A Slow Burn should have finished the story.

Reviewed by Delia Latham (Okmulgee, OK), December 31, 2009

1973. Defiance, Texas. Emory Chance’s 13-year-old daughter, Daisy, was kidnapped and murdered. After her funeral, Emory’s sorrow is made more acute by feelings of self-recrimination. She hadn’t been a model mother. She’s never been a model anything — woman, wife, daughter, mother, or employee, and the whole town knows it. When the investigation into Daisy’s death closes before a perpetrator can be found and made to pay, Emory sinks further into overwhelming despair and addiction. Then someone begins stalking her. Moving things inside her house. Taking Daisy’s picture. Haunting Emory. Taunting her. Pushing her to the very edge of sanity and endurance. Only two people in Defiance seem to care much about Emory’s state of mind or physical safety. Police Officer Spellman cares, but Emory figures he’s just doing his job, taking care of folks in trouble. And Hixon Jones. A humble, Bible-thumping black man, Hixon does maintenance work on Emory’s house—whether or not she asks for it, or even wants it. When Hixon’s best friend dies of cancer, his sorrow and a sense of duty toward that friend’s final wishes bring him ever closer to some kind of relationship with the beautiful, bitter woman he has always admired, but only from afar. Unspoken love. Shame. Forgiveness. Acceptance. Painful truth. Mary DeMuth’s second book in the Defiance, Texas trilogy brings them all into play. This talented author has the ability to reach deep into a reader’s heart and mind and leave her handprint forever imprinted thereon. As is to be expected from DeMuth, A Slow Burn is a tight, well-written tale packed with psychological nuances, shadowed with palpable human pain and heartache, and made bearable by an intricately woven thread that keeps the reader reminded of God’s constant love, even in the midst of tragedy and sorrow. I loved the first Defiance sory, Daisy Chain, and as a follow-up, A Slow Burn does not disappoint. Wonderful writing, an absolute must-read!

Reviewed by Heidi (Idaho), December 01, 2009

A keep you rivited book. It is not helpful to start book if you have a lot of holiday stuff to do. Once you start you will not want to put it down. Artfully written.

Reviewed by Grace Emanuel (Bronx, NY), November 24, 2009

In "Daisy Chain" we were anxious to find the killer, but in this part of the trilogy it's different. Going through the pain with Emory Chance gives insight into another victim of Daisy's murder. It also teaches compassion from a viewpoint not often seen.

Reviewed by Tina Ann Forkner (Wyoming), November 18, 2009

“Mary DeMuth has intertwined artful writing, a powerfully imagined plot, and characters that are startlingly human. A Slow Burn brims with a prevailing grace that abundantly covers even the most devastating of human regrets. DeMuth's novels just keep getting better.” — Tina Ann Forkner, author of Ruby Among Us and Rose House

Reviewed by amydeanne (canada), November 17, 2009

Don’t let the title series fool you. You don’t have to be a Texan to enjoy this book! I will admit I first misread the date; I was thinking it was a historical novel set in Texas, but it was set in 1977. A very fickled era of inter-racial situations, a lot of darkness with addictions and such. A very heavy read BUT I loved it! You can really feel the passion in this book — the heart wrenching struggles of addictions and the joy of letting God take hold of your life. I think Mary did a great job with book and I really felt like I was there. I loved the depth of the characters and the pain she put into them. They were believeable and you just wanted to shake them silly! One of my favorite quotes is “Death paralyzes saints and sinners alike. If you’re looking for a different read that will wrench your heart into knots than scream out with joy this is your book! I was totally impressed with it. I give it a full five stars and than some!

Reviewed by Christy Lockstein (Oconto Falls, WIsconsin), October 31, 2009

A Slow Burn by Mary DeMuth is the second book in the Defiance, Texas trilogy. Emory Chance is "perfect in every way, but flawed to her marrow." Devastated after the disappearance and murder of her daughter Daisy, Emory can't forgive herself for not being the mother her daughter needed and deserved. Hixon Jones has determined to show Emory the love of God no matter how hard she pushes him away, eventually falling in love with her. Emory's spirit was broken again and again from childhood throughout her entire life: molested, abused by her malevolent mother, she's like a sack of broken glass: the shards are poking through, slicing anyone who comes near. DeMuth's writing is a revelation. Hixon's relationship with God is a beautiful message to every reader; his struggle at the police station to do the right thing resonates. How do we treat others? Do we speak the truth in love or does love cover a multitude of sins? She never gives a sermon in her books, and yet the reader can't help but close the back cover with a deeper and richer understanding of God and his love. DeMuth carefully renders a haunting portrait of a woman so haunted by her past sins that she can't see any way out from under them and makes Emory's incomprehensible actions understandable. This is a deeply moving and multi-layered story from a masterful author.

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