Skizzer by A.J. Kiesling

A.J. Kiesling, a former writer for Publishers Weekly, offers her debut novel, SKIZZER. Published by Revell, the book is actually a bit of a surprise because it focuses on Druids and Celtic lore, and not so much on the religions usually included in Christian novels. This change of pace is definitely welcome!

Claire Trowling gets the call that her younger sister, Becca, has disappeared. All that's left behind is a note saying that someone both wonderful and terrible has occurred and that Becca will be in touch. Claire joins her brother-in-law in a quest to locate her missing sister.

Switching back and forth between their childhood and present day, Claire realizes that the entire mystery may be linked to an old woman that lived deep in the forest when they were children. Some is not telling the whole story, and Claire is determined to discover how this old woman, a precious necklace and their past is linked to Becca's disappearance.

SKIZZER does take a little getting used to because it does switch from childhood to adulthood every few chapters. The story itself is definitely intriguing and the mystery moves steadily to the conclusion. I'm not sure it is my favorite book of all times. During the past to present switches, I'd find myself wanting to pick one time period and stay there. Regardless, it certainly kept calling me back to learn the outcome! Overall, I think that this is a great start to the author's career as a novelist and I'm eager to see her writing in the future.