Review by ab2020 -- Hallowed Ground by Cindy Ziperman
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ab2020
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Review by ab2020 -- Hallowed Ground by Cindy Ziperman
[Following is a volunteer review of "Hallowed Ground" by Cindy Ziperman.]
3 out of 4 stars
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Hallowed Ground by Cindy Ziperman is categorized as a thriller on OBC. However, as previous reviewers have pointed out, it’s really more of a romance. Not that I mind, though—thriller or romance, it’s still a pretty interesting book. The author, a retired nurse who moved from Indiana to Texas and back over the course of her career, makes good use of her background and her interest in Civil War history to craft a realistic and gripping story.
The novel follows Samantha (Sam) Paige, a nurse who moves to Franklin, a small town in Tennessee, after she is fired from her job. There, she moves in with her uncle, Rufus, and meets TJ Carter, a Civil War historian. TJ is in the middle of a heated confrontation with a land developer and his henchmen over the fate of the Franklin Battlefield (the site of the Second Battle of Franklin during the Civil War). He meets Sam because a piece of this land happens to be owned by Rufus. Throughout the novel, TJ and Sam confront the land developers (who are actually very violent people) while working through the first stages of a romantic relationship.
Hallowed Ground is an interesting and relatively quick read (230 pages). Ziperman is a lively writer, and the chapters are short and crisp. The plot flows smoothly, and I never became confused or lost while reading. The characters are skillfully developed, and the setting is thoroughly (but not too thoroughly) explored. Though Ziperman is not a reflective writer (i.e. she doesn’t spend a lot of time discussing her characters’ pasts or thoughts), her prose still strikes a good balance between dialogue and description.
As noted earlier, Hallowed Ground contains elements of the thriller genre but is really more of a romance with a specific theme. The book’s two subplots (the romance and the battle against the land developers) help keep things interesting, and I enjoyed the fact that the story wasn’t all romance.
Though it is a strong book, Hallowed Ground still has a couple of problems. The first few chapters are a little bit lackluster, and it might take a while for the reader to truly become absorbed in the story. The beginning does not “hook” the reader in any surprising or unusual way. If you can get past this, you will probably find the rest of the book worthwhile. I also found a handful of typos and grammar errors, but none of these were too bothersome. I rate Hallowed Ground 3 out of 4 stars. (I am deducting one star for the mediocre beginning.) In general, it was an enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys romance with a twist.
******
Hallowed Ground
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Hallowed Ground by Cindy Ziperman is categorized as a thriller on OBC. However, as previous reviewers have pointed out, it’s really more of a romance. Not that I mind, though—thriller or romance, it’s still a pretty interesting book. The author, a retired nurse who moved from Indiana to Texas and back over the course of her career, makes good use of her background and her interest in Civil War history to craft a realistic and gripping story.
The novel follows Samantha (Sam) Paige, a nurse who moves to Franklin, a small town in Tennessee, after she is fired from her job. There, she moves in with her uncle, Rufus, and meets TJ Carter, a Civil War historian. TJ is in the middle of a heated confrontation with a land developer and his henchmen over the fate of the Franklin Battlefield (the site of the Second Battle of Franklin during the Civil War). He meets Sam because a piece of this land happens to be owned by Rufus. Throughout the novel, TJ and Sam confront the land developers (who are actually very violent people) while working through the first stages of a romantic relationship.
Hallowed Ground is an interesting and relatively quick read (230 pages). Ziperman is a lively writer, and the chapters are short and crisp. The plot flows smoothly, and I never became confused or lost while reading. The characters are skillfully developed, and the setting is thoroughly (but not too thoroughly) explored. Though Ziperman is not a reflective writer (i.e. she doesn’t spend a lot of time discussing her characters’ pasts or thoughts), her prose still strikes a good balance between dialogue and description.
As noted earlier, Hallowed Ground contains elements of the thriller genre but is really more of a romance with a specific theme. The book’s two subplots (the romance and the battle against the land developers) help keep things interesting, and I enjoyed the fact that the story wasn’t all romance.
Though it is a strong book, Hallowed Ground still has a couple of problems. The first few chapters are a little bit lackluster, and it might take a while for the reader to truly become absorbed in the story. The beginning does not “hook” the reader in any surprising or unusual way. If you can get past this, you will probably find the rest of the book worthwhile. I also found a handful of typos and grammar errors, but none of these were too bothersome. I rate Hallowed Ground 3 out of 4 stars. (I am deducting one star for the mediocre beginning.) In general, it was an enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys romance with a twist.
******
Hallowed Ground
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Altitude Journals by David J Mauro
