"death be not proud" by c.f. dunn

About the book (from the publisher): Following the vicious attack by a psychotic colleague, and reeling from the suspicion that Matthew Lynes is not all that he seems, Professor Emma D’Eresby flees her college teaching position in Maine to her hometown in England— taking the mysterious seventeenth-century journal she stole from the college’s archives with her.

Broken physically and emotionally, Emma drifts until, fearing for their daughter’s sanity, her parents invite a family friend to assess her. In the course of their conversation, Emma discovers that he spoke to Matthew over thirty years before.

This finally spurs her into action and soon, when she finds what certainly must be a reference to Matthew in the journal, she begins to understand Matthew’s profound secret.

But when Matthew arrives to confess his love for her, she must decide if she can trust him—and he must decide if he can share his extraordinary secret with her. Drawn by a deep connection that both feel but don’t quite understand they find they must set aside their doubts and trust each other.

Readers will be thrilled by the second installment in The Secret of the Journal from British author C. F. Dunn. Mixing suspense, romance, and the supernatural, Death Be Not Proud explores the profound moral implications of a life seemingly invulnerable to time.

My take: Death Be Not Proud picks up right where book one in the series, Mortal Fire, leaves off. Emma has left Matthew in the States and returned to England with her parents to recover from her attack. The majority of the book focuses on Emma's quest to learn the truth about Matthew—who he is and how he is connected to the journal she had been searching for. The story moves at a rather slow pace, but it's enjoyable. Basically, this book serves as a bridge between the first book and the third; not much happens, but it both answers questions from the first book and sets up what is sure to be an intense ride in the third book.

I would recommend reading Mortal Fire prior to this book, as many things wouldn't make sense without the background from book one. Death Be Not Proud is a great follow-up to Mortal Fire, and I look forward to reading what comes next in Rope of Sand.

My rating: 4 stars.

See what other bloggers are saying.
Buy the book.
Read my review of book one, Mortal Fire.

About the author: C. F. Dunn runs a school in North Kent for children with developmental disabilities, dyslexia, autism, and other difficulties.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review from Kregel Publications.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also some of the links on this page are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase a product, I will receive a commission.I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”