Ties That Blind by Chautona Havig – Review, Preview

Item: Ties That Blind
Rating: 5
Author: Phyllis Helton

Posted August 20, 2018 by Phyllis Helton in Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Giveaways /

What in the world were the car keys doing in the refrigerator? And that wasn’t all. I was finding all kinds of things in the most unusual places.

Have you ever had a problem with remembering things? Most of us have, though for various reasons. I used to be really good at keeping everything straight in my head. Though I would use a calendar for appointments, I wouldn’t look at it all that often. Then it happened. I showed up for a doctor appointment on the wrong day. Fortunately, I was a day early but still. Since that time I’ve started relying more on my calendar and less on my memory. I’m sure it isn’t that I’m getting old – it’s just that I have much more stored in my brain than I used to and need to improve my data retrieval system. Right?

Ties That Blind

by Chautona Havig

Series: Sight Unseen #3
Publication Date August 7, 2018
Genres: Mystery, Suspense, Christian Fiction, Clean Romance
Contemporary
Main Character Ages: 25-34
Written for: Adults
Pages: 277

Synopsis:

He may not be the only person in the Rockland area to wake up without a memory, but he might be the only killer.

Simon Prescott, the latest victim of spontaneous amnesia in Rockland, is about to be arrested for murder. The evidence, though weak and circumstantial, points only to him. He’s confident he didn’t do it. He just can't prove it. Grieving for a wife he doesn’t remember, Simon refuses to have anything to do with his family, keeps helping the police and ticking off his lawyer while he's at it, and is heading straight for the pokey if he doesn’t figure out something and fast.

Enter Ella Weeks and Vikki Jeffries. The previous two victims are determined to help him, and with jail time looming, Simon capitulates. But what Vikki and Ella find as they work through Simon’s life reveals astounding and rather chilling evidence of a bigger scheme than any of them could have imagined.

They’re on the verge of total discovery, but the closer they get, the less confident they are that they want to know.

Ties That Blind is the third and final novel in the Sight Unseen Series.

I would like to thank Celebrate Lit for giving me this copy of the book. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.

Also in this series: Will Not See

Simon woke up unable to remember anything. Not even his name. And he is being questioned about the murder of his wife.

This final book in the Sight Unseen series by Chautona Havig did not disappoint. Filled with mystery, suspense, surprises, and humor, it was an exciting story to read. I’m so glad that it came out a little more quickly than the second book in the series. All my favorite characters were in this book, with some fun new ones added in. Yay!

While I liked Simon, I think my favorite character was David, Ella’s husband from None So Blind. His patience with Ella as she struggled with so many aspects of her character was remarkable. He truly showed the kind of love that Jesus tells husbands to show their wives.

One new character who had a cameo appearance was Benson, the nurse. I thought he was wonderful and really hope he gets his own story somewhere at some point in time. Chautona Havig, are you reading this?

Simon was very interesting. He had a quirky sense of humor evidenced by the name of his tutoring business “Simon’s Simple Tutoring”. How cute is that!! He had a tutoring session with a ditzy girl and his reaction was so funny!

Like David, he showed a deep and forgiving love for his wife. I loved that he got her flowers every Friday (a fact that he didn’t remember but was told about) and thought the letters he wrote to her were so beautiful.

The answer to the mystery of the amnesia Simon experienced was quite interesting. The things he learned about himself and how this happened were not expected. I was very satisfied with the ending and felt like the mysteries were explained quite well.

The books in this series should be read together. If you have not read the first two, I highly recommend that you pick them up along with this one.

Preview

Guest Post by Chautona Havig

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN, ANYWAY?

“So why is this series called ‘Sight Unseen’ if it’s about people who lose their memories? Why the vision references?”

I can’t pretend I wanted to answer her question. She isn’t the first to ask, and I doubt she’ll be the last. I tried to explain.

Look, it’s a valid question. Originally, the first book was called From the Cinders, and if it had remained a stand-alone book, it still would be. But when I finished with another person waking up to no memories and a hint that something sinister might be behind it all, I had to change it to fit two books—no, three!

Recall. Rewind. Refresh. I liked those titles. But that still didn’t give me the name of a series. I kept studying. Tried again.

I read what would become None So Blind three times in a row, if I recall correctly. And as I read it, a theme emerged. Ella Weeks hadn’t been blind to her faults even before her memory loss. Even her husband hadn’t been, despite his obvious love for her. But those around her had been blind to her awareness of those faults—to her silent cries for help in overcoming them.

WILL NOT SEE EMERGED WITH A SIMILAR THEME.

Vikki had a past that she hid from and refused to acknowledge. And even as those around her drew closer to provide support, she still managed to block out all that she found frightening—even physically shutting down and shutting out life.

So, when it came time to plan the final book in the series, the one that would now tie together everything that had happened, I knew I wanted something that also fit with the other titles. And one night it came to me. Ties That Blind. So often our ties to people blind us to their faults—to the destructive influences they have in our lives. And Simon Prescott will learn that lesson in a rather lonely, horrible way.

THE SIGHT UNSEEN SERIES REMINDS US OF WHAT PAUL SAID IN CORINTHIANS.

Now we see through dark glasses… we can’t really make it all out. But with the Lord, when we’re truly with Him in eternity, we’ll see things as clearly as we do when we are face to face.

And that’s what faith is all about, right? It’s the “substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” When we “buy in” to the Lord Jesus, we’re taking it all in faith. We’re trusting in Him, “Sight Unseen,” just as the characters in this series do with every element of their lives.

I hope their journeys bless you as they have me as I wrote them.

Blog Stops

Live. Love. Read. , August 18

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, August 18

Inklings and notions, August 19

Blossoms and Blessings, August 19

Fiction Aficionado, August 20

Among the Reads, August 20

Kaylee’s Kind Of Writes, August 21

Blogging With Carol, August 21

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, August 22

Lots of Helpers, August 22

Cordially Barbara, August 23

All-of-a-kind Mom, August 23

Multifarious, August 24

Christian Bookaholic, August 24

proud to be an autism mom, August 25

Bibliophile Reviews, August 25

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 25

Texas Book-aholic, August 26

Janices book reviews, August 26

A Reader’s Brain, August 27

Jeanette’s Thoughts, August 27

Maureen’s Musings, August 28

Carpe Diem, August 28

Margaret Kazmierczak, August 29

A Baker’s Perspective, August 29

Bigreadersite, August 30

Mary Hake, August 30

Pause for Tales, August 31

Readers cozy corner, August 31

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, August 31

To celebrate her tour, Chautona is giving away a grand prize of the entire Sight Unseen series in paperback!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d295/ties-that-blind-celebration-tour-giveaway

About Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her on the web and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.