Book Review: Wages of Sin by Yolonda Sanders

Wages of Sin: A Novel (Protective Detective)

By Yolonda Sanders

Publisher: Strebor Books

Published: Apr. 15, 2014

ASIN: B00DPM7YS6

Amazon Synopsis:

Troy Evans believes in God, but he’s seen enough evil on his job to shake his faith. Nonetheless, his loyalty to his family never wavers, and he would do anything to protect them—one of the reasons he is a workaholic. 

Natalie loves her family, but she’s becoming increasingly frustrated with Troy’s job. His schedule is often hectic and unpredictable, and she’s also helping her best friend deal with some serious issues— and struggling to come clean about a secret she’s hiding from Troy. 

While Natalie deals with her issues, Troy spends the majority of his time searching for a serial killer 

who abducted and murdered several women without rhyme or reason. Desperate to stop the murderer before more women die, he works diligently, but the killer always seems to be one step ahead of him. Then Troy comes to the awful realization that he and the killer have something in common—something that instantly sets him on a mission to end the terror…or die trying.

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My Thoughts:

This is a killer who is doing the work of God, or at least that’s the message that is being given since each body is laid out in the form of a cross with a bible on each one. But what do these victims have in common? That’s what Troy Evans is trying to figure out before any more women lose their lives.

Wages of Sin was a moderately fast-paced detective novel interspersed with chapters that didn’t seem to have anything to do with the mystery. However, it became clear later one that these chapters were very necessary as they laid the foundation of the family relationship between Troy and his daughter (step-daughter) and the relationship between Natalie’s friend and her husband marital issues which were very pertinent to the themes of the novel.

If at first this book seems rather predictable, don’t be fooled. When you make that first guess at who the killer is, you’re going to be wrong. The author has a few twists in the plot that will surprise you and the ending is not what you think.

I thought that the characters were quite realistic and well-developed. They were personable and likeable. I thought that the issues they faced and the way that they handled them were realistic and true to life and often reflect the way that Christians handle things today.

The romance or love scenes in this book were not too intense and were clean enough not to embarrass my teenage daughter who was reading this book with me. I would consider it to be clean romance. The language was also clean.

I enjoyed Wages of Sin and gave it 4 stars out of 5. I would definitely read another book by this author. If you like thriller/suspense novels, I’m sure you will enjoy this book.

Thank you to the author who provided a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.

About the Author:

Ohio native Yolonda Tonette Sanders is the author of four published novels, including her latest release, Wages of Sin (Strebor Books/Simon & Schuster; April 2014). She is also the founder and CEO of Yo Productions, LLC, a literary services and theatrical entertainment company, which Yolonda used to launch a successful theatrical production of her debut novel, Soul Matters (Hachette Book Group; 2005). As a writer, Yolonda continues to develop new projects and is even working on a young adult series. As a speaker, she has been invited to address audiences across the country regarding various topics and enjoys the opportunity to connect with people from all walks of life. As a business owner, Yolonda seeks to help other writers develop and perfect their works. Yo Productions has been used as a catalyst to help both self- and traditionally-published authors and Yolonda plans to one day transform her company into a publishing house of its own. In addition to writing, Yolonda enjoys reading, watching movies, and exercising. Currently, she resides in Columbus, Ohio with her family.

The second book in the series, Day of Atonement, will be released November 18.  

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