The Gold Digger by Liz Tolsma
 I love all of Liz Tokens books and "The Gold Digger" is no exception.  This is the 9th book in the "True Colors" series.

Synopsis- In the year of 1907, a woman Ingrid Street move to LaPorte, Indiana to help hers sister.  Belle had lost two husbands and several children's.  Ingrid started to wonder about her sister when Nils Lindherud showed up looking for his brother. He had answered an ad put in a paper by Belle looking for a new husband to help with the farm. The problem is several men show up but leave soon afterwards.

My thoughts - I really liked this book and the storyline. It made me think of all the characters and wonder if I liked them. It was a page turner with a suspect from the  very beginning. Ingrid started to question the facts about her sister and rather   the men every left the farm from the beginning. 

Recommend - I will gladly recommend this book to everyone including family and friends.

Rating - I will rate this book a five out of five

i received this complimentary book from the publisher through netgalley. all thought and opinions are mine and mine alone!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to review!
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 4
Pace: 3
Plot development: 4
Characters: 3
Enjoyability: 3
Ease of Reading: 4

Overall rating: 3 out of 5

THE GOLD DIGGER by LIZ TOLSMA is a well written true crime suspense thriller which will keep you on the edge of your chair. Although the subject matter is decidedly gruesome, the author has tempered it with a sweet romance and a great Christian message of hope that shines through the darkness. The characters are well defined and I especially like Ingrid and Nils for their gentleness and kindness, and also for their courage and determination to get to the bottom of the mystery.
I really recommend the book to anyone who enjoys this genre.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Barbour Publishing. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

I normally don't read this kind of book. But I do love a good mystery and this book blew me away!!!!! Wow!
Gold Digger is about 2 sisters from Norway. One had been established, married and had a couple of children but paid for her younger sister to come join her in Chicago from Norway. When Belle's husband suddenly dies and their house and business burn down they decide to move to LaPorte, Indiana. 
Belle surprises Ingrid with a business she can turn into a confectionery, (which Ingrid isn't thrilled about she would rather sell her photographs) and she will have her own apartment above the confectionery and the basement to use as a dark room to develop her photos. Ingrid is very nervous because she doesn't speak English very well and it's hard to speak to customers. 
Belle advertises in the Norwegian papers in the lonely heart section of the paper for a husband. Many men have shown up but leave after a few days. 
This story shows 2 stories in 1. The life of Belle and Ingrid and the life of Nils Lindherud from Detroit. His brother Sven answers Belle's ad for a husband and is excited about leaving his brother Nils auto dealership to work on Belle's pig farm. 
After 6 weeks of not hearing from Sven his Mother and brother Nils become nervous. Nils does write Belle but gets no response, so he goes to LaPorte to investigate. 
He meets Ingrid, and becomes interested but gets very suspicious of Belle, especially after he goes with Ingrid to Belle's farm and she kicks him off the property right away. 
For months Nils travels between Detroit and LaPorte. There is an old farmhand Belle let go, Ray who is very suspicious. 
This book will keep you on your toes the entire time, you think you know what's going to happen and then something else happens and you question what you think really happened!  
The author's notes are wonderful, especially with the historical facts of this book. The whole thing blew me away, especially after I found out it was based on a true story. I couldn't put the book down and read this quickly because it sucked me in! 
I want to thank NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for the advanced copy. I was not asked to give a positive review, just give my honest opinion, this is my honest opinion of the book.

I really wanted to like this book.  It sounded thrilling and grand! But to be frank: it is not

This story is a Christian perspective on the Belle Gunness murders.  It is not the Christian aspect that's frustrating but rather the story as a whole.  The author makes it so obvious that Belle is the murderer, yet her sister Ingrid (the main character) is so painfully naive to the fact of the matter.  The story begins with Belle surprising Ingrid with her own sweets shop.  Ingrid smiles and is polite and grateful but she hates it.  She'd rather open a photography shop.  She is unhappy but sucks it up because she is a "good and thankful Christian woman." Meanwhile Nil's brother Sven answers an ad to be Belle's next husband.  When he goes missing, Nils decides to investigate.  For the next 100 or so pages, Nils collects more and more evidence and no one believes him.  His evidence isn't even subtle.  It is obvious!  Ingrid keeps saying that her sister would "never hurt a fly" but her profession is pig farming and butchering....that involves killing.  A profession she does well.  The rest of the book consists of Ingrid FINALLY believing Nils (only after hearing from her nieces how frightened they are of their Mama and their suspicion that she had a hand in killing their older sister (who discovered too much as was going to tell Ingrid about it).   When a mysterious fire kills the remaining Gunness kids, and supposedly Belle herself, Ingrid is convinced that all this trouble was never her sister but her sister's stalker, Ray.  What took Ingrid to finally believe her sister is evil? Looking at Nil's brother's Sven's mutilated body.  Literally the end of the book.  The plus side?  Ingrid and Nils live happily ever after.

I'm sorry I just can't rate this story high.  It deserves a single star but I do appreciate the author's devotion in showing the true nature of Christ in the story. There needs to be a balance between story and sermon and the author is preaching more than storytelling. In short: great idea, poor execution.

A riveting tale of mystery and suspense based on a real crime spree in 1907 Indiana.  Men go missing after answering an ad placed by a widowed  hog farmer. One man's determination to find his missing  brother just might uncover the truth. He will need help from the woman's sister though before others get hurt.

"Family was family and always came first."

This mystery seemed to unfold quickly, but with each turn, had me changing my mind as to who was the real culprit. Family loyalties and growing desperation made things more complex as it went along. The tension builds and had more than a few nail-biting scenes. The notes at the end shed light on the real crime and the historical details the author included were mind boggling. 
  Nils is a steady, but conflicted hero. He was under so much pressure to find answers, while juggling financial responsibilities at home, and striving to succeed in both. I like how the author used his circumstances to show how we need to rely on God for help, and the trap that making money can become. "When he tried to rely on himself, he was a miserable failure. He needed God's strength."

Recommend for readers who enjoy a Christian  mystery with romance and some grit, based on real history. 4.5 stars

Family, that is part of this story. One a young woman who has come from Norway to be with her widowed sister and her family, the other is a man who comes searching for his missing brother. The story is how tragically it all meshes together.
Be sure to read the author's notes at the end of this book, and yes, this is a fictional story, but based on facts. This crime really happened. So very sad.
Why, I guess greed, and because they can? 
You don't want to miss these True Crime series, they are riveting and page turning, but most of all or sadly they are true. yes, they really happened.

I received this book through NetGalley and the Publisher Barbour, and was not required to give a positive review.

Another historical fiction based on true crime in America. I have enjoyed this series a lot. This one I found a little heavier on the details of the crimes than in books past. 

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of the book and the opportunity to post an honest review!

I have read all the books in this true crime series to date.  This is the second one where I familiar with the details.  The author does a great job weaving the bone chilling tale of one evil woman into a read that will keep you turning the pages.  The deaths and suffering caused by Belle Gunness is almost unbelievable.  And yet, even the most evil can dupe so many around them.  Personally, I can’t see her committing suicide and always believed she escaped her own fire and continued her evil ways, but it can’t be proved one way or the other.

This is the kind of book that leaves you wanting more.  Another hit in the true crimes series. This one also had me looking into the real story more which is the hallmark of a good book. This book was interesting and kept me fully engaged. I spent my morning reading it. and it was time well spent.

There is so much I want to say about this book but that contains spoilers and this book is better read without them. I did get it for free in exchange for an honest review, but I would have paid to read it had I not as I have also really enjoyed the authors previous books in this series.  I liked how the author threw in a few little redirects so that you were never quite sure of what was the true story.

My overall recommendation is to read this book and the rest of the True Crimes series. You're welcome!