Great sequel to the first book, "Blood Ransom". The author did another great job of making this story full of danger and intensity. The whole story doesn't span much more than a week, but it is full of action and suspense and keeps me turning the pages to see what happens next. I felt like I could picture the country and the refugee site and feel the heat, the sickness and the despair that was there among these people.

The Republic of Dhambizao in Africa is experiencing fighting between the government forces and the renegade Ghost Soldiers and it is causing thousands of people to flee their homes. Dr. Paige Ryan is there working with Volunteers of Hope International to provide shelter, water, sanitation and food, and meet the medical needs of these people. What she wasn't counting on was coming under fire and seeing people shot and killed before her very eyes. Nick Gilbert (which you would have met in book one) is a bush pilot for Compassion Air, and he will join this medical team to help them fly in supplies. But what he wasn't counting on was having his plane shot down and being stranded in the refugee camp with its overcrowding, raids, infectious disease outbreaks, and falling for Dr. Paige. Then take into account the hikers trekking up a mountain who are ambushed and you say, what could possibly happen next.

This is a book that doesn't paint a rosy picture of life in this country at this time. People are dying and the government doesn't seem to care. Disease is everywhere and it is heartbreaking to read and see what these people live with and without. Paige questions why she is there and what good she is actually doing. But a great quote from her in the book is, "I've decided the bottom line is that my circumstances, and the circumstances of those around me, don't dictate God's goodness. Nothing I do can ever change who He is. And He'll always give me the strength I need to make it through each day." I was very impressed with both these stories and this author has a real gift of writing an intense story, full of danger, but makes it very true to life and not like a work of fiction. ( )

This is the second book in the Mission Hope series and it's just as fast paced as the first book. You don't need to read Blood Random beforehand however to enjoy this story. As with the first book, the focus is on a small (made-up) country in Africa where doctors, nurses, pilots and other trained staff are in the country to help those in need. This is a really good story that emphasizes the daily plight in Africa with sickness, starvation and violence.

The story is a very realistic one with people suffering, falling ill and dying every day. It's like watching the news come to life. It's hard not to read the story without feeling guilty for all the resources we have available in the western part of the world while there are millions out there who would relish in just one small glass of clean water. The political situation of this country is very unstable as rebels continually threaten to disrupt any part of the government that they can.

There is a small romance, but it is not the focus at all. Instead the focus on the story remains on saving people, and learning to find your inner strength in times of turmoil and danger. Paige and Nick's relationship doesn't really have that much time to grow. They are more concerned with saving other people and at some times their own lives. To be honest sometimes I forgot that their relationship was even a focal point of the story as there is much more attention to action and emotional sequences elsewhere.

I was a bit shock at the death of a character in the story because I was certain that they were going to be used as a plot device later on. However in keeping with the reality of the novel, it's not a complete surprise at the timing of their death. That pretty much sums up my feelings of this book. You never know what is going to happen but it's so true to life that you just have to accept it. ( )