2-in-1: Darlington Woods by Mike Dellosso & The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow by Joyce Magnin

1. Darlington Woods by Mike Dellosso.

The book's synopsis from the author's website:

Rob Shields has just lost his wife and son. Battling depression, denial, and an irrational fear of darkness, Rob travels to the small town of Mayfield, MD to check out a house he has inherited from his great aunt Wilda, a woman he has never even met. There in Mayfield strange things begin to happen that lead Rob to believe his son, Jimmy, is not really dead. After a restless night and eerie dream, Rob is convinced the answer to the mystery surrounding Jimmy’s disappearance and alleged death is to be found in a village called Darlington, a town found on no map.

It was an interesting christian thriller. Fast paced and a quick read, it will be liked by fans of this genre. I wouldn't recommend it to people who normally don't read christian books because God does play a strong role in there.  Personally, I didn't mind, I can even say I enjoyed that part of the book (I did after all choose to read it because it's christian fiction). I was only disappointed by two things: there were some loose ends which left me a little frustrated and I'm left wanting a little more inspirational depth.

2. The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow by Joyce Magnin

The book's synopsis from GoodReads:

The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow is the story of an unusual woman, Agnes Sparrow. No longer able or willing to leave her home, where she is cared for by her long-suffering sister Griselda, Agnes has committed her life to the one thing she can do—besides eat. Agnes Sparrow prays and when Agnes prays things happen, including major miracles of the cancer, ulcer-healing variety along with various minor miracles not the least of which is the recovery of lost objects and a prize-winning pumpkin.
When a stranger comes asking for a miracle, Bright's Pond is turned on its head and Agnes's feet of clay are exposed, forcing the town to its knees.

That was another interesting read which I enjoyed slightly more than the one above. The concept is interesting, although I'm not sure I enjoyed Agnes all that much. I actually liked her sister, Griselda and some other residents of the town a lot more than the main character. But, nobody said that Agnes was supposed to be likable anyway. I think the funnest part of the whole novel was the dynamics of a small town. I live in one myself so I can completely identify with some of it, whether good or bad. How the town has a life of its own and how the residents do come through in the end despite their bad sides is what in my opinion really makes this book worth looking into.