Review – The Grand Scheme

The future looks bright for Rue Kessler and his bride Ivy Griffith. They’ve finally overcome the demons of their addictions and have settled down to give their son the family he’s wanted. Everything would be great if Ivy’s brother Rusty could forgive the torment Ivy put her family through when she was a drug addict. Rusty’s unyielding heart is causing pain to everyone who loves him.

When Ivy’s father hires Rue to oversee construction of a retirement village project, trouble threatens to destroy all that Rue and Ivy have struggled to achieve. Someone is out to see that Rue fails, and he will stop at nothing. As Rue and Ivy try to make sense of the attacks directed toward them and deal with her brother’s attitude, they find everything they hold dear to be in peril. Even their son is not immune to the danger surrounding them.

In The Grand Scheme Kathy Herman weaves a story around strong characters that with the help of God have climbed from the depths of despair to stand tall again. Their resilience encourages the reader to root for Ivy and Rue as they hang onto their faith, even in the face of huge obstacles.

The journey of the Kesslers and Griffiths which began in Herman’s first two books of the Phantom Hollow Series, Ever Present Danger and Never Look Back, is brought to a satisfying conclusion in the third offering. After much suffering and many mistakes and with the family reunited, Herman leaves us with the overpowering realization that “we have an astonishing God.”