Kiss

Kiss, by Ted Dekker and Erin Healey, is more of a psychological mystery instead of the on-the-edge-of-your-seat spiritual warfare thriller this Dekker fan enjoys. However, the book did have some suspense elements and a mystery to solve so it was still a good story.

The main character, Shauna, wakes up from a comma and struggles to regain her memories from the previous six months, including the terrible accident that has left her brother barely alive. As she struggles to sort the good guys from the bad guys, she realizes that recalling those memories may get her killed.

When she discovers through a kiss (thus the title of the book) that the medically-induced comma and subsequently prescribed drugs has brought about an unusual ability, she uses it to search for the truth about her past and the accident before an unknown assassin takes her out.

Beguiled

Beguiled is a romantic suspense novel written by former critique group partners Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand. This easy-to-read novel is along the lines of those written by Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark with Christian characters included in the story.

Rylee Monroe is a dog walker for Charleston's wealthy when a series of thefts from her clients makes her the prime suspect. Logan Woods, a newspaper reporter working on his own crime novel, is afraid of dogs but attracted to both the dog walker and the story. Their lives intertwine and a relationship develops as they unravel the secrets behind the thefts.

The Immortal

The Immortal by Angela Hunt was one of those bargain books on sale. Although it was published in 2000, it used the legend of the Wandering Jew to present the return of Christ and the subject of forgiveness and grace in a new way. The only distraction was the switch from first person, Claudia, to third person, Asher, and back. Thankfully, the story moved along at a quick enough pace to overcome it.

The story begins with Claudia, a jury consultant in New York, who moves to Italy to work for a new global company focused on world peace. She uses her interviewing skills to screen potential employees for the company and hires Asher. After they become friends, Asher tells her that he has been wandering the Earth since Jesus time and believes his purpose is to find the potential Antichrist in each generation and witness to him until Christ's return.

Green

Ted Dekker's Green is part of his Circle Series and he notes that this book can be read first or last as part of that circle. Since I read it last, I had to skim back over Black, Red, and White to understand the circle theory and place Green into the circle's sequence.

Thomas Hunter, the main character, continues to travel between the past and the future with dire consequences to both worlds. In the histories, the fall of mankind keeps good and evil in the spiritual realm. But, in the future world, good and evil can be seen, touched and tasted until mankind once again rejects that reality creating apocalyptic results.

The circle's story continues with the The Books of History Chronicles broken down into two additional series: The Lost Books (Chosen, Infidel, Renegade, Chaos) and The Paradise Novels (Showdown, Saint, Sinner).

Obsessed

In Ted Dekker's Obsessed, the death of a Holocaust survivor provides a clue that seemingly makes Stephen Friedman the heir to an incredible treasure. The story flashes back and forth between the 1940s, where two pregnant concentration camp inmates are tormented, and the 1970s, where Stephen becomes obsessed with learning his mother's secrets.

As a fan of Ted Dekker's books, I agree with some reviewers that this wasn't his best book. The characters make weird decisions along the way and it doesn't have that "wow, I didn't see that coming" ending I've come to expect. But, it did give the reader a chilling reminder of the evil of the Holocaust.

And, I disagree with a reviewer that felt this book crossed the line exploring the darkness of evil by portraying characters involved in satanic rituals. Since the "sheer depravity of the deeds" made the reviewer uncomfortable, wasn't that the point? Ted Dekker is known for his confrontations between good and evil so readers that are uncomfortable with spiritual warfare should steer clear of them.

Cry in the Night

Colleen Coble's Cry in the Night takes the reader to Rock Harbor, Michigan (the setting for previous Rock Harbor mysteries) where search-and-rescue worker Bree Matthews and her dog Samson find an abandoned baby in the woods. Bree ignores the objections from Kade, her second husband, takes the baby girl in and continues to search for the baby's mother. But, when her search reveals a strange connection to her first husband's mysterious death, it unravels her faith.

This was another easy-to-read "who done it" story. The characters draw the reader into the setting while keeping the reader intrigued with solving the mystery.

Deceit

Brandilyn Collins' Deceit opens with Joanne Weeks' quest to prove Baxter Jackson killed her best friend and his former wife six years prior. It then follows two story lines with the first one taking place in 2010 and the other in 2004.

In the 2010 story line, Joanne uses her professional skip tracing skills to locate the missing Jackson foster child, Melissa, to help her prove Baxter killed her best friend. The second story line begins in 2004 when Melissa moves in with the Jacksons and discovers that the rich, Christian couple are not as they appear to be on the surface.

It was an easy-to-read mystery; however, some of the scenes moved too slow for the speed reader in me. I also figured out "who done it" so there was no surprise at the end. It was not the suspense thriller I expected, but Collins fans will still enjoy it.

Silent Thunder

After Silent Thunder, a Russian nuclear submarine, is purchased by the U.S. government, Hannah Bryson is hired to make sure it is safe for use as a maritime museum. However, American and Russian operatives have a specific interest in the submarine so when Hannah's brother makes an unusual discovery, a deadly attack follows. One of the Russians, Nicolas Kirov, and Hannah eventually team up to find the killer and uncover the mystery surrounding the discovery.

This was another library sale find and would have been a good international thriller read. Since the book was mainstream and the story revolved around submarine sailors and espionage, I didn't expect it to be profanity-free; however, the use of the Lord's name as an expletive sprinkled throughout the book was offensive and unnecessary.

Without a Trace

Colleen Coble's Without a Trace is the first book in her Rock Harbor Mystery Series. The story takes the reader on a winding road of search and rescue while it weaves a cast of 'who did it' characters into a small imaginary town on Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

When Bree Nichols' husband and son disappear in a plane crash, she and her search-and-rescue dog Samson begin searching the wilderness for the crash site to recover their bodies. After months of searching, Bree is forced to come to terms with the fact that she may never find them. Then the town is rocked by murder and the murder becomes strangely linked to her husband's plane crash.

Dead Heat

Joel C. Rosenberg's Dead Heat is the fifth and final novel in his geopolitical thriller series. The author's note prefacing the first chapter reiterates that the novel is fiction, but it still makes one wonder about the turbulent world we live in and what role, if any, the United States will play in the end times.

President MacPherson's second term in office is ending, a new dictator is rising in Iraq, Israel is on a urgent quest to complete the Third Temple, China and North Korea forces appear ready to strike and  the world is on the verge of a mammoth disaster. After terrorists attack the United States, Jon Bennett is called upon again to help. But this time he is in a remote Jordanian refugee camp with his wife, Erin, who has contracted a potentially fatal illness.

Although it is a fast-paced, action-packed and thought-provoking read, I add my prayer to the author's that the events stay fictional.

Scream

Scream, by Mike Dellosso, is a thriller that will keep you glued to the pages. The main character, Mark Stone, has his phone calls interrupted by otherworldly screams, the kind of screams that remind him of the weeping and gnashing of teeth describing hell.

When Mark realizes that the people on the other end of his phone calls die shortly after hearing the screams, he begins to search for their meaning. While struggling with his own broken faith and marriage, he receives a phone call from Cheryl, his kidnapped estranged wife. That phone call sends Mark racing to save Cheryl from both the kidnapper and the screams.

A final note from the author points out that while the book was written to entertain, it was also written to challenge us to think about life and death, heaven and hell, and where we will spend eternity. He also gives a call to action: to accept Jesus and then tell everyone about it. A good reminder that the Christian supernatural thriller I'm working on also has that dual purpose.



 

Just Take My Heart

JUST TAKE MY HEART is another entertaining mystery by Mary Higgins Clark. In this story, a famous actress is murdered in her home and her estranged husband becomes the primary suspect, but he is not charged with her murder until two years later.

Once Gregg Aldrich is formally charged, Emily Wallace, the assistant prosecutor, begins spending hours preparing for the trial and she finds herself needing a dog sitter. When a new neighbor offers to help, she gives him a key to her house to take care of her dog and unknowingly puts her own life at risk.

A quick, easy read with some courtroom drama and a few unexpected twists and turns.

Saint

I attempted to listen to the audio book version of Ted Dekker's Saint several months ago to no avail. My attention span for listening I soon discovered is much shorter than it is for reading so I put the audio book aside and read the actual book.

Those who enjoy supernatural suspense will be glued to the pages while anticipating the next move. I enjoyed this book, like many of Ted Dekker's books, because I kept thinking I had it figured out until the final chapters  took an unexpected turn in another direction.

The main character is Carl Strople, a professional killer, trained as part of a covert secret group in Hungary. He begins his journey of betrayal, government cover-ups, and political conspiracy in New York, but  in his search for truth ends up in an unexpected place confronting unexpected forces.

Stranger in Paradise

When I picked up Stranger in Paradise, A Jesse Stone Novel, I remembered seeing a television movie staring Tom Selleck as Jesse Stone. I've since learned the Jesse Stone series was the basis for seven television movies and the television series, Spenser For Hire, starring Robert Urich, was based on his Spenser novels. The author of these novels, Robert B. Parker, died January 18, 2010.

In this novel, Crow, an Apache Indian hit man who kidnapped residents, killed some of them, and escaped with a boatload of cash, shows up in Jesse's office ten years after the crime. Crow's current assignment is to find Amber, who is living with her mother Fiona and involved with a Latino gang, and return her to her father, Louis, a mobster. However, when Louis orders Crow to kill Fiona first before returning Amber to him, Crow refuses because he doesn't kill women. Crow then takes Amber to Jesse to protect her from both her father and the gang.

About 99% of the time I prefer the book over the movie. This one, however, falls in the one-percent category primarily because the movie was cleaned up (language and sexual content) for television.

Saint (audio book)

Sometimes a great idea turns into a not-so-great reality. I thought buying an audio version of Ted Dekker's book, Saint,would be ideal for a multitasking fanatic like me. Wrong.

The first time I listened to the audio my mind began to wonder after about three minutes and I stopped hearing the words. The second attempt ended in frustration when I realized the book was in the middle of the second chapter and I had no idea what it was about. Finally, I decided to give the audio book the same attention I give to reading a book so I popped in the CD, settled back, and listened for several minutes before I fell asleep.

Although I can read a book for hours and hours, I quickly learned that listening to an audio book is not for me so I'll be reading this one in the future.

The Associate

The Associate by John Grisham is another vintage law thriller. If you like Grisham's books, you'll enjoy this one about a law student who ends up in the middle of a conspiracy - complete with a prestigious law firm, government defense contractors, the FBI, and dark secrets.

While I enjoyed reading the novel, I also saw it as a reflection of reality. With the financial problems, power plays, and corrupt government antics playing out in the media these days, the potential for this reality is probably just the tip of the iceberg. It was particularly chilling when the main character, Kyle, said near the end of the book that he didn't believe goons were blackmailing him. He thought they worked for "... the same government you and I send our taxes to."

In true Grisham style, he also has a Christian character in the storyline, which I always appreciate. While the last chapter answers most of the questions, it also leaves a loose end that may or may not end up in another book. How I aspire to master the art of storytelling like he has.

Adam

Adam by Ted Dekker is about a serial killer known as Eve and the FBI agent who is tracking him, Daniel Clark. This one had me hooked from the opening pages and I read the entire book on a Saturday afternoon while doing laundry. Thankfully, stopping periodically to check the clothes gave my eyes enough rest to avoid blurred vision and red eyes.

Daniel Clark is obsessed with finding the serial killer until he becomes one of the killer's victims. When Daniel experiences death and is brought back to life, the case becomes more than a hunt for a serial killer. In the end, Daniel is forced to fight for his life, his sanity and his very soul while battling forces much greater than the mind of a deranged serial killer.

If you enjoy supernatural suspense thrillers, this book will let you (as stated on the inside cover) "Enter a world ... that blurs the lines between fiction and reality ... that will leave you stunned."

The Circle Trilogy

The Circle Trilogy by Ted Dekker consists of three books: Black, Red, and White. The trilogy is about the main character, Thomas Hunter, living in two worlds. He falls asleep in one world and wakes up in another. Although he isn't sure which world is the real one and which world is the dream one until the very end, he comes to realize his actions in one world has an impact on the other.

I must admit I struggled reading Black in the beginning and had to get past the first several chapters before I was hooked. Once I reached that point I spent several late nights (too late I'd discover the next morning) absorbed in the books and racing to find answers to Thomas Hunter's questions.

The story continues with the The Books of History Chronicles broken down into two additional series: The Lost Books (Chosen, Infidel, Renegade, Chaos) and The Paradise Novels(Showdown, Saint, Sinner). I didn't realize Showdown was part of the this story and read it many months ago. It will fun to go back and scan through it in the context of the chronicles.

Spiritual Thrillers

Although This Present Darkness, Piercing the Darkness, and Prophet were written years ago, the reprints were packaged together and provided hours of action-packed suspense and thought-provoking entertainment.

This Present Darkness takes the reader to the small town of Ashton where a troubled pastor and a reporter team up together to fight the escalating spiritual warfare gripping their town. The angels and the demons watch over the battlefield and also engage in warfare. The book demonstrates how much power and influence demons have over the thoughts and actions of humans. However, in the end, prayer strengthened many of the angels and changed the balance of power.

The sequel, Piercing the Darkness, takes place in Bacon's Corner where a silent and undetected warfare is in the schools as demons attempt to take over the entire town. The reader is thrown into a world of a covered-up murder, a bizarre lawsuit, the search for a missing woman, the appearance of the reporter and his wife from This Present Darkness, and yet another demonic battlefield.

Prophet is a thought-provoking book addressing a controversial issue. An anchorman investigates his dad’s accidental death and discovers a corrupt business being kept secret by the government and the media. This book is very different from the first two, but it still looks at spiritual warfare from a different perspective.

Great books for the supernatural thriller and suspense enthusiast.

Hunter's Moon

Hunter's Moon was the 14th book in the Doc Ford novels written by Randy Wayne White, a local Southwest Florida author. I've always been drawn his books because they are mystery novels with a familiar local setting. Instead of reading about some far away exotic location or imaginary place, it is amusing to read about places I grew up around.

In this novel, Doc Ford saves a former United States president from assassination on one of the local private islands. He then springs the former president loose from his security team and travels with him to South America to prove the president's wife was murdered by an arsonist instead of killed in a plane crash as reported. Adventure and suspense follow the two of them from Southwest Florida to the Florida Keys to South America and back to the States.

I enjoyed the story - the mystery and suspense. However, like many other secular novels - including previous Doc novels - I found the foul language, sparse as it was, distracting and unnecessary.