Tag Archives: fiction

Somewhere Fast

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414XCttR2iL._SX327_BO1,204,203,200_Somewhere Fast, by Bob Beltz, is a fictional story written in the order of Pilgrim’s Progress. The main character, John Calvin, is a broken man in need of some answers.  An extramarital affair has cost him everything; his job as a pastor, his children, marriage and friends.  He has reached a point where he doesn’t know what he believes.  John decides to embark on a solo motorcycle trip along Route 66 to clear his head and gain a new sense of direction.

Along the way, he plans encounters with a few sages whose opinion he respects.  In addition to the planned interactions, he has several unexpected encounters with complete strangers.  Part way through his journey, one of the encounters leaves him overwhelmed by grace.  The book conveys a gradual revelation of knowledge relevant not only to John Calvin but to readers as well.  Somewhere Fast is good read, especially for those of the male gender.

 

Send Down the Rain

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81J45LFSn-L._AC_UY218_When someone first recommended this author, I was reluctant to spend money on a writer I’d never heard of.  Months later, Send Down the Rain by Charles Martin, is the second book of his I have read.  He’s  become one of my favorite authors.  I find myself asking, “why is that?”  Maybe it’s because Charles Martin novels make you feel part of the story; what happens to the characters matter.  In this latest read I became so immersed in the story I found myself assessing the outcome of the book for days afterwards.

Send Down the Rain is a great read!  It’s a classic struggle of good verses evil. The main character, Jo Jo Brooks, claims, “evil can’t kill evil.”  He believes love is the only thing that can challenge hate and overcome it. Send Down the Rain is filled with secrets and plot twists.  The reader is fed a steady diet of them both.  It is a tale of how far is a man is willing to go to make a stand against evil.

When you are finished reading this book you will want to keep it handy for a second read.

Crimson Snow

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51GNSVES0ZL._SX304_BO1,204,203,200_I must admit I wasn’t expecting much when I picked up a copy of Crimson Snow by William Kritlow.  He’s an author I’ve never heard of.  I confess it was the novel’s setting, the Lake Champlain region of New England, that lured me to check out this book.

In the opening pages a murder has been committed at a community church in the small town of Sugar Steeple, Vermont.  The body lying in the snow is that of the assistant pastor.  The police detectives have precious little information to go on and suspect it could be someone connected to the church.

Meanwhile in Atlanta, Georgia, we are introduced to a socially immature seminary graduate named “Win”  Brady who still resides at the seminary three and a half years after his graduation.  A Dean at the seminary is pressured by Brady’s wealthy father to force Win’s exit from the safe confines of the seminary, wanting him to do something “productive” with his life.  The Dean just so happens to have ties to New England, and you guessed it, the town of Sugar Steeple.

From this point on the book sprouts wings and soars as I watched Win Brady clumsily navigate his first ever assistant pastorate.  He becomes enamored with a woman police officer who somehow convinces him to work undercover for a hard-nosed detective.  As the book progresses, a spiritual battle unfolds pitting good against evil.

Kritlow has succeeded in creating well-developed characters and an engaging plot that keeps you guessing as to who the real killer is.  I’m looking forward to reading the next two books in the Lake Champlain Mystery series.

A Heartbeat Away

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{28D833CC-BD09-4475-B8F0-B0439C21365C}Img400It’s time for another book review.  This one, A Heartbeat Away, is written by one of my favorite authors, Dr. Harry Kraus.  He is a surgeon who serves as a medical missionary to East Africa.

“A novel is way too long of a project to write simply for entertainment.  Don’t hear me wrong! I think entertainment is important; if I can’t capture and entertain, no reader will hang in there to the end.  But in the process, I hope that a small message of hope, faith, or grace is absorbed.” Dr. Harry Kraus

The story follows the life of a surgeon Dr. Tori Taylor whose cold, unforgiving demeanor and perfectionism toward her colleagues and nursing staff makes her and island.  Still, her work is outstanding and she is well-respected.

Tori maintains complete control of her life, that is, until a virus attacks her heart, making a heart transplant imperative for her to survive.  Once the transplant procedure is complete she begins having vivid dreams, so real she believes she is witnessing some horrid event.  But these are someone else’s memories not hers.

Kraus introduces two teenage lovers seemingly unrelated to the plot and the two separate story lines race along in parallel.  Are they connected some how?  Once Tori begins receiving warnings and threats to cease pursuing the identity of her heart donor, she realizes the dreams are memories to witnessed murder.

Kraus does not let the reader relax at any point in the story.  Several late plot twists keep the reader guessing until the last pages.  Dr. Kraus’ experience as a medical surgeon adds authenticity to the writing.  This is a must read for anyone interested in fiction, murder mysteries or dramas with a medical theme!

The Kremlin Conspiracy

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51Uwwhjh-5L._SY346_If you are looking for heart pounding read this is one I’d recommend.  It’s book one of a three book series written by Joel C. Rosenberg featuring the adventuresome Marcus Ryker; former marine and former secret service agent.

One of the things I like about Rosenberg’s work is his ability to incorporate important world events into his writing in an almost prophetic manner.  The Kremlin Conspiracy is no exception.  A quote from the book:

“America’s next president needs to understand that as troubled as the Middle East is and as volatile as North Korea remains, the most serious threat facing the United States–the truly existential threat–comes from Russia.”

The plot follows a reckless Soviet president bent on consolidating his power and restoring Russia to its former glory. His plan includes capturing and annexing former Soviet states into the Russian federation and adopting the dangerous countries of Iran and North Korea as strategic allies. Will his plan succeed?

As the plot thickens, a mole surfaces from deep within the Kremlin’s inner circle taking the story to even loftier heights.  Can the information the mole entrusts to Ryker be trusted or is it meant to trap him?

Joel C. Rosenberg is one of my favorite authors.  The second book in this series is due out March 2019.  The Kremlin Conspiracy is a must read political thriller.