Recent Reviews:
THE OPPOSITE OF ART
by Athol Dickson
Howard Books 2011
384 pages
Read review at Spire Reviews
NICK OF TIME
by Tim Downs
Thomas Nelson 2011
336 pages
Page Turning Murder Mystery
As fiction readers, many of us know a fictional character or two we love seeing in action on an annual basis. After following their adventures for a few years, you feel you know the character intimately. Some of my personal favorites are Steven James' Patrick Bowers, Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, William Kent Krueger's Corcoran O'Connor, and Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp. Each of these characters are highly defined. They have specific and unique traits, and they're all very human, not immune to mistakes, misjudgments, and failures.
One of my all-time favorite characters would be highly insulted if you called him human: Tim Downs' bug man, Nick Polchak. Nick is a forensic entomologist, which means he studies bugs on dead people. He finds bugs far more fascinating--and definitely more reliable--than the human species from which he likes to keep his distance.
But in Downs' latest, Nick of Time, things change. You see, Nick is engaged to be married (to another wonderfully quirky character, Alena) and his wedding is coming up within a week. Yet, even with his impending nuptials, Nick decides to attend an out-of-town meeting leaving Alena behind to finalize wedding plans.
The problem is, when he arrives at the meeting, his good friend, who would never miss the meeting, isn't there. Naturally, Nick has to go look for him. And finds him dead.
Now Nick completely disregards the fact that he's supposed to get married on Saturday and strikes out to find his friend's murderer. Add to that, Alena begins her own investigation as she searches for Nick, and you've got a page-turning mystery.
In Nick of Time, Polchak's sarcastic wit is back in full force. His dialogue is rife with tactless honesty and he says things that many of us probably want to say but are too nice. Even in the middle of a murder mystery I find myself chuckling out loud.
My one complaint about Downs' writing is that the dialogue sounds the same no matter who is speaking and each of his characters seem to have the same sardonic wit. If Downs could make his characters' voices unique and give them a disparate personality, his writing would greatly improve. But, I'm willing to forgive this one flaw since I enjoy Nick Polchak so much.
What I really liked in this book was seeing Nick "evolve" into a human. In a "lightbulb" moment, Nick finally realizes who is is ... and what he is not ...
And what is truly important in life.
The question is, does he realize that in the Nick of Time, or he is too late?
Spire Reviews / Nick of Time
The Resurrection
debut novel by Mike Duran
Realms 2011
320 pages
Ruby Case is an ordinary mom living a quiet life ... until her prayer and simple touch raise a boy from the dead.
Ian Clark is a disgruntled pastor, haunted by demons past and present--demons both figurative and literal. He no longer knows what he believes in. It certainly isn't the God who deserted him years ago. And Ian can't wait to remove himself from the church.
When Ruby's touch brings the boy back to life, both Ruby and Ian are thrust into a search for meaning behind this "resurrection" and uncover a spiritual darkness that's been gripping their town for years.
I've recently discovered Mike Duran's blog, deCompose, and found it to be extremely challenging and thought-provoking. I may not always agree with him, but he continuously encourages me to think beyond my typical box and that's definitely a good thing.
The Resurrection does the same by confronting our spiritual complacency and our acceptance of the status quo. It's not comfortable. And that's good.
As I was reading, questions kept invading my thoughts:
- How many of us have secrets, demons, lurking in the corners of our homes that we try to ignore or are too tired or afraid to expel?
- Miracles happen around us daily. An acorn grows into an oak tree. A caterpillar becomes a butterfly. Life is created when a man and a woman join together. All wondrous miracles, but ones that science can explain away. But how would we react to a Lazarus type of miracle? What would we think if our best friend's touch brought the dead back to life? Would we look to God for the answers? Or would we react with fear?
- And what about spiritual warfare? Do hordes of demons swarm around us, vying for our soul, or is that purely myth?
Those are just a few of the questions Duran raises. The Resurrection doesn't necessarily provide tidy answers. Yet, amidst the darkness, this book is filled with hope and redemption.
I don't typically read speculative fiction because it's often so far out I can't relate to the characters or the story. Duran eliminates that problem by creating very real characters. He introduces them in plausible situations, and then throws in the fantastic. By doing that, he makes this story believable and relatable.
He keeps the action moving so the book is impossible to put down, and he keeps the reader guessing. I had no clue how the story was going to play out.
While this novel is targeted toward adults, I know teens would love it. It's one part This Present Darkness (Frank Peretti), another part The Visitation (also Peretti), another The Nightmare (Robin Parrish), yet the story is fresh and it's told with a unique voice. My teens love Peretti's The Veritas Project two-book series and have read those books numerous times. Now, they're trying Peretti's other works. Parrish's The Nightmare is one of their favorite reads and they've recommended it to their friends. And look at teens' most popular series' today: Harry Potter and Twilight. Kids are hungry to learn more about the spiritual realm. As a parent, I can't think of a better book to give them than The Resurrection.
With this debut novel, Mike Duran has proved his literary prowess and I look forward to reading more from him in the future.
Spire Reviews / The Resurrection
Words
debut novel by Ginny L. Yttrup
B&H Publishing Group 2011
352 pages
Haunting. Compelling. Beautiful.
Kaylee Wren is ten. And silent. She hasn't spoken a word since her drug-addicted mother deserted her, leaving Kaylee behind with an abusive man in a run down cabin hidden among redwoods. The only memento her mother left behind is a book filled with the words Kaylee can't say. A dictionary.
Twelve years ago, Sierra Dawn's horrible choices ended up robbing her daughter Annie's life. Living with the guilt steals any joy from Sierra's life.
On the twelfth anniversary of Annie's death, Sierra Dawn flees to the remote redwoods where she discovers the little girl with haunted eyes. Eyes very much like Sierra's.
The two begin a journey searching for truth and find love along the way.
Anything I could write would be inadequate in describing this novel, so I'll just leave you with a few emotions and thoughts I recorded as read this book.
Painful. Compelling. Tear-inducing. Beautiful. Sickening. Powerful. Heart breaking. Uplifting. Maddening. Inspiring. Heart wrenching. Frustrating. Redeeming. Haunting.
Grace. Mercy. Hope. Love. Beauty.
By far, this is the best book I've read in 2011 and I recommend it to anyone looking for books that dare to dig beneath the surface, that dare to get down in the dirt with the hurting and lift them up out of it.
Spire Reviews / WORDS
The Miracle of Mercy Land
by River Jordan
Waterbrook Press
352 pages
Like Reading a Work of Art
Mercy Land was “born in bolt of lightning on the banks of Bittersweet Creek.” So begins Mercy’s life. A down-to-earth, traveling preacher’s daughter in the 1930s, raised in an Alabama town that was barely a town. Mercy leaves home for the bright lights of Bay City and eventually lands a job at the newspaper with newspaper veteran, Doc Philips. For years she trains under the wing of the steadfast owner/editor.
Then the strange book appears at the newspaper office. Not just any book, but one that gifts the reader with insights into the lives, past and present, of Bay City residents, and may give the reader the ability to right the past’s wrongs. But is that a blessing or a curse?
Upon the mysterious arrival of the book, Doc decides to retire and he hires a stranger, John Quincy, a man with Hollywood looks, to take his place. A man Mercy is dangerously drawn to.
The lives of Mercy, Doc, and John weave together and apart until the purpose of the book is revealed, in the process exposing the reader as well.
Have you ever read a book that, when you reach the end, you hold that story in your hand and believe you’re holding a masterpiece? That’s how I felt when I completed The Miracle of Mercy Land. It’s an amazing work of art. I love River Jordan’s Southern prose. The story flows quickly with dancing eloquence, and your heart bleeds right along with the characters’. All throughout, Jordan gives readers peeks inside our own soul. In the end we discover maybe the story isn’t so much about Mercy Land, but ourselves.
Spire Reviews / The Miracle of Mercy Land