Fiction Addict

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: Bethany House

Publication Date: March 2007

Reviewed by Tim George

Patrick Nolan is not the typical teenage boy. He is a good student, reasonably well grounded, and enjoys spending every free moment hanging out with his father. On one of their weekend rock climbing excursions father and son make a pact. The woman in their life has been asking for a patio for a very long time. Together they decide it is time to quit being so selfish and fulfill their promise. But, as they arrive home a neighbor meets them with grim news. The promise can never be realized because mother and wife has been found dead of an apparent suicide while they were gone.

In the weeks following the death, everything changes about the two men’s lives. And like typical men, both son and father seek to deny their pain by selling everything and moving to the mountains they both love to climb. What begins as a unique bonding experience ends up driving a wedge in their relationship that only something bigger than both of them can mend.

In High Places highlights yet another of Tom Morrisey’s real-life passions for adventure, the close-knit yet highly competitive world of climbing. As in his other adventure novels, Morrisey displays first-hand knowledge wrapped in expert prose. His stories suck you into a world, foreign to most of us, and leave you wishing you had gone there before. Blink and you will find yourself hanging from a piton dangling over the wilds of West Virginia.

Like the sport it depicts, this is not a safe story. While faith or lack thereof, is a key element in the lives of both Patrick and Kevin, there is no neat conclusion. Both father and son must confront the shallowness of their lives and the paths they choose. Written from the son’s point of view as he looks back on the defining period of his life, In High Places reads like a memoir. Deep questions are left unanswered leaving nothing left to cling to except hope. But hope, set on the right thing, is all we need to hold us even when we fall from the high places.

Genre: Children

Publisher: Puffin

Publication Date: 2007

Reviewed by Jaci Miller

Young Matilda Wormwood just doesn’t belong in her crude family—they’d rather be watching television and selling lemons at their used car lot. A gifted, extraordinary child, Matilda teaches herself to read and multiply while still a toddler. When she begins kindergarten, she finds a kindred soul in her teacher, Miss Honey, who embraces the child’s special gifts and offers the girl the affection she has never known. But the child-hating headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, is determined to make school a misery for Matilda and all the other children of Crunchem Hall Primary School. When a shocking truth surrounding The Trunchbull and Miss Honey comes to light, Matilda is determined to help her beloved teacher.

Although Matilda is a kindergartener, the vocabulary of the book is better suited to upper elementary ages. But Matilda is so mature that older children will be able to identify with her. The book is replete with justice themes that children will immediately recognize and appreciate. Matilda sees the injustices perpetrated by the adults around her and takes matters into her own hands with pranks, payback and use of magical powers.

In his classic style, Roald Dahl infuses Matilda with absurdity (a headmistress who whirls little girls by their pigtails), the fantastic (telekinetic powers that terrify said headmistress) and liberal doses of sheer kid power (every move Matilda makes)—a combination that has endeared his work to children for years.

Genre: Children

Publisher: Puffin

Publication Date: 2007

Reviewed by Jaci Miller

Mr. Fox has been stealing from Farmers Boggis, Bean and Bunce. So the three revolting farmers set out to trap and kill Mr. Fox and his family. Only when the family is surrounded and starving, without food or hope, does Mr. Fox reveal just how fantastic he is. In Fantastic Mr. Fox, Roald Dahl creates a compelling read for children as they follow the adventures of the Fox family and their battle to survive the farmers’ onslaught.

Dahl is a master storyteller who specializes in simple, straightforward, plot-based tales. No complex plot lines or subplots here. Just true, basic storytelling at its best. Children will root for the Foxes and hold their breaths, waiting to discover how the family escapes from a frightening situation.

The one problematic component of the story is the treatment of Mr. Fox’s stealing—it is deemed fully acceptable, and even explained in the text as such, because it is done for the sake of saving the Fox family from starvation. But, Dahl never deals with the original, frivolous stealing that triggered the farmers’ witch-hunt. He portrays the natural consequences of stealing as unjust to the thief. A film version of the book is now in theaters and it will be interesting to see how the film handles this tricky area.

Regardless, the tale is an exciting one that reads exceptionally well to younger elementary audiences and is an excellent transition from picture books to chapter books. It just needs to be paired with intentional conversation regarding the thievery element.

Genre: Adventure/Fantasy, Young Adult

Publisher: Creation House

Publication Date: May 2009

Reviewed by Kaci Hill

There’s a verse in the Psalm 137 that reads, “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill.” For some reason, that was the thought I had as three teenagers anxiously spent their summer longing for Aeliana.

Four hundred and fifty years have passed since the last time Ryann, Liddy, and Terell were in Aeliana. At least, Aeliana time. In Mount Dora, it’s been three months. Summer is ending, and they’ve been scattered abroad, wondering when they’ll next receive their call across time and space. Again, Reinhold doesn’t write precisely what we might expect.

First, the opening chapter or two is spent lying in wait. Waiting for answers, it turns out, isn’t passive, but active, and takes every bit as much strength as receiving them.  Second, it isn’t Ryann who first sees the portal back to Aeliana. This intrigued me because, obviously, Ryann is the main character. He’s the one charged with the three gifts and has a guardian archangel named Gabriel.

Third, the kids are not the only ones who must exhibit faith this time, which leads to my next observation. Their parents must also learn trust and obedience in the God who sends their children. As before, what happens in Mount Dora affects what happens in Aeliana and vice versa—something many stories that involve world-hopping don’t have.

Once back in Aeliana, Ryann and his friends find themselves in the middle of a long-brewing fight. They discover two unicorns and a group of cruel half-dragons (Hugons), and a growing, ominous understanding that they understand prophecies the rest of Aeliana can’t yet. Ryann, Terell, and Liddy have matured over three months, both in their thinking and in their behavior. They have new friends—many of whom don’t get along—and a whole new set of problems to deal with. Faith, it appears, involves so much more than simply jumping off a cliff (though cliff-jumping is included).

The Shield of Faith is different than The King’s Sword in that they do spend more time in Aeliana, understandably. It’s longer, and more complicated.  But as with book one, it’s about much more than the physical, literal shield. If book one is about paradise, then book two is about redemption—who to trust, who to distrust; where loyalties really lie, despite what comes out of the mouth. The shield of faith, then, is found in who you follow.

And once again I can’t say too much more without giving things away. Suffice it to say, Ryann Watters and the Shield of Faith was a satisfactory sequel to The King’s Sword, and I’ll be looking forward to book three, Ryann Watters and the Belt of Truth.

Genre: Literary, Current Events

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Released: June 2008

Reviewed by Jonathan Schindler

Uwem Akpan’s Say You’re One of Them, released in 2008 and brought to popular attention through its recent inclusion in Oprah’s Book Club, comprises three short stories and two novellas, all set in Africa and all told either about or through the eyes of children. It is by no means an easy book to get through, though Akpan is to be applauded for his writing ability. The subject matter is what makes this book a difficult, albeit eye-opening, read.

The stories in this collection treat issues of child prostitution, human trafficking, religious persecution, and genocide, among other things, all in their relation to children. It is difficult to read about child suffering, but in Akpan’s capable hands, this sordid subject matter is simultaneously viewed with unflinching candor and indomitable hope. Thus, though he tells us these stories and forces our eyes open, he shows the resilience of children and the grace that is present even in seemingly hopeless situations. He is an adept Virgil, guiding us through hell and bringing us out the other side.

Take “Luxurious Hearses,” one of the two novellas, which has as its setting the religious persecution of northern and southern Nigeria. Jubril, a Muslim boy, flees from the north after his Muslim friends turn on him for having a Christian father and brother (or, perhaps more to the point, because they owe him money). After hiding in the home of a compassionate Muslim, Jubril gets on a bus full of Christians bound for southern Nigeria, where his father lives. The Muslims hate the Christians and the Christians hate the Muslims, but there are flashes of grace on either side—Muslims harboring Christians in the north and Christians hiding Muslims in the south.

Say You’re One of Them’s title comes from the final story in the collection, “My Parents’ Bedroom,” but it really could be the banner written over any of them. The children in each story are caught in the hazy boundary between two worlds—Christian and Muslim, north and south, Hutu and Tutsi—and the easiest way to make it out of their situation is to pretend to belong to the group in power. The lines are fuzzy, and the labels placed on the characters are not always clear-cut or how those characters might self-identify.

Akpan’s stories are distinctly religious, owing to his being a Jesuit priest. The epigraphs he chose for the book, Daniel 3:17-18 and Micah 6:8, are fitting, giving the reader a framework for human suffering while also calling him to do what he can for the cause of justice. He does an excellent job throughout this collection of pointing out religious hypocrisy and double standards. For example, in “Fattening for Gabon,” Fofo Kpee, who has entered into an agreement to sell his niece and nephew, often uses the Bible to justify his decision. Or in “Luxurious Hearses,” the reader feels for the Christians forced to flee from the north, but it is later revealed that the Muslims are facing similar persecution in the south. There are no easy answers in Akpan’s stories. The picture he paints is nuanced, and it forces the reader to sharply consider his own faith. But while Akpan’s portrayal of religion is not entirely positive, his purpose in writing seems more to rebuild rather than destroy.

I think what makes Say You’re One of Them such an effective collection of stories is that while the setting, dialect, and situation of the story are distinctly African, the truth they reveal is universal. And while the characters’ dialects are at times hard to understand, the stories themselves force readers to look deep into their souls for their answers to tough questions. In America we may not worry about genocide, but who hasn’t been tempted to side with the powerful? Maybe we haven’t thought of selling children into slavery, but who hasn’t been tempted to do what is wrong by the lure of money? Many of us would chafe at the idea of justifying human trafficking using Scripture, but who hasn’t sought to rationalize their behavior before the like-minded? And who hasn’t preferred expedient solutions to righteous ones?

While Say You’re One of Them is not for the faint of heart (or, in some cases, stomach), it is an enlightening and engaging, if not enjoyable, read. It is an exercise in empathy and a call to action. Just as eyes cannot unsee, once you have read Say You’re One of Them, you can’t unread it—you will be changed.

Genre: Adventure/Fantasy, Young Adult

Publisher: Creation House

Publication Date: May 2008

Reviewed by Kaci Hill

I heard of Eric Reinhold by way of Donita Paul, Bryan Davis, Jonathan Rogers, and several others engaged in a Motiv8 Tour. As a result, I requested both Ryann Watters and the King’s Sword and its sequel at the same time to read and review. Honestly, I didn’t quite know what to expect. For me, the YA genre is simply fun. And a middle-schooler from a Christian home who receives a visit by night from the angel Gabriel giving him a mission from God, well, is fun. The same night, one of said boy’s classmates also receives a night-visitation . . . from a fallen angel. Both boys receive a mission and three gifts. Thus begins a quest for a missing sword.

Most intriguing, though, is that what happens next isn’t what either boy or reader expects. Much of the journey takes place, not in the brilliant paradise of Aeliana, but in the every-day lives of four sixth graders and their families. Part of Ryann’s journey is to learn to use the Word—the Word of God. The use of Scripture in The King’s Sword is natural and thematic—I found myself as moved as the kids. Moreover, having grown up in a Christian home myself, I found Ryann’s life, aside from attending public school (I attended a private Christian school), quite reflective of my own. Their journey is as much spiritual as it is physical, and Reinhold has a unique way of pulling the two together.

As far as the characters go, Ryann and his three friends are busy, active twelve-year-olds, but they’re also well-read and thoughtful. Their maturity shows through (as well as Eric’s non-indulgence in dramatics, which is a plus) in their ability to deal with and get over an issue, so that when one offends another, the situation is either handled in a timely manner or deemed no longer important. Grudges simply don’t have place among friends—something a good deal of contemporary movies and TV shows don’t seem to comprehend. (Likely one reason this struck me is the stark contrast to one such movie, where the characters seem incapable of getting over themselves in stereotypical teenager melodrama.) At any rate, it was simply pleasant to see Ryann remember that his offender is still his best friend.

I could go on about all of them. I found Drake, despite being an antagonist, also somewhat sympathetic. Ekron is dark and cruel; Gabriel is firm and kind. Ryann’s father is a minor character, but fully developed and active in his son’s life.

Alright, I can’t stand spoilers, and possibly have already come too close to a few, so I won’t say much more. Ryann certainly didn’t expect his story to go the way it did; and I didn’t either. Reinhold provided an excellent introduction to Ryann, Mount Dora, and Aeliana—I most definitely am looking forward to Ryann Watters and the Shield of Faith.

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Viking

Publication Date: December 1, 2009

Reviewed by Josh Olds

Quentin is just a normal everyday kid. Well, becoming an adult, now that he’s in his senior year of high school. College is just around the bend, and Quentin has his eye set on Princeton. That’s when everything changes. When he arrives at his interview for admission to Princeton, he finds the interviewer dead with a manila envelope bearing Quentin’s name. The contents of that envelope would change his life.

Through coincidence, or perhaps not, he loses a piece of paper out of the envelope and goes running after it into some underbrush. When he looks up, he finds that winter has turned to summer, and is in the Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy, a school for magicians hidden by magic in upper New York. The Magicians details Quentin’s life through his time at Brakebills, into his life as an adult wizard. It is Quentin’s coming of age saga, and the reader experiences Quentin’s deepest hurts, darkest pleasures, and greatest victories.

Having gone through his Harry Potter phase, Quentin graduates from his version of Hogwarts and enters upon his journey into the Narnia phase. When a fellow wizard discovers a thought-to-be-fictional button from a thought-to-be-fictional book that takes them to intermediate lands, a direct reference to Narnia’s Wood Between the Words. Instead of heading to Narnia, Quentin and his magical companions embark on a quest in the land of Fillory. But all is not as it seems in Fillory. In truth, it might be more dangerous than the books presented it.

Aptly described as Harry Potter meets Narnia for adults, The Magicians pays homage to the classics of fantasy almost to the point of being derivative. Be forewarned. Brakebills isn’t Hogwarts and Fillory isn’t Narnia. Far from being children’s tales, Grossman presents a fantasy centered on hedonistic and materialistic young wizards and their journeys through Brakebills and Fillory. The first half of the book is a seemingly disjointed set of tales centered on the magicians’ time in their magical school, but in a piece of excellent plotting Grossman ties everything in during the second half of the book, giving it one final and shocking twist.

While the writing is well-done and the characters believable, the lockstep adherence to the plots of classical works of fantasy makes me think that Grossman was trying way too hard to get his book mentioned in the same sentence as these literary masterpieces. Case in point: the land of Fillory can only be ruled by “sons and daughters of Earth.” Sound familiar C.S. Lewis fans?

In the end, Grossman has written a something that I would recommend only to fans of fantasy. It’s a decent read, but instead of trying to put itself on the shelf with the classics with its original and vibrant storytelling, it chooses instead to piggyback off its predecessors. You’d think as the book critic for Time magazine, Grossman would realize the error in this. But of course, this is same man who wrote false 5-star Amazon reviews to make his debut novel, Warp, look more appealing.

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: April 2009

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

In Sam Bourne’s The Last Testament, the world reels from shock when a well-known archeologist is shot and killed at a rally promoting a historic deal between the Israeli and Palestinian governments. Peace talks teeter as these nations rush to uncover the reason behind the death. Was it murder? Or a mistake? To salvage the situation, the U.S. government sends in peace negotiator, Maggie Costello. With past wrongs to atone for, Costello must prove she still has what it takes to renew talks between the two groups.

But the obstacles mount as every one of Costello’s leads is murdered before she can reach them. Between these deaths and an attack on a historic locale, both sides move close to calling off the signing of the treaty. Costello realizes she cannot trust anyone as she races to solve the mystery and save her own life.

Bourne wrote The Last Testament in nonsequential order and that, together with the large character pool, made the story challenging to follow. The rampant use of vulgar language and several intimate scenes seemed unnecessary and distracted from the progression of the novel.

I never connected with any of the book’s characters and I didn’t feel fear, sympathy, happiness or any sentiment other than regret as I read. Even more frustrating were the clichéd attempts at reaching my emotions — like Bourne found a thriller rubric and tried to fulfill all the criteria, but failed to give this novel its own life and uniqueness.

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication Date: November 24, 2009

Reviewed by Josh Olds

Captain Charles Hunter: The name struck both fear and respect into every resident in the legendary English settlement of Port Royal, the capital of Jamaica. The year is 1665, and even though King Charles II has signed a peace treaty with King Philip of Spain, and while both kings give lip service to that scrap of paper, the men of the sea who sail the dangerous Caribbean pay no heed.

To English pirates—excuse me, privateers—(piracy is a crime, you know) Spanish gold is merely English gold not yet in the possession of Englishmen, and Charles Hunter has set his sights on the expedition of the century. Deep within Spanish territory, he plans on taking his darling sloop the Cassandra, filled to the brim with the best men Port Royal has to offer, and launch an attack on the fortified island of Matanceros, home to the ruthless Cazalla, and more importantly, the temporary stopping place for the treasure-laden galleon El Trinidad.

Like any expedition of the century, Hunter and his crew encounter immeasurable odds and will survive by their wit, cunning, and utter lack of conscience. Crichton takes the reader on a rollicking fast-paced and violent journey through the Caribbean, reminding us that the waters now filled with exquisite cruise ships were once filled with the ships of a more violent and dangerous nature.

Pirate Latitudes is non-stop adventure, sure to adapt well into the movie that will certainly come. In fact, DreamWorks Studios has already bought the film rights and Steven Spielberg has already signed on to produce and possibly direct. In all, the book is a flat-out adventure and fun to read. Crichton weaves a believable tale of a seafaring life without getting too bogged down in the technical details of seventeenth century sailing. While not completely relevant, and many times while reading, I could have sworn I heard the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack playing in my subconscious.

Like any good tale, Pirate Latitudes has an interesting past. It was found as a complete manuscript after Crichton’s death in November of 2008. Having unearthed this book like an ancient Spanish treasure chest, Harper publishing set themselves to publish Crichton’s last story. The result is a refutation of the ancient pirate lore. Dead men do tell tales, and pretty exciting ones at that.

Genre: Holiday, Chick lit

Publisher: Ballantine

Publication Date: 1996

Reviewed by Jen Roman

If someone is looking for a heartwarming, sweet story during the holiday season, A Return to Christmas is it.  Eleven-year-old Artemus Holiday lives in a comfortable, upper-middle-class neighborhood with his parents and sister.  The holidays are almost nonexistent in his household, however, because of a tragic accident on Christmas day eight years before.  His twin brother, Andrew, drowns in a river.  Because his birthday is on December 20, Artemus also loses his birthday celebration.

During a shopping trip right before Christmas, Artemus comes across a vagabond child roughly his age.  While he is trying on clothes in a department store, the vagabond tries to steal his regular clothes.  Rather than let the vagabond steal his clothes, Artemus takes chase.  The boys run out into the street and into the path of an oncoming truck.  Artemus is thrown into some nearby bushes, but the vagabond, who looks eerily similar to Artemus, is found.  He is mistaken for Artemus and is taken to the hospital, where his family meets him.  The family doesn’t realize the injured child isn’t Artemus and takes him home and treats him as though he is their child.  Meanwhile, Artemus is found by the con-artist Boone, who is thought to be the vagabond child’s uncle.  He is expected to participate in the con’s schemes, as the other child had done.  Realizing he is in the wrong place, he vows to get back home to his real family.  What unfolds is the story of hope and understanding of God’s love during a holy season of miracles.

This story is saccharine and predictable, yet it is warm and charming.  It’s a small book and only 198 pages, so it’s a quick and easy read.  Audiences should be happy with its sweet message.

ABINGDON PRESS CELEBRATES THE PRAYERS OF AGNES SPARROW BEING NAMED BEST CHRISTIAN FICTION BOOK OF 2009 WITH FREE KINDLE OFFER!

NASHVILLE— Abingdon Press is excited to announce that The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow has been named by Library Journal as one of the “Best Christian Fiction Books of 2009.” In celebration of this award, The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow is being promoted for a FREE Kindle download throughout week of December 14^th-18^th on Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/Prayers-Agnes-Sparrow-ebook/dp/B002MH4A14/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260908267&sr=8-3)

“What can I say? This is something I’ve wanted since I was 9 years old. To be so well received by such a prestigious magazine is an honor as well as to be ranked among the company I was in” says author, Joyce Magnin.

After reading just a few pages of this quirky-zany debut novel, readers will find themselves laughing and crying their way through the small town of Bright’s Pond, while experiencing the miracle of God’s love and grace!

An exciting time for debut author, Joyce Magnin, her title continues to receive rave reviews from fans and fiction newcomers alike. With another title releasing in the fall of 2010 with Abingdon Press, Magnin is anxious to see how the story of Anges Sparrow will continue to inspire others.

“I’m thrilled the response to the Kindle offer has been so amazing. To me, it’s an additional way the message of Agnes can get into the hands of people it otherwise may not.”

The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow continues to climb the Amazon rankings at #5 in Kindle stores and #4 in Christian fiction books.

For more information visit www.abingdonpress.com or contact Maegan Roper at mroper@umpublishing.org

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Abingdon Press fiction includes stories of faith, hope, and love which explore the gray areas of life—situations that seemingly have no clear-cut solutions. These stories strive to illuminate the human condition and express God’s enduring love and grace for all. Abingdon Press also publishes resources for church leaders, scholars, and students engaged in leading congregations and theological education, and inspirational books and study materials that reach a broad audience. Abingdon resources are available in Christian and general bookstores and from many online book sellers.

Wholesale customers can purchase direct from Abingdon Press or through most wholesale distributors.

Genre: Mystery, Crime, Supernatural

Publisher: Signet

Publication Date: December 1, 2009

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Sadie Novak has a problem. Well, actually she has several. Her father has just died, her boyfriend’s struggling with his addiction again, his ex-girlfriend is their company’s newest client, she has inadvertently discovered a mummified baby’s remains and now she’s got someone threatening her business and her life. And those are just her troubles with the living. She’s got a whole new catalog of issues surrounding the fact that she can see and speak with the dead who haven’t yet ‘crossed over’ to the rest of their afterlife.

The third novel in the “Ghost Dusters” series has Sadie juggling a lot more than just your typical everyday job stressors. Zack, her boyfriend, has taken on a new client without telling Sadie and she’s less than pleased to discover that it’s his ex-girlfriend, Paula. The job appears to be relatively easy. Paula’s mother is a hoarder and now she’s been stricken with Alzheimer’s. Paula is looking for someone to clean out the house that has become so full of boxes and clutter that it’s become dangerous to enter. As Sadie tries to figure out where to begin, she also discovers that there is a very angry (and very ugly) ghost in the upstairs portion of the house and he’ll stop at nothing to make sure that no one takes his ‘stuff’. When boxes begin flying, the plot thickens as a mummified baby is discovered in one of them. Now we have a mystery. Who is the baby? Where are its parents? How did it end up in the box? And who is the ghost that is so determined that no one touch his stuff?

Dead and Kicking is a fun easy read for someone who is looking to fill a supernatural or mystery fix. The characters are realistic (Honestly, I thought I was the only one who had crazy days like the ones that Sadie had.) and honest. Conversations felt real and honest though a couple of times it felt like Sadie was being dramatic in her responses. Then again with a father who just died but is hanging around, a boyfriend who is hanging out with his ex-girlfriend and leaving all sorts of drugged up voicemails and a ghost chasing her angrily around, I would expect that anyone could tend toward the dramatic.

I enjoyed this book. It was a nice light read for the weekend. It drew me in quickly and I enjoyed following along as Sadie found the clues and picked her way through the mystery. It was also fun, though in a painful way, watching Sadie try to find her way through the pitfalls of her private life. All in all, Dead and Kicking was a fun weekend read that I can easily recommend to those who enjoy the Sookie Stackhouse books or supernatural mysteries in general.

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Hyperion

Publication Date: September 2009

Lori Twichell’s Review:

Richard Castle is back. As a follow up to his wildly popular Derrick Storm series, Castle has introduced us to a new character and she brings the heat. Literally. Nikki Heat is a Detective with the New York Police Department and she spends her days tracking down some of the most violent criminals in the city. Tough, sexy and incredibly intelligent, Heat doesn’t stop until justice is served. And now, thanks to the Police Commissioner, Heat’s justice can be served with a side of witty repartee in ruggedly handsome Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Jameson Rook.

Rook, writing a new detective series and in need of inspiration, follows Heat to learn the ins and outs of the murder scene in New York City. (Some say that Rook’s character is based loosely on Castle himself.)

For this case, Heat and Rook find themselves investigating the death of a prominent New York real estate tycoon. As they delve deeper into the case, things go from bad to worse when Nikki has a run in with one of the suspects that results in murder and death coming a little too close to home for the detective. Then the mystery unravels and then pulls even tighter as more and more bodies begin to appear all around the city and it looks like all of them are connected to the case. Could it be the trophy wife with a checkered past? Or was it the enforcer for one of the local crime syndicate? And why is there a dead art appraiser in a car across town? It’s up to Rook and Heat to shuffle through the myriad clues and figure out who is behind the growing string of murders popping up through the city.

Castle has created a partnership that sizzles with passion at the same time that it crackles with intrigue. Rook and Heat are perfect complements to each other as they follow the clues and attempt to crack the case.  You can’t help but be entertained as Rook calls in his always famous and well connected past for favors and Heat continually tries to deny the attraction she’s feeling for her new shadow. In the midst of murder, tension and intrigue, you’ll find yourself laughing out loud as Rook throws some new pop culture or celebrity reference into the conversation.

Richard Castle has again proven that he is wordsmith worthy of the title. The storylines are tight, the banter witty and sharp and the passion is hot. The new series excites me and I can’t wait to see where he takes Heat and Rook next time around.  And if you enjoyed the book, check out the pseudo-reality show starring Richard Castle himself as he trails a New York Police Detective, Kate Beckett. The show, titled Castle, airs on ABC. Check  your local listings for time and date.

Jake Chism’s Review:

Detective Nikki Heat more than lives up to her name with her intense passion for justice and her stifling dedication to bringing down New York City’s not so finest.  When a real estate mogul is found plastered on the concrete below his apartment, Heat and her team are called in to solve the case. Lies and secrets lie around every corner of the investigation, and Nikki must balance her police work with her new task from the mayor. Big time reporter Jameson Rook has been assigned to her squad for research on an article about the police. As much as Heat is annoyed by the arrangement, she can’t help but admit there are sparks evident between her and Rook. As the case intensifies, so do Nikki’s emotions, culminating in a heat wave she never saw coming.

For those who may not know, Richard Castle is a fictional character (brilliantly played by Nathan Fillion) from the ABC television hit, Castle. Heat Wave is written to be a fun companion to the witty cop/comedy/romance/drama, and that’s exactly what you get here. In the first season of the show, novelist Richard Castle is assigned to NYPD Detective Kate Beckett to research his next novel. As their relationship progresses (mostly platonic with romantic hints), Castle decides to start a new series of novels about a sexy, tough as nails detective named Nikki Heat (which is obviously inspired by Kate Beckett). You can imagine the excitement that brewed amongst the fandom when ABC/Hyperion treated us with the very novel we heard so much about on the TV show.

I was a bit hesitant going into Heat Wave because I expected it to be completely over the top and gimmicky. While there certainly are elements of this story that fall into those categories, I was pleasantly surprised to find a novel that is actually readable and entertaining.  This is certainly not the year’s greatest detective story, nor is it meant to be. It’s written primarily for the fans of the TV show, and I’m not sure someone who’s never watched Castle could actually appreciate the inside jokes and subtle humor that run rampant throughout the story.

This novel does have a decent mystery angle, but make no mistake about it. This story is all about Nikki Heat and Jameson Rook. The sparks fly all throughout this tale, even overtly so in an overemphasized love scene that was really unnecessary. Fans of the show should be warned that some of the language and themes in Heat Wave are considerably more mature than what network TV currently allows.

As a fan of Castle, I enjoyed this book for what it was and I’m anxious to see if we’re treated to more Richard Castle novels in the future. If you’ve not watched the show, do yourself a favor and rent Season One on DVD before you read this book. Not only will you have picked up a great new TV show, but you’ll fully be able to appreciate the gist of this story.

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Three Rivers Press

Publication date: October 2009

Reviewed by Jeremy Taylor

This well-written werewolf novel from horror writer David Wellington delivers a welcome twist on an increasingly familiar genre. In a market seemingly saturated with vampires and lycanthropes, Wellington, rather than sticking with a formulaic approach, presents an engrossing story about the life of a recently “turned” werewolf—from the werewolf’s perspective.

Cheyenne Clark is on her own in the frozen wilderness of the Canadian Northwest Territories when a flash flood sweeps away most of her gear. With no human settlements for dozens of miles in any direction, her situation is desperate, and it becomes more so when she is chased up a tree by a strangely aggressive wolf with icy green eyes. Though she escapes with her life, her leg is badly gouged by the wolf’s claws. In the morning, the wolf is gone.

The rest of the story is an interesting blend of standard werewolf lore and less conventional story elements. Naturally, the wolf that chased and injured Cheyenne was a werewolf, so naturally, she becomes one too. Pretty basic. What’s not so basic is the love/hate relationship Cheyenne develops with her wolf side as well as with the werewolf who turned her. As Cheyenne learns to live with her curse and the unexpected abilities that come with it, she must face the demons of her past as well as the uncertainty of her future.

As a werewolf tale, the book’s intrigue is marred by the fact that it simply isn’t very scary. It focuses on the relationship between the werewolf and herself rather than on the traditional horror-movie conflict between werewolves and people. While this provides some interest and depth, it ultimately limits the book’s appeal. There’s little in the story that compels the reader to find out what happens next.

Surprising (and not unwelcome) for a book in this genre is the scarcity of gratuitous violence and gore. If the author had managed to utilize effective storytelling to add tension to the story without resorting to the blood-and-guts imagery so prevalent in similar books, Frostbite could have been a terrific addition to the ever-growing library of werewolf stories.

Even with its weaknesses, the book is entertaining and downright thought-provoking at times. Lycanthropy aficionados will appreciate the relational elements of the story. But horror fans looking for a leave-the-lights-on-after-dark werewolf thrill-fest may be disappointed.

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: Bethany House

Publication Date: July 2008

Reviewed by Tim George

Tyler Perkins has been married five years, but with his wife less than a year total, fought in both Afghanistan and Iraq, and returned home with a survivor’s guilt that is eating away at both his marriage and his life. Now a postcard from an old friend beckons him to return to his roots in Wyoming at a place called Wind River. Encouraged by his desperate wife, Tyler drives across country to fulfill a promise he made as a boy to the old man who taught him about fly fishing, the mountains, and life.

At first glance, Wind River is a gentle buddy story. It is the story of one man (Soren) who at 86 knows this is his last chance to visit the high country he has photographed and mapped for years and a boy become a man (Tyler) who in some ways wishes he had never left. If you don’t care for the rugged back country, tales of rogue grizzlies, and laying on your back with nothing but the stars for a nightlight some of the chapters may grow a bit tedious. Or perhaps it would do you well to slow down for a moment and see things through Soren’s and Tyler’s eyes. If you take the time you will discover two men whose secrets and wounds run deeper than the clear lake about to be named after the old man.

Don’t let the pace or setting fool you though. Tyler has returned from war with guilt not only for what he has done, but for what others have done for him. And just when you think this story is all about Tyler finding some kind of resolution, you discover it is the old man who has ulterior motives for returning to the mountains he so loves. Tom Morrisey’s life as a world class rock climber, cave diver, and all-around adventurer shines through in this gentle yet powerful story of self-discovery and forgiveness. So set the world aside for a few hours and join Tyler and Soren at a place called Wind River.

Recently Lori Twichell and Jake Chism sat down with debut novelist C.J. Darlington to talk about her book, Thicker Than Blood. We had a blast talking to C.J. about her writing, her passion for antiquarian book selling, and the story behind TitleTrakk.com. A special thank you to C.J. for her time and her great support of Fiction Addict!

More about C.J.:

C. J. began writing the story that would become her first novel Thicker than Blood when she was a fifteen-year-old homeschool student. She has been in the antiquarian book selling business for over a decade, scouting for stores similar to the one described in Thicker than Blood before co-founding her own online bookstore. Thicker than Blood was the winner of the 2008 Christian Writers Guild Operation First Novel.

In 2006 C. J. started the Christian entertainment Web site TitleTrakk.com with her sister, Tracy, and has been actively promoting Christian fiction through book reviews and author interviews. She makes her home in Pennsylvania with her family and their menagerie of dogs and cats.

When she’s not writing, she’s reading. Her hobbies include book and art collecting, fly fishing, painting and drawing.

This interview can also be downloaded via iTunes (recommended for best quality).

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Genre: Romance, Historical, Religious

Publisher: Realms

Publication Date: January 5, 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Lucinda Bishop’s life has just been turned upside down. With the loss of both of her parents, everything that she has ever known is gone. Now she’s moving from the East coast and bustling city life to the territories of the west and a ranch in the Oklahoma territories.

It’s a difficult transition for a young girl who, at the age of 17, hasn’t spent time outside the city or any time away from her parents. She learns very quickly that life at the ranch doesn’t allow for sleeping in or for relaxing in the afternoons. Thankfully she has a loving considerate family to help her learn the ins and outs of this new life.

Of course, as usually happens with young women around this age, into the turmoil and upheaval is introduced yet another factor, a young man. Jake Starnes is a handsome young man who works for Lucinda’s Aunt and Uncle on their ranch. A fine worker with a mysterious past, Jake does everything possible to help Lucinda’s family keep the ranch together and that includes helping Lucinda with the transition to ranch life. The more time that the two of them spend together, the more he realizes that his feelings for the young girl run far beyond that of merely attraction. What Jake doesn’t know is how to proceed in courting this beautiful young woman when he’s got a past that isn’t going to leave him in peace.

Lucinda’s struggle with her feelings is one that transcends time and reaches out to all young women who are picking their way through the dating process. How do you control your feelings for someone when you know that your belief system is completely different from his? And what do you do with those feelings when you don’t know if you could have a future with him. As Lucinda and Jake navigate the potential minefields of attraction and figuring out the future, the story crosses the boundaries of history to become relevant to young women today.

Strang Book Group has chosen a solid and enjoyable read for their first venture into the historical romance genre. Martha Rogers has created delightful characters and a beautiful storyline that keep you engaged and interested throughout the course of the book. Though the outcome is predictable, the way in which they reach the conclusion is very much not and as with all of life, the journey is as important as the conclusion. The growth of Lucinda and Jake through their difficult circumstances is a wonderful example of how God can transform a life no matter how insurmountable the odds. Becoming Lucy was a wonderful escape from the everyday stresses of life. If this is any indication of what Strang has in the works, I’ll very happily allow them to supply my ‘escapes’ in the future.

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: January 2010

Reviewed by Jake Chism

Janeal Mikkado has lived her life among her Gypsy family and friends, but has always longed for a way out. One fateful day an answer to her dilemma arrives in the form of a mysterious man named Salazar Sanso. It seems Janeal’s father is working with the DEA to bring down Salazar, and if Janeal will do just one favor Sanso promises not to take her father’s life. He also offers Janeal the opportunity to leave once and for all to chase her dreams. Janeal seizes the opportunity, but things go horribly wrong and a fire destroys the Gypsy community and everyone she loves.

Fifteen years later, Janeal has made quite a life for herself, but nevertheless feels empty and broken because of her past. Out of the blue she discovers that her two best friends survived the fire and have recently reconnected. She fears they will discover the truth behind what happened that day and Janeal’s connection to it all. To make matters worse, Sanso once again has her in his crosshairs and will do anything to get her, even if it means destroying the lives of her friends. Now Janeal enters into a deadly game where the past and truth come face to face and her life hangs in the balance.

Ted Dekker and Erin Healy once again display their collaborative prowess and even outdo their previous novel, Kiss, in the process. Going into this story I honestly wasn’t expecting much.  For some reason the premise didn’t grab my attention, but it only took a few chapters to discover how wrong I was. The plot is masterfully executed, giving us just the right amount of suspense at the right times to keep the narrative flowing along. As in Kiss, we are treated to another strong female lead in Janeal Mikkado.  Her journey is a captivating one, often times dizzying and unsettling, but always engrossing as we delve into her hurts and secrets.

In true Dekker fashion we are treated to a nice little twist that will no doubt drive some readers crazy. Nevertheless, I found this plot device worked nicely with the overall theme that is interwoven throughout. At its heart, this is a story about the darkness and light that abides in us all and the battle that rages within. I’m excited about what this writing team has accomplished and I’m especially looking forward to Erin Healy’s upcoming solo debut, Never Let You Go.