WHAT SHE LEFT FOR ME BY TRACIE PETERSON

WHAT SHE LEFT FOR ME by TRACIE PETERSON is a novel about relationships, restoration and reconciliation.  It is a story about choices people make and how these choices affect others.  There is a message of hope in hopeless situations, of forgiveness given and received, and of the light of Christ dispelling the darkness of the past.  It is a well written book, full of scriptural truth, and the characters are very real.
Eleanor was brought up in a commune with hippie parents who were convinced that the world was against them and that they had true freedom and happiness in their sordid surroundings and questionable lifestyle.  Eleanor's father was a doctor and her mother a drug addict.  She was taken away by the police to live with foster parents, who were harsh and condemning, and then her aunt Taffy and her husband Cal found her in juvenile detention when she was fourteen and took her to live with them.  They were wealthy and spared nothing in trying to give her a good life to make up for all she had gone through.  
Eleanor never opens up to anyone and is determined to never be let down again by people she has trusted, having been sexually abused as a child by her father and then raped when she was grown up.  Her daughter Jana is the result of her rape and Eleanor brings her up without any show of affection, in fact she treats her very harshly and gives the impression that she wished Jana had never been born.  Actually, she is trying to protect her daughter from being taken advantage of as she was, and wants her to grow up strong, not needing anyone.  She never realized she was hurting Jana, she thought she was protecting her. The circumstances of Jana's birth are kept as Eleanor's secret, and she is full of guilt and unforgiveness.  She blames God for not taking care of her and for letting all these bad things happen to her.  
Aunt Taffy is quite the opposite, although she has had her share of sadness.  She is full of life and love, rather eccentric but totally sold out to the Lord.  She has a childlikeness that draws people to her, but she is also very wise and caring.  She has a large house and is very well off, and she loves to spend her money on others.  She is delighted when Eleanor comes to live with her, and even more delighted when Jana moves in as well.  She has never been allowed to have anything to do with Jana.
Jana's husband Rob, a pastor, runs off with his secretary and then is murdered by the secretary's husband.  Jana feels very let down as he takes all her money and valuables and she comes to Taffy's house with nothing.  She would never have come to her mother for help, but she has no other option.  She is pregnant, much to her mother's horror and Taffy's delight.  She is terrified that she will become the same kind of mother as her mother has been.
Jana feels that God has let her down as He should have kept her safe in her marriage.  She realizes that her idea of God came from Rob, and sees in hindsight that Rob became less interested in her when she started coming closer to God herself in prayer and Bible reading.  Both she and Eleanor eventually realize that it is no good blaming other people for what goes wrong and definitely no good blaming God, who has given man free choice.  Both Eleanor and Jana come to the end of themselves and come to the Lord for forgiveness and new life. They see that God does not see any one sin as worse than another.  The cleansing that comes from the truth is amazing and both Jana and Eleanor come to know the Lord personally.  They find out that Taffy has known all along who Jana's father is and that she has total peace with the past.  They see that the Lord can bring good out of all circumstances, and that their coming to live together and Jana's pregnancy have led to the ugliness of the past being brought out into the open and dealt with.
Jana and Eleanor become close when the truth is out and when Eleanor finally trusts enough to love again.  She has been afraid to love and has lived a cold, dark life.  She bemoans the fact that she and Jana were never close, but Jana tells her that it is never too late with the Lord.
It is significant that Eleanor, who helped her father deliver babies in his commune clinic, delivers Jana's baby at home, ably helped by aunt Taffy, and that Jana calls her daughter Meira, which is Hebrew for light!

SHADOW IN SERENITY BY TERRI BLACKSTOCK

SHADOW IN SERENITY by TERRI BLACKSTOCK is the story of an ex con artist, Carny, and Logan Brisco, who has all the characteristics of a con man, and the people of the peaceful town of Serenity.

Carny grew up with her con artist parents going from one carnival to another, helping them ply their trade from an early age.  She breaks away from carnival life and moves to Serenity where she gets married and has a son, Jason.  Her husband dies and she lives happily in Serenity surrounded by loving friends.  She is especially close to her in-laws and is very worried when they fall prey to Logan's charm and join the other citizens of Serenity, investing their life savings in the multi-billion dollar amusement park he is promising to build.

Carny found peace in Serenity when she gave her life to Christ and put her old life of petty crime behind her, but the people in the little town feel she is overly suspicious of Logan because of her shaky upbringing.

Carny is a pilot and owns a small airfield.  She gives flying lessons and rides a Harley and has an adventurous spirit.  She is totally devoted to her son and they are very close.

Logan loses his mother at the age of five, never knew his father, and lived in foster homes until he ran away.  He had learnt how to swindle his opponents at pool from his last foster "father" and was plying his trade when he was taken in by a big time swindler called Montague.  Their scams got bigger and bigger and when Montague died he carried on alone.  

Logan has done his homework well and he knows that the citizens of Serenity have fallen on hard times and the town needs an injection of capital.  He gets them all excited about how much money their investments into his company, King Enterprises, are going to be worth one day.

Carny is desperate to uncover the scam, but he is very clever and has his past well covered up.  When he isn't acting there is something almost lovable about him and she is quite confused about her feelings for him.  Things are made more difficult by his friendship with Jason.

The characters in this book are very real and the theme is an interesting one.  Are we going to see Logan exposed and run out of town, or is he going to come clean and allow the Lord to make something good out of his life?  Is Carny over-reacting because of her childhood, or is the Lord going to use her in bringing Logan to the truth?  Are the people of Serenity going to rub off onto Logan, or is he going to ruin them and go on to his next scam?  I can highly recommend this book.

ARMS OF DELIVERANCE BY TRICIA GOYER

ARMS OF DELIVERANCE by TRICIA GOYER is a novel that takes place towards the end of the second world war.
Katrine, whose real name is Rebecca, has escaped the fate of her family and the other Jews in Chechoslovakia because of her Aryan looks.  She becomes a married German officer, Hendrick's, mistress.  She is very beautiful and thinks he loves her as much as she loves him.  She has no idea of the gruesome work he is involved in, and when she finds out she is repulsed.  He senses this and his attitude towards her changes.  She becomes pregnant and thinks he is going to set her and the baby up in their own flat, but instead she becomes part of the Lebensborn programme.  She is forced to stay in a Lebensborn home where she soon realizes that Hendrick and his wife are going to take her child and bring him or her up as a Nazi. Hendrick's wife, Onna, is unable to have children and Hendrick has adopted two little girls that have been taken from their Polish parents.  He is longing for a son.
Mary Kelley and Lee O'Donnelly are war correspondents.  They come from very different backgrounds and each of them get involved in serious action.  They start out as competitors, but end up as friends.
Eddie Anderson is navigator for the B17 called "Destiny's Child".  He and Mary have to bale out when their plane is shot down over Belgium.
They are helped by members of the resistance and end up at the castle that housed the Lebensborn.  A caring nun, an unselfish mother, Eddie's strong faith in God, and resistance members all play a part in their escape.  Lee and Patrick, the photographer, together with Mary's father, don't give up in their search for Mary.
It is a wonderful story of redemption, of deliverance from harm, and hope for those who put their trust in the Lord.  We see that God directs our steps and has a plan for each of our lives, no matter how insignificant we may feel.  We see that He is the true Navigator of our lives and that He can use a little child to bring people together.  It is in experiencing Eddie's commitment to the Lord and his protection of her and of baby Samuel that Mary is drawn to follow Jesus.  Mary and Eddie's love story is beautifully portrayed, and all the characters and the interwoven stories are well thought out.  The horrors of war and Nazi madness are contrasted with the sacrifice, love and compassion shown by those who want to make a difference in the world.  
I really enjoyed this novel and can highly recommend it.  

THE CENTURION'S WIFE, THE HIDDEN FLAME, THE DAMASCUS WAY

THE CENTURION'S WIFE, THE HIDDEN FLAME AND THE DAMASCUS WAY by DAVIS BUNN & JANETTE OKE are books in the Acts of Faith series.  I can highly recommend them.  They take us through the period when Christ walked on the earth with His disciples, His crucifixion and resurrection, right up to the time when His disciples left Jerusalem to take the Gospel into Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth.  The novels follow the Scriptures closely and really give us an idea of life during that period. 
The Centurion's Wife starts in Caesarea with Leah, the daughter of a wealthy family who have lost everything, who now works for Pilate's wife, Procula.  She is a relative of Pilate's, and he makes arrangements for her to marry Alban, a Roman centurion who is looking for advancement in the Roman army by aligning himself with Pilate.  Herod and Pilate give Alban the assignment of finding out what actually happened to Jesus, as they are worried that His followers will cause trouble for Rome.  Once he has done this he will be given Leah as his bride.  Pilate moves his household to Jerusalem.  Procula, who has had terrible nightmares on account of Jesus, sends Leah to infiltrate the believers in Jerusalem and bring her back all that she can find out about the prophet.  Both Alban and Leah bring back the news that Jesus is alive and that He was raised from the dead. This is not what their superiors want to hear! Alban and Leah learn this from disciples who witnessed His resurrection, and at first they find it hard to believe.  They enter into a betrothal according to Judean custom, as Herod and Pilate feel that they will be better able to infiltrate the believers in this way.  Leah hears that the Temple leaders want to kill Alban, and she is tempted at first to let it happen so that she does not have to go through with the marriage. However, she has come to know the truth and become a follower of Jesus and warns him of the danger he is in, thus saving his life.  She is pleased to find that he has also come to follow the Lord, and now knows that she will not be unequally yoked with an unbeliever.
We come across Martha, Mary, Lazarus, the apostle Peter, Joseph of Aramathea, and many other biblical characters, and we get an idea of the close knit relationships between the followers of The Way.  We also get an idea of the viciousness of Herod, the ruthless ambition of Pilate, and the wickedness of Caiaphas and the Temple rulers.  We see their ostentatious wealth as opposed to the poverty of the believers and the bitterness and hatred of those in power, as opposed to the love and generosity of the followers of The Way.
Leah is afraid of marriage, as her sisters have been forced into lives of slavery having been married off to unloving and wicked men, but  she eventually finds love with Alban who is now a fellow believer.  Their marriage is a joyous occasion and takes place in the courtyard of the believers.  At the wedding feast, Alban's young charge Jacob is reunited with his sister Abigail.  They each thought the other dead, as their family was killed by bandits.  Alban saved Jacob's life, and they are devoted to one another.   Alban gives Jacob his freedom, but Jacob doesn't want to leave him.  Jacob's ambition is to become a legionnaire like his guardian, but Alban tries to dissuade him now that he has come to know the Lord.
The Hidden Flame starts at the marriage celebration of Alban and Leah.  They are warned that they have to flee Jerusalem immediately as Herod's men are on their way to seize them.  They leave Jacob with Abigail and don't tell them where they are going, in order to protect them.  Jacob is very upset and angry that he can't go with Alban and finds life with the believers rather boring, especially as he has to work for a carpenter when all he wants is to become a legionnaire.  He is befriended by Linux, a friend of Alban's who encourages him in his ambition.  He takes Jacob to the games. This upsets the young man terribly and makes him realize that a life of brutality and fighting is not for him.  
Alban becomes a caravan guard and takes Jacob to work with him, after the young boy has worked out his resentment and has had a word from the Lord that the believers must be ready for whatever transpires.
In this book we come across Gamaliel, Anananias and Sapphira, and Stephen, amongst other biblical characters.  The persecution of the followers of The Way becomes more intense and Saul of Tarsus comes into the picture.  
Abigail is very beautiful and two men seek her hand in marriage.  The first is Linux, the Roman legionnaire, and the second is Ezra, a Pharisee and friend of Gamaliel.  Ezra is a widower and needs a mother for his young children.  He is proud and very rich, and is willing to overlook the fact that Abigail limps due to an injury and is thus "unclean", and that she is an orphan.  He is horrified when he is turned down as a suitor by Peter.  He feels something when he is in the disciples' company, but his pride and anger win out in the end when his sister Sapphira and her husband are struck down by the Lord for lying to the Holy Spirit.  He makes it his business to find a way to attack the believers.  He engages the help of Saul of Tarsus and together they incite the crowd to kill Stephen when he is speaking at the Temple.
Linux becomes convicted by the Lord as he spends time with the believers, and is taught by Stephen when he finally becomes a follower of The Way.  The Lord helps Linux to forgive his brother, which is a miraculous sign to him that Jesus is real and alive.
He had been about to steal treasure from the Temple, using Jacob as a spy, in return for his brother's death at the hands of the new prelate's men.  Instead he goes back to Umbria and tries to lead his dying brother to the Lord.
Stephen and Abigail get married and Abigail helps Stephen in his ministry to the widows and orphans in Jerusalem.  Abigail and Martha have always been close and Abigail is a great help to Martha in her duties.  Abigail is healed by the Lord, which is cause for great celebration.
Both Abigail and Stephen have a premonition that there is much suffering ahead, and Stephen asks Linux to look after Abigail if anything should happen to him.  Stephen and Abigail's love story is beautifully portrayed and we see them encouraging one another to keep the faith as the persecution of believers becomes more intense.
Leah and Alban and their young son are based in Galilee and want Abigail to come and live with them as they are afraid for her safety, but Abigail feels closer to Stephen in Jerusalem and wants to carry on their work there.  Also she is expecting his child, which is a great joy to her.
In this book we see the believers steadfastly holding on in faith, in spite of their fear and horrific persecution from both the Romans and their fellow Judeans.  In fact, the latter have become even more of a threat.
In The Damascus Way we come across Julia, the daughter of Jamal, who is Greek, and Helena, who comes from Judean stock.  Alban and Jacob work for Jamal.  Julia, who is devoted to her father, is shocked to find out that Jamal has a wife and sons in Damascus, and that he and her mother are not married.  Helena is devoted to Jamal and to her daughter, but keeps to herself because of the shame of her situation.  Zoe, their maidservant takes Julia to meetings of believers and Julia comes to know the Lord.  She is determined to take her mother to the meetings so that she too may become a believer and know the peace of Christ in her heart.  She realizes that she has been trying too hard in her own strength, and it is only at a time of crisis and very real danger that her mother makes a commitment and becomes a follower.  Zoe is more of a friend to the two women than a servant, and the three of them pray together for Jamal and for their situation.  
Alban and Jacob travel to Jerusalem with Jamal's caravan and Alban is taken to the carpenter's house to stay with Abigail, Martha, Linux and the other believers, as he is very ill with a fever.  They are warned to leave the city as the persecution is very bad, and they set off early the next morning.  Abigail is tempted to stay on in Jerusalem to carry on with the work she and Stephen did, but she realizes that she is placing her little daughter, Dorcas' life at risk.  On their journey they meet up with Philip and his ministry to the Ethiopian, the Ethiopian's baptism, and Philip's subsequent translation before their very eyes.  
The miraculous power of God is seen in healing and deliverance from harm at the hand of the Almighty.  Abigail and Martha are particularly active in ministry to the Samaritans.  We also come across the Samaritan woman whom Jesus met at the well, and eventually Jacob, Julia and Helena meet up with the dreaded Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus road, and witness his dramatic conversion.
The dangers of travel, the life of traders and that of  Roman legionnaires, are vividly described in this book.  The characters and their struggles are beautifully portrayed as they live the life of the Spirit in very troubled times.  We see how they overcome fear as they trust in the Lord, and their determination to give Him glory at all costs.  
These three novels, in staying close to the truth of the Gospel, give us a lovely picture of Christianity at the time of the book of Acts.  Each book can be read as a stand alone novel, but I feel they should be read in sequence in order to get the most out of them.

BLUE SKIES TOMORROW BY SARAH SUNDIN

BLUE SKIES TOMORROW by SARAH SUNDIN is the third book in the Wings of Glory series.  This novel is Ray Novak's story.  He is the oldest brother.

He has had his heart broken three times, and two broken engagements.  Ray is gentle and kind, the pastor in the family, who hasn't been in combat, but who trains fighter pilots.  Many people judge him and see him as a coward. He more than proves to them and to himself that he is every bit as brave as his two brothers, who are war heroes.  In fact, he is forced to face his worst fear when he is shot down in combat behind enemy lines.

This is a novel that brings out the truth about people, and we see that things are not always as they seem.  Ray says there is a certain brokenness in everyone, and he is very sensitive to those in need.  He has a true pastor's heart, and is longing to get back to preaching the gospel full time.  He is the only one that Helen opens her heart to, telling him the truth about her marriage.

Helen Carlisle is a widow with a little boy called Jay-Jay, named  after his father Jim Carlisle.  Helen has been abused and manipulated most of her life, first of all by her ballet teacher and then by Jim, and later by his parents.  She was crippled by polio as a child and feels she has to make up to people and to God for her physical weakness and that she deserves the abuse she gets.  Ray has always been kind to her and she has had a crush on him since she was a little girl.  She sees him as her knight in shining armour.

Her marriage to Jim has left her with physical and emotional scars. However she  acts the part of grieving widow very well to save her son from knowing the truth about his father.  She feels she is always on stage, and the only time she is true to herself is when she is working for the war effort in heading up charity organizations.  She is "Martha" while her sister Betty is "Mary", and she is always busy doing some kind of work.  People think it is to cover up her grief after losing Jim.  Even when she is with Ray she is afraid of what people will think, and is afraid of Mr and Mrs Carlisle's anger, as they don't like the Novak family.  She is beholden to them as they own her house, and also Jim's life insurance was left to them to dole out money to her as they see fit.  They interfere with Jay-Jay's upbringing and won't let her discipline him. The plight of the single mother during the second world war is brought out clearly.  They want her to marry Vic Llewellyn, but she doesn't love him. 

Vic Llewellyn is also not as he seems.  He is in love with Helen and keeps asking her to marry him.  He is a lawyer who is meant to be standing up for the coloured ex-servicemen who are badly treated after returning home.  When Helen works as his secretary she comes across the truth about the man she has promised to marry.  In Esther Carver, the wife of an ex-serviceman who is wrongfully accused of mutiny, we see forgiveness and the refusal to poison her life by harbouring bitterness towards anyone.  In Vic's mother we see the dangers of gossip.  Mrs Llewellyn is very nosey and spreads rumours about Helen and Ray to the Carlisles.

We catch up with Walt and Allie and Jack and Ruth in this book.  The Novak family are supportive of Helen, and Pastor Novak helps her to stand up to the Carlisles when he realizes the truth of what they are doing to her.

We see that it is important that we don't judge people by what we think they are like, and that we don't stamp them as a hero or a coward, as good or bad.  Even Ray's family nearly lets him down because they can't believe that the man who has endured so much behind enemy lines could possibly be their gentle, quiet, brother, who has always been so afraid of combat.  God can make heroes of anyone who puts their trust in Him, and also He exposes the real truth about people who are acting a part.

It is a sensitively written book, and is full of scriptural principles.  Ray compares himself to Gideon, who was in the wine press when the Lord called him to battle.  Ray would never have come to his full potential if he had been allowed to carry on as an instructor of fighter pilots.  Instead it was in the "wine press" of army requisitions  that he made the decision to step out in faith and use his expertise as a pilot to help win the war.

THUNDER OF HEAVEN BY TIM LA HAYE & CRAIG PARSHALL

THUNDER OF HEAVEN by TIM LA HAYE & CRAIG PARSHALL is the sequel to Edge of the Apocalypse, but it can also be read as a stand alone book.  It takes the end time theme even further, and we see Joshua Jordan and his family involved once again in the fight against the evil that is trying to overtake the United States and Israel.  There is an alliance of Russia, North Korea and Iran that is behind this.  It is a well written book which gives us an insight into corruption in high places, end time prophecy, and what this means to the land of Israel and to true believers in Christ throughout the world.
When Josh finds out about a plot to attack American citizens by means of two nuclear weapons exploding simultaneously in separate parts of the country, he gets the Roundtable involved and also warns President Corland.  President Corland sends a memo to have this looked into, but Vice President Tulrude stops the investigation.  President Tulrude is against Josh, and uses the fact that a domestic plane has crashed, in spite of it having his RTS system on board, to insinuate that there is no reason to believe anything he says.  She fails to admit that this plane was actually blown up by the enemy.  Tulrude is very ambitious and determined to take over the presidency.  She works closely with the Russians and doesn't see that she is being used by them.  She is pushing for globalism in every area, has no fear of God, and uses underhand methods to gain power.  There is a strong emphasis on a new world order where religion and the environment are combined.  We see the world in the build up to the Rapture of the church, and this is underlined in the physical sphere with volcanic rumblings, and an increase in volcanic eruptions and tsunamis worldwide.
Corland is a believer, but he is ill, and when he ends up in a coma, Tulrude takes over the presidential office.  She is anti Israel and refuses to help them when they are under serious attack.  She also refuses to allow the government to help save Josh when he is kidnapped in Israel by the Iranians, who are desperate to find out how his RTS system operates. 
When Josh goes to Israel to help them protect themselves against the enemy, he leaves Abby in charge of the Roundtable, a group of patriotic and wealthy Americans who are desperate to keep America safe.  She takes responsibility and one of the nuclear attacks is foiled completely, whilst the other causes damage, but not as much as it could have.  Of course the Tulrude administration blame Abby and Josh for the loss of lives and other damage, and Abby has to face them in court.
In this book we see prophecy come to pass.  As it is predicted in the Bible, the Lord saves Israel from destruction when she is totally surrounded by the enemy.  He also delivers Josh from prison, both physically and spiritually, when he is in jail in enemy territory.  The Bible prophecy he has heard from pastor Campbell finally makes sense to him, and he finds true peace at last.

WHILE WE'RE FAR APART BY LYNN AUSTIN

WHILE WE'RE FAR APART by LYNN AUSTIN is a lovely story that takes place in America during the second world war.  It takes place mostly in Brooklyn where Eddie Shaffer lives in an apartment owned by Jacob Mendel, with his two children, Esther and Peter.  Eddie's wife, Rachel, was killed when she was hit by a car.  Jacob's wife, Miriam, was killed in the same accident.  Jacob and Esther both have many questions as to why God would allow such a thing to happen, and both start out  bitter about it and even angry with God.  It is beautiful to see how Jacob, as a Jew, ministers to Esther and  Peter, and Penny Goodrich, the young woman who looks after the children while Eddie is at war.
Jacob used to have an important position at the Synagogue but he hasn't been to Shul since Miriam died.  When he rescues the Torah scrolls during a fire at the Synagogue things start changing for him.  The children play an important role in softening his heart.  He is desperately trying to find his son, Avraham, his daughter-in-law and granddaughter, as well as other family members who are somewhere in Hungary.  He hasn't heard from them in ages and is very worried.  We see the horror of anti-Semitism in Europe and also in America. 
Penny Goodrich lives with her parents in a duplex next to Eddie's mother.  She has always imagined herself in love with Eddie, and when his mother refuses to look after Esther and Peter when he signs up in the army, she offers to go and live in his apartment and look after them.  It proves very difficult at first, as Esther resents her and both children are very upset with their father going off to war, especially as they don't have a mother any more.
Penny's parents are very old fashioned and have never given Penny any feeling of worth.  They are frightened of everything and have made her fearful as well.  They have also made her terrified of Jews, and are very upset that she is going to live in Brooklyn where there are a lot of Jews.  She is afraid of Mr Mendel when she first meets him, but comes to love him as a good friend.  It is difficult for her, but she is determined to make a success of looking after the children for Eddie's sake.  She meets a young soldier, Roy, on the bus to work every day, and they become very good friends.  He believes she can do anything she puts her hand to.  He becomes friendly with the children and Jacob as well.
The book is beautifully written and the characters are very real.  There is a theme of longing for one's family to be together again, of searching for missing family members, and of friends who need one another.  We see that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is truly the God of Christianity, as Mr Mendel tells the children stories about Hashem and His faithfulness to His children, and as he exhorts them to never give up, even when they don't understand.  

REFINER'S FIRE BY SYLVIA BAMBOLA

REFINER'S FIRE by SYLVIA BAMBOLA takes place in Bucharest during the time of Ceausescu's reign of terror in Romania.
The story starts off in a refugee camp with a mother's anguish.  Magda is sitting in the dust with her five year old twin boys, Alexander and Yuri.  They are in a desperate situation and their friend, "aunt" Sonia, comes up with a solution - an American wants to buy the blond boy, Alexander, and promises him a good life with him and his wife in America.  Sonia is a prostitute who has been selling her body to help herself, Magda and the boys to survive, and she also stands to make quite a bit of money out of the deal herself.  Magda gives in to pressure and hates herself for it.  
Alex Wainwright is the newly appointed American ambassador in Bucharest.  He is  ambitious and feels that after bearing with the situation for two years he may get a plum position in a good place like Paris.  His wife, Loretta, joins him in a few days.  She is  bright, has a good sense of humour and is a good ambassador's wife.  She has a way of keeping him humble, although she is proud of him and supports him in every way. She is untidy and spontaneous, unlike her husband who is meticulous. He is very particular about having a garden where he can relax, and is determined to make his staff clean up the overgrown garden at the residence.
All Alex's staff, except for Yuri his driver, are afraid of him.  He knows the house is bugged and finds out that Yuri is really a colonel in the Romanian army who has been sent to spy on him.  We see the drabness of life in a communist country and the fear that drives the citizens to spy on each other, hoping to find favour with the ruling party by doing so.
Loretta has always been interested in alleviating the hardships of the poor.  When Alex sends her out with Yuri to see something of the town, she finds out that he is a secret Christian who has been seconded from the army to serve under the tyrant Tulasi in the secret police.  She talks him into taking her to the Underground church and her life is never the same again.
Yuri is secretly married to Anna, who's brother Gustav Volkovoy is in a very bad way in prison, being tortured every day for his Christian faith.  Yuri suspects that Alex is his brother, but they are wary of one another, especially as Alex suspects that Yuri is having an affair with his beloved Loretta. 
Alex gets tired of the ambassador's life of cocktail parties and dinners every night, and he is fed up with the lack of concern for people in diplomatic circles.  He is drawn into helping old Doctor and Mrs Tulasi get to America, and then through his helping of Gustav Volkovoy he falls out of favour with the diplomatic service and realizes that he no longer wants to push his way up the ladder.  It is when Gustav, weak and dying, spends twenty four hours on his knees praying for Alex's salvation, that this demonstration of unselfish love draws him to Christ.
When Yuri sees that Alex is willing to lose the position he has been working towards for years, in order to do what is right, he no longer despises him  as being weak and soft.  He sees his strength and courage.  The brothers are reunited at last and are also now true brothers - they are brothers in Christ!
In this novel unconditional love is beautifully portrayed.  We see the love of Christian prisoners for one another, for the unsaved and even for their persecutors.  We see Anna's in  preaching Christ to prostitutes, and even to a dying prostitute who hates her and threatens to give her up to the authorities in order to claim the reward offered on her life.  There is also a strong emphasis on the importance of forgiveness and of letting go of bitterness and hatred.
The story takes place in a very dark time in the history of Romania and Bucharest in particular.  The characters who choose the light come out of the Refiner's fire stronger and full of the love of the Lord, knowing what is really important in life.

THOUGH WATERS ROAR BY LYNN AUSTIN

In THOUGH WATERS ROAR by LYNN AUSTIN we see four generations of women coming to terms with life.  We go backwards from Harriet who is the daughter of wealthy parents, but who relates better with her Grandma Bebe than with her mother, Lucy, and her sister Alice, who are very feminine and very much part of the upper class social scene.  Harriet feels ugly but doesn't care, and makes up her mind to do something important with her life like her Grandma Bebe and her great Grandma Hannah, and to never get married.
The story starts with Harriet in jail, but her reasons for being in jail are not honourable like her Grandma Bebe's were, when she was put in jail for her demonstrations against alcohol.  She was trying to help a friend who was about to get into trouble for getting involved with bootleggers!  She is so ashamed, but when Bebe hears about it she says that she, Bebe, has been too legalistic and has been trying to change people instead of showing compassion like Jesus did when He was on earth.  Only Jesus can change people.
Grandma Bebe gets involved with her anti alcohol campaigns because of her husband, Horatio's alcohol problem, which affects her whole life and leads to her having to run her husband's business when his father dies and letting her mother-in-law, who has never approved of her, bring up her daughter Lucy.  Lucy is very spoilt by her grandmother and adores her father.  Bebe also becomes involved with helping people in the slums.  She has been inspired by her mother, Hannah,  who helped slaves escape.  Hannah was delighted to have a daughter after four sons and she and Bebe were very close.
Bebe is a real tomboy, and in fact her father always treated her like a boy and she wore her brothers overalls and boots on the farm when they went away to war and she had to help her father in their place.  She meets Horatio when she visits her wounded brother Franklin in hospital, and is amazed that he finds her beautiful!
There are many secrets that come to light throughout the book - Horatio's secret and his father's secret.  Horatio redeems himself by saving people living in the slums when the waters flood into the lower parts of the town.
The book is full of references to the roaring of the waters - from the beginning when Bebe swung over the river on her brother's swing - to the flood, to the roaring of the crowds when Lucy goes on a march for women's rights.  Lucy also has a secret which leads her to want to help people less fortunate than herself.  She especially wants to help boys who have grown up in the slums to have a better life.
It is good to see how the mothers manage to impart Godly wisdom and values to their daughters, in spite of the fact that they are unable to have much to do with their upbringing because of the circumstances they find themselves in.
The characters are very real, and their struggles are well portrayed.  We see in each daughter the heritage passed down through the generations, and their strength in coping with difficult situations.  We see the Lord at work in each of them, and how the choices they make affect them and those that they love.  

DOUBLE MINDS BY TERRI BLACKSTOCK

DOUBLE MINDS by TERRI BLACKSTOCK is a suspense novel which is set in the Christian music industry.  It is very exciting and keeps us guessing until the last few pages.
Parker James is a song writer.  She comes from a very musical family, and is in fact named after a guitar!  Her father, Pete, is a brilliant guitarist who has unfortunately ruined his life through his alcoholism.  Her mother, Lynn, is still in love with Pete, but they are divorced and she will only take him back when he has been free of alcohol for six months.  Parker has two brothers, Gibson who is a homicide detective, and LesPaul who is a sound mixer and musician.  They are a very close family, and when Parker has what she feels is her big chance to sing her own Christian songs during Serene's performance for Jeff Standard, the whole family rallies around to help and goes on tour with her.  Her mother even lends her her savings in order to make CD's for the tour.
Parker works at Colgate Studios in order to arrange recording time for her family, and also for Serene, her best friend, a brilliant singer and the one for whom she writes most of her songs.
Parker always has to be strong for Serene, who is anorexic and very "needy" due to her horrific childhood.  In spite of this, Serene is very loyal to Parker and is devastated when Jeff Standard doesn't keep up his end of the bargain with Serene and lets Parker down badly.  Parker finds it impossible not to love Serene in spite of everything and is particularly concerned about her friend's eating disorder.  They are both Christians, although we see more of the fruit of the Spirit in Parker, who really seeks to honour the Lord in all she does.  Parker sings for the homeless and for teens with her pastor, Daniel, who plays the guitar in Serene's band.  Her desire is to lead people closer to Jesus through her singing and through the words of her songs.
Parker writes  her songs as the Holy Spirit leads her, and a lot of her songs are inspired by her father, the only member of the family who refuses to accept Christ in his life.  In fact "Double Minds" is about him and his struggle to admit he has a problem with alcohol and his refusal to do anything constructive to kick the habit.
Serene is a famous Gospel singer, but when Jeff Standard offers her a contract he tells her she must change the words of her songs and take out all the "Christian" words.  Parker has to do this and is in two minds about it, but she also has a dream of making a name for herself in the singing industry and she needs to make some money to live on.  She would also rather do the changes herself than let just anyone do so.    
Serene makes Jeff Standard promise to let Parker come on tour and sing some of her own Christian songs during the intervals while Serene is changing, but he lets her down and she only does one performance.  Parker has a lovely way of leading people into worship with her songs, and Jeff finds it offensive.
Parker is shattered when Brenna, a young student, is murdered at Colgate Studios when she is sitting at Parker's desk, standing in for her.  Parker is afraid that she may have been the target instead of Brenna.  Her life becomes very complicated, and there are a lot of sinister things that happen that make her and her family very worried.
There is a lot of intrigue surrounding Brenna's murder, particularly due to the fact that her mother is Tiffany Teniere, a famous Gospel singer.  We see that not all those involved in the Christian music industry are in it to glorify Christ - for many the object is merely to make money and become rich, which is the case as far as Brenna's father is concerned.  The story is very relevant in today's society where the music industry is so vast, and where so many people try to make money out of "Christian" music, when their heart is not set on glorifying God at all!
In the end we see how Parker realizes what is really important.  She is no longer "double-minded" about what she wants from life.  The novel is well worth reading and has a strong Christian message.

PASSING BY SAMARIA BY SHARON EWELL FOSTER

PASSING BY SAMARIA by SHARON EWELL FOSTER is a beautifully written book in which we see man's inhumanity towards man portrayed very vividly.  We see people looking at the outside, instead of what is in a person's heart.  We see that true freedom only comes through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and in trusting Him for His protection.
Alena lives in Mississippi with her mother and father, Evelyn and Amos, who have brought her up to be proud of her heritage as a young black woman.  Their Christian faith and church life is everything to them.  They are a very close-knit family.  Alena loves her parents and her home, and is furious when they decide to send her to her Aunt Patrice in Chicago in order to be out of harm's way after her friend J.C.'s murder.  Alena loves to write.  She tends to be outspoken and is shocked that her father, who has always taught her to stand up for what is right, seems afraid to speak out against this latest racial crime.  
Aunt Patrice runs the Bread of Life Mission in Chicago, and, like her sister Evelyn, she is a very wise and godly woman.  She is patient with Alena's rebellious attitude and prays for her to not turn away from her Christian faith.  Alena loves her aunt Patrice, but is determined to dislike James, the young man who her aunt and her mother have been talking about as a marriage prospect for her.   Patrice tells James not to give up with Alena as she is confused.  In fact, at one stage, Alena is tempted to run away with the worldly Pearl, who she met on the train to Chicago, and to give up her Christian walk.
James' best friend is Jonathan, a young white man from a wealthy family, who together with his sister Dinah, help out at the Mission.  James and Jonathan run a printing shop where they hope to spread the truth of what is really happening in the country.  Although Alena is really interested in their work, she pretends disinterest, as she is angry with her parents for what she sees as cowardice on their part, and also manipulation.  She fails to see that it is their intense love for her that caused them to send her away to safety.
All the characters, whatever their race or situation,  have problems which are brought out very sensitively as they interact with one another.  The problems are seen from both sides - there is no judging who is right or wrong.  We see that they spring from man's sinful nature and the hatred and fear that grow in the soil of rebellion against God.
Back in Mississippi, we come across Miranda, Bates' wife, her children and her friends "of the different coloured eyes",  who are described by their various personalities.   Miranda is horrified by what Bates and his followers are up to, although she loves him very much. She tries to stand up for what is right, but is also confused.  She doesn't want her husband's bigotry to pass on to their children, Isaac and Amanda.  We see her struggle.  We also see the bravery of the minister who helps her do what is right.  We see her come into true freedom in Christ.
Bates' friends are also described by their personalities.  
Patrice says that Chicago is Alena's "Samaria".  It is while she is there that she realizes that God truly made all men, whether black, white or yellow, and that we all have the same things to overcome in life, and the same need to feel worth something to those around and about us.  She overcomes her distrust of Jonathan and Dinah when she comes to know them and sees the fruit of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
I love the way the author brings out so much Scripture throughout the novel.  It is a very thought-provoking book, written in the most beautiful prose.
The ending is beautiful.  We see love and forgiveness overcoming so much hatred and fear.  This is the first of Sharon Ewell Foster's books that I have read and it will most certainly not be the last.

LEOTA'S GARDEN BY FRANCINE RIVERS

LEOTA'S GARDEN by FRANCINE RIVERS is a book about family relationships, forgiveness, restoration and the importance of communication between family members.
Nora Gaines, Annie's mother, is the product of a difficult childhood where she felt unloved by her mother, and for that reason she is determined that her children will have everything she never had as a child.  She is compulsively controlling, and has no idea that she got pretty close to destroying her daughter, Anne-Lynn.  Fortunately Annie went to a Christian camp with her friend Susan, and gave her heart to the Lord.  She is determined not to hate her mother and to never become bitter like Nora.  Annie yearns for her mother's unconditional love and acceptance in much the same way that Nora longed to be loved by Leota.
After being "encouraged" to excel at school, gymnastics, piano and other activities Nora felt were essential for her daughter's education, Annie runs away from home and studies art instead of going to the prestigious college that Nora has always wanted her to attend.  Nora is furious and does all she can to force Annie to come home and obey her.  In a way Nora is living her own life vicariously through the life she envisions for Annie.  Nora is not a Christian although she feels the church owes her a lot as she is a church-goer and has given large sums of money to the church.  She is furious when Annie speaks about her love for the Lord, and even more furious when her pastor tells her she needs Jesus in her life!  She is a very selfish and proud woman who lives a life totally focused on her children's success, and on the family's social success. She has quite a martyr complex, and is always complaining about all she has sacrificed for her family.  Her third husband Fred loves her dearly, but he is firm with her and is embarassed by the way she behaves.
Annie is a sweet and gentle girl of eighteen who is trying to follow her Lord in all things.  She feels it is not the Lord's will for her to go to Wellesley, but that she should follow her talent for art.  Her mother is very disparaging and says she has no talent and should rather go to a college where she will meet the "right" people.  She is very unkind in her criticism of her daughter and is prepared to do anything to bring her back home.  Annie has spent eighteen years trying to live up to her mother's expectations, and realizes no amount of success on her part will ever satisfy Nora.  She is afraid of coming to hate her mother and keeps quiet rather than answering her back in case she says something she will regret.  She cannot converse with her as Nora always knows best!
Neither Nora, whose real name is Eleanor, nor her brother George have any time for their mother, Leota Reinhardt.  George because he is too busy making money, and Nora because she feels her mother never had time for her when she was growing up.  
When the reason for Leota's perceived neglect of her children comes out, Nora's hard, unloving attitude starts to melt, especially when she realizes how much her mother sacrificed and how much her mother loved her.
Annie Gaines goes to live with her friend Susan in San Francisco.  She is afraid of upsetting her mother and is afraid of disobeying her and going to see her Grandma Leota, who she has only met a few times in her life.  She has been warned by her mother that her grandmother is a selfish woman who never loved her children and left them to be brought up by their German grandmother so that she could live her own life.  Annie loves her grandmother immediately and Leota, who had nearly given up hope of any family interaction, is happy at last, although she is afraid that her granddaughter will soon tire of spending time with such an old woman.  They have a very special relationship, and together with Corban Solsek, a student who starts out hating Leota for her bluntness, and Susan's brother Sam, they get the garden looking lovely again.  Leota has always loved her garden and found great solace there.  She was always inviting her children to come and work in the garden with her, but they resented her for spending so much time there and didn't realize she was reaching out to them.
Corban starts out with Leota as a project for a social study so that he can get better grades.  He has an idea that old people who are poor would be better off living in state funded facilities, and volunteers to take Leota shopping every Wednesday in order to get to know her.  It is only when Annie comes into Leota's life that she opens up at all, and Corban comes to genuinely love the old lady as well. 
The theme of the garden is throughout - the pruning, manuring, planting, watering, weeding and preparing the soil is very like what God does with His children in order to make them fit for His purpose in their lives.  The fruit trees that have been pruned will bear fruit again, and we see the fruit, good and bad, that is borne by the characters because of the choices they make in their lives. Annie makes the garden a blaze of colour and adds artistic touches of her own to make it a fun place to be.  She paints some of the drab old walls of the house and generally brings life to the place.  We are reminded of the importance of gardens in Scripture and all the important events that happened in a garden.  We see Leota's garden becoming a place of beauty once again, and even as a place of entertaining, as neighbours and friends are drawn there. Leota's garden is now a happy place, full of friends, children and laughter,thanks to Annie.  
We see Leota's loyalty to her husband Bernard and to his secret, and also to her father-in-law who she didn't want to humiliate by telling anyone the truth of their situation, in spite of the fact that her mother-in-law treated her with disdain and open hatred and poisoned the children against their mother, in very much the same way that Nora has tried to poison Annie and Michael against Leota.
Throughout the book we see the Lord bringing restoration and life to the situation, largely through Annie's obedience to Him and her love for Grandma Leota. It is a sensitively written story where the characters' struggles are very real and beautifully portrayed.

RETURN TO APPLETON by SYLVIA BAMBOLA

RETURN TO APPLETON by SYLVIA BAMBOLA
In this sequel to Waters of Marah, we find Gloria back in Appleton  with new found confidence after her year of independence in Eckerd city.  Her mother is amazed at the way she doesn't get rattled any more, and at how loving she is, even while being firm.  She is no longer the doormat that left Appleton a year before!  Although Tracy has always told Gloria she has no backbone, she is not too happy with the new Gloria who stands up for herself and for what she believes in!
We get to know Cutter Price better in this book and we see Gloria's feelings for him change from revulsion to friendship.  Could Gloria have found love in the last place she thought she would? We see him change from being a rather pompous and prideful womanizer, to being someone who is caring and dependable. 
Gloria learns from her grandmother, who she loves dearly, the reason for her mother's unhappiness and for her controlling spirit.  When this all comes out in the open, Geri and her mother are reconciled after years of unforgiveness and pain. and Gloria's relationship with her mother is greatly improved.  We see the importance of forgiveness and unconditional love in a family.  We see Gloria's growth as a Christian and her obedience and compassion.  She is confident in the Lord's love and faithfulness. Her relationship with Jesus is the most important aspect of her life, and she knows she can never marry a man who doesn't share her faith.

Cutter's mother, who is Geri Press's best friend, asks Gloria to visit her. She is very ill and dying and is very afraid.  Gloria has always been scared of Virginia Press, but she feels sorry for her now.  Cutter's relationship with his mother is not good at all.  She has controlled him all his life, without showing  him any love, and in fact only telling him she loved him just before she died.  He feels he has been cheated of a mother's love.  Gloria is  worried about Virginia Press dying without Jesus and is very firm with her, refusing to visit her again unless she allows her to share her faith.  Gloria stands her ground and her prayers for Virginia are answered.
Gloria worries about Tracy as well, who used to be her best friend.  She loves her but realizes that there is nothing she can do for her, and Tracy gets involved with an ex jailbird and works in a bar.  Tracy asks her for money, which Gloria gives her the first time, although she can't afford it, but she realizes that by giving her money she is not helping Tracy make the right decisions in life. When she refuses Tracy it is very unpleasant.  Gloria asks Tucker to give Tracy her old job back, and he does offer it to her, only to be scorned by Tracy who calls him "the Monkey".

Gloria enjoys her work for Paul and Wanda and ends up being able to buy out their printing business.
Gloria is still involved with trying to expose the environmentalists and Harry Griswald continues producing flyers in spite of the danger.  Cutter helps in this as well, as he is in danger of losing his property. In spite of a  murder and the fact that Gloria is being stalked, they are determined to reveal the truth. We are kept in suspense until right at the end as to the outcome.  Her friends in Eckerd city are very important to her and she is afraid of causing them harm, as it seems as though the criminals want to destroy her and all that is dear to her.  She is determined, however, to listen to the Lord and to do what He wants her to do.  She feels she must stand for what is true and somehow bring about justice for Perth's father and the others whose lives were destroyed by these unscrupulous men.
In this novel we see Gloria grow in maturity and we see the effect of her love,compassion and faith upon the people in her life.   

WATERS OF MARAH BY SYLVIA BAMBOLA

WATERS OF MARAH by SYLVIA BAMBOLA is the story of Gloria Bickford.  We see her search for love and her secret adoration for her best friend Tracy's brother, Tucker, who she feels is far beyond the reach of someone as plain and ordinary as she is.  On the other hand we see how she falls in love with "her beautiful Jesus", and each chapter is headed with a verse from the Song of Solomon.  In her search for a more exciting life, when she finally manages to cut the apron strings and leave Appleton and her domineering mother, she struggles to please the Lord and not get drawn away into temptation.  It is beautifully and sensitively written, and as we read the thoughts of this young woman and see her actions as she tries to give glory to Jesus in all she does, we see the beauty of her character.

Gloria's mother was a beauty queen and names Gloria after Gloria Swanson, hoping her daughter will also be a beauty. Gloria knows her mother is disappointed in her looks.  This makes her timid and easily manipulated by both her mother and her best friend Tracy, who is striking looking and very outgoing.  Gloria works for Cutter Press, who she dislikes intensely as he teased her unmercifully when they were at school.  Gloria's mother and Cutter's equally overbearing mother, Virginia Press, try to arrange a marriage between their son and daughter.  Gloria is horrified and manages to tell Cutter that she won't marry him because she doesn't love him.  This is quite an achievement as she is not very brave!

She escapes to Eckerd City with Tracy's help and feels her dreams are about to come true as she will be working for Tucker. The Lord has given her a promise to give her the desires of her heart, and she feels that this may be the fulfillment of His promise.  Her eyes are opened living in the big city and working in a big office.  She is taken to buy more suitable clothes for her job in Tucker's office and is told to sort out her hair.  She does all this and loves the effect.  She realizes that she may have done nothing with her hair and makeup in order to spite her mother.  She really looks good afterwards, although the whole situation is quite humiliating.

She makes some very special friends when she is obedient to the Lord.  She goes the second mile for Perth, and finds such satisfaction in having a "little sister", even though she was full of misgivings at the beginning. It is hard to get rid of a lifetime of fear and a feeling of unworthiness, but she does this with her precious Jesus at her side.  She finds He is all she needs and that she need never be lonely again.  She finds work that she loves and that she is good at.  Her friend Tracy has always said she has no backbone, and is surprised when Gloria stands up for herself and for what she believes is right.  She learns to stand up to her mother and Tucker as well.  Her relationship with her mother improves when she is firm with her, but  she always tells her mother that she loves her.  She does her best to mend fences with Tracy, whilst still standing her ground.  She also gets involved in a lot of intrigue and is determined to do what she can to uncover the evil she hears about.  The plot is exciting,  the characters are very real and there is a lovely message of overcoming one's fears and inadequacies when one follows closely after the Lord.

NOT A SPARROW FALLS BY LINDA NICHOLS

NOT A SPARROW FALLS by LINDA NICHOLS  is the story of Mary Bridget Washburn, a young woman who is on the run from Jonah and his meth business.  She hasn't always been living this life of crime, she got caught up in it when her mother died and left her and her brothers and sisters without many options.  Her grandmother, a godly woman who never gives up on her granddaughter, isn't well enough to look after the children and welfare takes her younger siblings away not allowing Mary to carry on looking after them.  When this happens she is devastated, angry with God and everyone, and runs away with Jonah, a friend from school who has always fascinated her.  Jonah turns to drugs, becomes a dealer and a manufacturer of meth and is a complete addict.  Mary is not an addict but she helps him by buying what he needs for his factory and keeps house for him and Dwayne in the sordid apartment they live in. The drugs have affected Jonah's brain and Mary is afraid of him and also of Dwayne, who she feels may take advantage of her.  She is a beautiful girl.
She manages to run away to Alexandria where she starts a new life, taking the name and social security number of her late mother who was called Bridie, short for Bridget.  Bridie, as she now calls herself, is being drawn back to the faith of her youth, although she feels that God can't possibly have any use for someone as sinful as she is.  She goes into the Presbyterian church, where she loves the peaceful atmosphere, and sees a notice board with the words "Not a Sparrow Falls to the Ground Without Your Father Seeing" on it and sees a teenage girl rush in and pin a note to the board.  After the girl leaves she reads the note which says "Help me, God".  Bridie feels drawn to this young girl's plight and ends up being the nanny/housekeeper for her father, Alasdair MacPherson, the pastor of the church.  She meets Alasdair through one of his sisters, Lorna, who meets Bridie where she is working and invites her to Thanksgiving dinner.  The young girl, Samantha, has a twin brother and sister, Cameron and Bonnie who are not yet two, and the whole family needs a lot of love.  Bridie has her secrets and so does Alasdair MacPherson, who lost his wife Anna when the twins were very small. The house is dark and forbidding until Bridie comes and paints the dark walls, opens the heavy drapes and puts the old heavy heirloom furniture into the attic, making the place more child friendly.
We see how God can use anyone to minister to those in need,  Bridie, who feels she is totally unworthy and has enough problems of her own, and Lorna, who is the only one of Alasdair's sisters who is willing to lay down her life for the family.  Lorna has always gone along with her sisters' decisions until she realizes that the Lord has chosen her to make a difference in her brother's life.
There is a lot of intrigue and it is an exciting book, but more than that it gives us quite an insight into the workings of the human heart.  We see how God can move in even the most impossible situations when people   
decide to walk in truth.  He brings light into the darkest places and truly looks after all His "sparrows"!

EDGE OF THE APOCOLYPSE BY TIM LA HAYE & CRAIG PARSHALL

EDGE OF THE APOCOLYPSE 
by TIM LA HAYE & CRAIG PARSHALL is an end times novel with a legal twist.  The two authors combine well, with Tim la Haye who is well known for end time prophecy, and Craig Parshall who is well known for his legal dramas.  
Joshua Jordan was a colonel in the air force and is now a private military contractor.  He had a stellar military career and is disappointed that his son, Cal, is not interested in following a military career.  Their relationship is not all that good, and deteriorates further when Cal changes from an engineering major to art.  Cal takes after Abby, Josh's wife, and has come into a personal relationship with Jesus as she has.  His daughter, Deb, is also a born again Christian and she is the one in the family following a military career. Josh loves his wife and children very much, but doesn't see much use for Christianity.  He is very disciplined and feels that he can cope with anything, especially after having been in several very dangerous spy missions over enemy territory.
Abby is a very clever lawyer, and although she is retired, she is a great help to Josh in helping to keep him out of jail when he fails to co-operate with the politicians.
Josh has developed a weapon which is known as "Return to Sender" which he uses to save New York City from a missile attack.  He has seven minutes in which to launch this weapon and gets permission to do so from the vice-president, who later denies giving permission.   He is not sure that it will work, but there is nothing else that can be done to avert nuclear disaster.  The weapon returns the missiles to the North Korean ship which  launched the attack, destroying it and those on board. 
Joshua Jordan is first of all seen as a hero, and then  is attacked by the politicians who demand  all the data on the RTS.  He refuses, as he fears that it will get into the wrong hands and be used by enemies of the United States against them.
There is a lot of intrigue. The Russians, amongst others, are trying to get hold of the RTS.  A dangerous hit man comes into the United States through Canada with the express purpose of causing harm to Josh and obtaining the RTS by any means possible. The politicians are keen to use the RTS as a bargaining chip for obtaining oil and loans from other countries in order to bolster their failing economy and in order to win the next election, thus staying in power for another term.
The dangers of globalism are evident, and we see end time prophecy coming to pass.  We see those in the government about to bring in a global monetary system, and we see that things are moving towards global government followed by global religion.  This is explained to Josh by Abby's pastor, Paul Campbell, but Josh feels he can manage without the Lord in his life.  Josh is out to save the United States and the world by his own hard work and brilliant mind!
When a member of his family is in danger he finds that his own efforts are not enough.  We see the Lord coming through for him in answer to his wife's and her pastor's prayers, and also to his own desperate prayers.
It is an exciting and interesting book and I am looking forward to reading the second book in the series which is coming out soon.