TERMINAL JUSTICE and TARNISHED IMAGE by ALTON GANSKY

TERMINAL JUSTICE and TARNISHED IMAGE by ALTON GANSKY are two novels that really need to be read in sequence, although the fact that I read the second one first didn't in any way spoil things for me. This author has an amazing 

way with words - he makes you see what he is describing - and an insight into human nature that really makes one think. He tells things as they are in a fallen world, where companies like Barringstone Relief are trying to make a difference for good against all odds.
Dr David O'Neal is a former preacher who left his church after his wife left him for another man and now works for Barringstone Relief - first of all as A J Barringstone's speech maker and then as CEO. As he is exposed to unimaginable disease and poverty, and with the encouragement of both A J and the lovely Kristen LaCroix, his problems pale into insignificance and he regains his faith in God. He is a sensitive and upstanding man, loyal to a fault, and battles with his conscience in Terminal Justice.
In Tarnished Image he is set up by an unknown and unscrupulous enemy and has to fight, not only for his own life, but for the lives of those he loves and for his beloved Barringstones.
There is no simple answer to the problems in the world, largely brought about by selfishness and greed, but in these suspenseful novels we see the darkness being pushed back little by little by men and women who lay down their lives for others. There is a really strong Christian message and I highly recommend these books.




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TORN ASUNDER by ALANA TERRY

TORN ASUNDER by ALANA TERRY is a beautifully written love story with a very powerful Christian message.
When Simon and Hannah leave the Sterns' Secret Seminary in Yanji, going back into North Korea to spread the gospel, they are told to go separately, but Simon follows Hannah, wanting to protect her, and this puts them in great danger. Going into a country where it is dangerous to be a Christian to distribute bibles, takes tremendous commitment. The Author paints a vivid picture of how Christians are treated there, and what bravery is needed on the mission field.
The characters are very real and are not afraid to voice their doubts and fears - I find this refreshing. There is nothing phoney about them.
We see their courage and their failures, their passion for the Lord and for the spreading of the gospel, their joys and their fears. We see the Lord's faithfulness towards His children in the most horrific situations. We see how Simon and Hannah are sustained by their love for one another and for the One they serve.
The story is exciting and hard to put down. I found it challenging and it has given me a great deal of food for thought. I can highly recommend this novel.



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THE WITNESSES by ROBERT WHITLOW

THE WITNESSES by ROBERT WHITLOW is a legal novel with a really good Christian message.
The story starts in 1939 with Franz Haus, known as the Aryan Eagle, using his unusual gift of seeing into the future to help the German army. Although he has never killed a man he feels responsible for the deaths of many, and his disgust with himself and with what Germany has become, cause him to desert the army and escape to Switzerland and to eventually find his way to America.
Here he changes his name to Frank House and hopes to forget the nightmares that have plagued him for years. He is afraid of his past catching up on him, and doesn't like to talk about it. We meet him as an old man. Having been a commercial fisherman, he still fishes with his old friend Lenny. Fishing plays an important part in his life. He has also imparted this love of fishing to his grandson, Parker, with whom he has a close relationship, having looked after him after his parents were killed in a drunk driving accident.
Lenny, a veteran of the Vietnam war, has found peace in coming to know the Lord as his Saviour, and is always trying to get his friend to church.
Parker House is a promising young lawyer, who has "hunches" which he can't explain, which help him make decisions in his work.
Thomas Blocker, originally Blocher, is a very successful lawyer, whose overbearing attitude and controlling nature have estranged him from his photographer daughter, Layla.
Frank's gift of seeing into the future was passed down to him by his Godly grandfather by the laying on of hands when he was a young boy. Will he ever get to the stage where his unusual gift will be used for good, or has it gone forever? Has he left it too late or can the Lord use an old man like him? Will he ever be able to remember the good parts of his past life without feeling guilty about the things that he witnessed during the war?
The story is well told, the characters well portrayed and the Christian message comes through loud and clear. I can highly recommend this book as an excellent read.





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MERCY AT MIDNIGHT by SYLVIA BAMBOLA

MERCY AT MIDNIGHT by SYLVIA BAMBOLA is a book that I just couldn't put down! What a message and what a story!
Just when revival is about to happen in the prestigious church which he is pastoring, Jonathan Holmes, in obedience to God's call on his life, resigns his position and is led to reopen the Beacon Mission.
Cynthia Wells is a reporter who is obsessed with death and obituaries, and has not much faith in the human race. In fact she feels disconnected from reality. She ends up at the mission to get a story, and is prepared to use people in order to do so.
Stubby is a homeless man whose link to Cynthia's past causes her immense guilt.
We see clearly, in the Author's handling of the

characters, the truth that there isn't a man or woman alive that doesn't need God's mercy. It is in this mission, surrounded by gangs and drugs, living amongst the dregs of society, that God does an amazing work of redemption in those who call out to Him.
Stubby's response to Cynthia's remark that life is unfair really sums it all up when he says that it is all about the prize of having Jesus in this life and in the next - the devil doesn't want anyone to have this and will do anything to stop people from having this wonderful gift!
Jonathan's is not a "pie in the sky" ministry - he is under no illusions that it will take discipline, hard work, and much prayer, together with total reliance on the Lord, to reach the people in his care.
This is one of the most encouraging, true to life, novels that I have read. I cannot recommend it strongly enough for the exciting story and the Christian message on which it is based.



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MISSING by LISA HARRIS

MISSING is the second novel in LISA HARRIS' NIKKI BOYD FILES, and after reading VENDETTA, I was looking forward to the next book in the series. I was not disappointed. The novels can be read as stand alones, but I am glad I read them in sequence, as the main characters we meet in VENDETTA are further developed in MISSING.
As in all her books, the Christian message is strong. Nikki Boyd is a missing persons' detective, and is passionate about her job. Her sister disappeared ten years ago and she does her best to not let her grief and guilt surface while she is investigating a crime. In fact it makes her even more determined to bring the perpetrators to justice. We see how she calls upon the Lord when she is in danger, and how she wants to trust Him more in her private life as well.
Her best friend's widower, Tyler Grant, who has issues of guilt himself due to his wife's death, is trying hard to let go of the past. He is also at risk, as he finds Lucy Hudson's husband's body on his boat.
Looking into Lucy's disappearance is not what it seems and there is something very sinister going on. Certain people are willing to commit murder in order to cover their crime, bodies are piling up, and time is running out.
The plot is well worked out and the book is exciting and hard to put down. I can definitely recommend this novel and am looking forward to the third one in the series, which I believe is coming out next year.


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MARCIA SCHUYLER by GRACE LIVINGSTON HILL

I have just finished reading MARCIA SCHUYLER by GRACE LIVINGSTON HILL - what a truly delightful novel! I only wish the author was still alive so that I could tell her how much I enjoy her writing!
Marcia Schuyler is a young girl of eighteen who dreams of one day being loved by a man like her sister Kate's fiancé David Spafford, although she wonders if any man will ever love her as much as David loves Kate, being not blond and beautiful like her vivacious older sister.
Unlike Kate who is selfish and unkind, there is a child likeness about Marcia, who is unselfish and loving. In the two sisters we see the difference between unconditional love and living to please oneself. This theme is picked up throughout the novel with the different characters who are very well portrayed. I especially like Miranda, the plain little orphan girl who lives with her grandmother and who is willing to do anything for those she loves. She is more worldly wise than Marcia and puts her own life at risk to keep her safe.
Marcia is upset at the offhand way in which Kate treats David, and starts out her own married life at quite a disadvantage - with a man who loves another, with her sister's trousseau, and with a strong sense of moral obligation to honour the promise she made in order to save her parents and David from shame. It is truly a case of laying one's life down for another.
This is a beautifully told love story with a strong Christian message. I really recommend this novel, and in fact any novel written by this author. Many of her books are free on Amazon kindle which is an added bonus!


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CRIME SCENE JERUSALEM by ALTON GANSKY

CRIME SCENE JERUSALEM by ALTON GANSKY is a cleverly written novel with a solid Christian message. It is well worth reading and gives one a lot of food for thought. The story takes place in both modern times and biblical Jerusalem, and really brings the message of what Christ did for us on the cross close to home. We feel the reality of what He went through for us and are drawn to think about what His sacrifice means to us today and what our response should be.
Max Odom is a forensic detective who is suffering terribly from guilt and grief after his precious daughter is murdered. To keep him out of the way while they try and find the perpetrator, he is sent to Jerusalem to investigate the first century murder of Jesus Christ.
He doesn't want to be there - he wants to be involved in his daughter's case - he badly wants revenge! He is angry and belligerent.
He falls asleep in his hotel room and when he goes out to meet the driver who has been allocated to him, he finds he is in first century Jerusalem! The driver, Yoshua, takes him to places that Jesus has just been on His journey to Golgotha. He looks for evidence of murder. He meets witnesses, disciples, Pharisees and Romans, as he trudges through the streets, exhausted and terrified. One thing he knows is that he will never be the same again!
It is a well told story which deals with the importance of forgiveness, not only of others but also of one's self, of having compassion towards others in a sinful world, and of having faith no matter the circumstances.
We see that healing and peace are ours when we trust in Jesus and the finished work of Calvary.



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