STRAIT OF HORMUZ BY DAVIS BUNN

STRAIT OF HORMUZ by DAVIS BUNN is the third book in the Marc Royce series, and, like its predecessors, it certainly does not disappoint! It is an exciting read and contains a wealth of biblical truth. Whilst each book can be read on its own, you will get more out of the novels by reading them in sequence.
The story is set in Switzerland and the Middle East. Marc has been sent to Geneva to investigate a potential threat to the U S and Israel, hoping that he will be in time to avert an attack on the Iranians in the Strait of Hormuz. Kitra, the Israeli woman who we meet in RARE EARTH, is sent to Switzerland to warn him that he is walking into a trap, and they are both nearly blown up in an explosion at a well known antique dealer'a shop.
The plot is well worked out and the story is fast-paced, full of intrigue. We meet many interesting characters. Again in this book there is the miracle of people of diverse cultures and lifestyles joined together in their faith in Jesus Christ.
The meaning of discipleship, the importance of obedience and sacrifice and of choosing God's will over one's own, are some of the issues dealt with as the various characters seek answers for their lives. We see Marc's humility and compassion as he literally lays down his life to protect people from harm, as opposed to the greed and total disregard for human life shown by the enemy.
Kitra and Marc have been brought together again in a very dangerous situation. It is as they pray and read the Scriptures together that they come to see what the Lord is requiring of each of them. There is a theme of reconciliation as opposed to that of hatred and the desire for revenge. We see how Rhana Mandana is drawn back to faith in God, largely through Kitra's love and understanding.
I re-read Lion of Babylon and Rare Earth before reading Strait of Hormuz and found it to be a most rewarding exercise. I can highly recommend this novel for enjoyment and content.




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RETURN TO ME BY LYNN AUSTIN

RETURN TO ME by LYNN AUSTIN is a beautifully written novel which takes place at the time of the return of the Jews from their Babylonian exile to the Promised Land. The story follows the Bible closely, starting in Babylon when Daniel reads the writing on the wall, which leads to the death of the king and the invasion of the Medes and Persians.
When Cyrus decrees that the Jews are free to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple, taking the Temple treasure with them, guarded on their journey by his own soldiers, it seems too good to be true! Iddo, a priest and Levite, is amongst those who recognize this as the fulfillment of prophecy and as proof of the truth of God's Word and that He always keeps His promises. He is very excited and cannot understand why so many of his people, including his own sons, are not willing to give up their comfortable lives in Babylon in order to take part in this miraculous move of God.
The contrast between the idolatry of the Babylonians and the worship of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the one true God, is brought out clearly. Zechariah, Iddo's grandson, is torn between his desire to serve God in Jerusalem and his longing to stay with his parents in the only home he has ever known. He chooses to answer the call of God on his life when He speaks to him through the portion of the Torah he reads at his Bar Mitzvah. We see how he protects his best friend, Yael, who practises idolatry, and who makes quite a name for herself amongst the Samaritans with her reading of the stars. She gets into trouble on more tha one occasion but he is determined to save her at all costs. The Samaritans do not respect life the way the Jews do, which is seen in the way they leave Raisa's baby girl to die and the way they avenge wrongs.
Interaction with the local population, particularly with the Samaritans who mix idolatry with Jewish religion, causes problems for many of the new settlers, especially for the unruly and undisciplined Yael.
There is much opposition from the local inhabitants to the rebuilding of the Temple, and some of the Jews are fearful and ready to compromise in order to keep the peace. We see the importance of obedience and we also see that, when God tells us to do something, He will not only give us the ability to do it but will also open the way before us.
The characters are well portrayed. Many of them struggle with leaving their old life behind and starting afresh in a new place without very much. The importance of forgiveness and of letting go of the past is emphasized. We see many of them coming to know God as a loving Father, full of compassion and mercy, and not just as the God of judgment. The importance of knowing the Word and of prayer and putting God first is also emphasized. The promise of redemption from sin obtained through the Temple sacrifices is brought out clearly. Whilst God requires obedience to His Law, He wants His children to be merciful and compassionate rather than legalistic with one another.
I especially like the way the book follows the Scriptures and the incorporation of the prophecies of Daniel, Haggai and Zechariah. It is a lovely story and well worth reading. I can highly recommend this book.





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WHERE FREEDOM GROWS BY BONNIE LEON

WHERE FREEDOM GROWS by BONNIE LEON takes place in 1930 during Stalin's rule of terror in Russia and the Great Depression in America. The story is sensitively told and we do indeed see freedom growing in the hearts of Yuri and Tatyana Letinov as they turn to God to help them cope in dreadful circumstances. I am looking forward to finding copies of the sequels in this "Sower" series and also to reading more novels by this very talented author.
We see Tatyana struggling to let go of her homeland as she finds a new family in America, and her fierce loyalty to the true Russian people who are not to be judged by the corrupt and murderous dictator who rules them with a rod of iron. There is a sharp contrast between the communist axiom of "for the collective good", in which individuals are cast aside, and the loving goodness that is found in the godly families who work together, sharing what little they have. Although there is poverty in America it is nothing like the poverty in Russia where people are not allowed to keep anything for themselves from what they grow, or to own anything, and are literally starving.
Yuri's story runs parallel to Tatyana's, and it is here that we see unbelievable suffering. We see how God saves him and Elena from the firing squad, the kindness they receive at the hands of Daniel and his family, and the way he is arrested for preaching the Gospel. He struggles with hatred and bitterness and finds it hard to see where God is in all the evil, feeling the Lord has abandoned him.
I can highly recommend this novel.

A PROPER PURSUIT BY LYNN AUSTIN

A PROPER PURSUIT by LYNN AUSTIN is the charming story of Violet Hayes, a young lady of twenty living at the end of the nineteenth century, who goes to Chicago to find her mother, to find love, and to find evidence against widow O'Neill in order to stop her father from marrying her!
Violet has just finished her education at Madame Beauchamp's charm school but finds herself ill equipped as far as life in the real world is concerned. Her father grudgingly allows her to travel to the big city to spend time with her grandmother and great aunts, each of whom has the "ideal" suitor for her, except for her rather eccentric Aunt Birdie who keeps telling her to marry for love and Aunt Matt who feels that she should rather remain single than become some rich man's slave! Her father expects her to come back to Rockport and marry the very boring Herman Beckett, whose mother is a great friend of Maude O'Neill.
Violet has a sharp wit, a vivid imagination, and fancies herself to be quite a detective! These attributes have been fed by the crime and romance novels that her best friend smuggled into school.
Violet is a beautiful young lady and causes quite a stir in her Aunt Agnes' social set, where she practises the decorum learnt at Madame Beauchamp's school whilst suppressing her boredom! Aunt Matt gets her involved in marches for women's liberation, and her grandmother takes her to the slums where she works among the poor. She tries hard in all these situations and learns a lot from her grandmother and great aunts, but doesn't feel like following any of their specific paths.  Her grandmother is a godly woman who tells Violet to seek the calling God has chosen for her.
She feels betrayed by her father and used by her suitors who each have a reason for their courtship of her which has nothing to do with true love. It is only when she comes to know the One who loves her the way she is, her Heavenly Father, that she realizes that He has a special plan for her life and that He has been searching for her just as she searched for Aunt Birdie when she wandered off, and as she is desperately trying to find her mother. The story of the prodigal son becomes very real to her when she hears it told by Dwight Moody. She also realizes that she herself has used people to further her search for her mother and in order to find the truth behind the death of widow O'Neill's husband.
There is a lot of depth in this novel and the story is told in a delightful way. We get to know the characters and to understand why they act the way they do.
The city of Chicago is celebrating mankind's progress at the World's Fair, and it is against this backdrop that Violet comes to grips with her true self and what it is she really wants in life. I first read this novel some years ago and have just re-read it with great enjoyment. It is a really good read.


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MISERY LOVES COMPANY BY RENE GUTTERIDGE

MISERY LOVES COMPANY by RENE GUTTERIDGE is an intriguing suspense novel. I found the blog theme particularly interesting.
Juliet Belleno loved the written word and was a talented writer. Her father, Lt Colonel Jim Franklin, was frustrated with her for hiding away after the murder of her detective husband, Jason, writing her feelings and opinions on her blog and on Facebook for all the world to see, instead of using her talents for writing a novel. He knew he had never been much of a father to her and the fact that he was a hopeless drunk made matters worse! He felt it was his duty to keep her from harm and when she disappeared without a trace, he was beside himself.
Seargent Chris Downey had been Jason's best friend and partner in the police force. He had promised Jason that if anything happened to him he would look after Jules. When her father told him she was missing he made it his business to try and find her. Chris and her father felt guilty that they had let both Jules and Jason down.
Jason had been a very committed Christian, and in the story we see Jules and Chris responding to Jason's beliefs as they go through very difficult experiences.
Jules' favorite author, Patrick Reagan, has a lot in common with Jules, having also become a recluse after losing his wife. They have come to know one another through their writings, and Patrick kidnaps her in order to encourage her to get on with living life, to dig deep and search for the truth, and to make the most of her talent. At times she feels he is insane and at others she feels she understands him. He also gets her to go through parts of his latest manuscript, which is very painful for her. The anguish Jules goes through in this secluded and lonely place as she is forced to face her fears, draws her to put her trust in Jason's God.
Both Chris and Patrick know there is more to Jason's murder than meets the eye and the story is full of suspense. The theme of searching for the truth runs through the novel. The plot is well worked out and the characters are likeable. I can highly recommend this novel.



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THE NIGHT WATCHMAN & THE CORRUPTIBLE BY MARK MYNHEIR

THE NIGHT WATCHMAN by MARK MYNHEIR is an exciting detective novel with a good story, believable characters and a subtle Christian message running throughout.  I particularly enjoyed the sarcastic wit with which the protagonist, Ray Quinn, faces the world!
Ray is a former detective who is now working as a night watchman at a very superior apartment building which forms quite a contrast to his very basic and not very pleasant living conditions.  He is crippled due to being shot whilst on duty, and he is bitter at having lost the love of his life in the same shootout.  He feels guilty due to his inability to save her life.  He is a confused and unhappy man with a serious drinking problem.  His problems are deep seated - he never knew his parents and was passed from one foster home to another as a child, thus battling with rejection and heavy depression.
When a pastor and a prostitute are found dead at the apartment building where he works, he and his co-worker Crevis Creighton help the pastor's sister, Pam, to look into what really happened at this so called "murder-suicide".  
Pam is a committed Christian and is unfazed by Ray's antagonism to all things pertaining to her faith, and is a healthy influence in his life.  It is interesting to see how a gradual friendship is built up between the three of them.
In THE CORRUPTIBLE we find Ray and Crevis as Private Investigators. Pam, who is a school teacher, helps them in the afternoons and is also helping Crevis to pass his exams.  Crevis badly wants to become a polIceman but he has a learning disability. He is a likeable character - fiercely loyal and sometimes rather over enthusiastic.  He works out at the gym, getting tips from Ray who was a kick-boxer before he was injured, and has become Ray's protector.  Pam is also always ready to help, which pleases Ray but also exasperates him as he feels she is just waiting to pounce on him with a Scripture or a prayer!
The case they deal with is exciting and dangerous, although this time Ray gets the help he needs from the police department as he has been made a consultant.
The novels are fast paced and there is an interesting message throughout.  We can't help wondering when Ray will finally give up trying to get through life with the help of his "friend" Jim Beam and give the Lord a chance to help him get his life in order!
Although the books are better read one after the other in sequence, they can each be read as stand alone novels.  I can highly recommend them both. 

LOVE IN A BROKEN VESSEL BY MESU ANDREWS

In LOVE IN A BROKEN VESSEL MESU ANDREWS tells the biblical story of the prophet Hosea and his unfaithful wife, Gomer, with incredible insight and sensitivity. The novel is "up there" with some of the best Christian books I have read!
Whilst following the story and backing it with scripture throughout, the author introduces fictional characters who add their part to the novel without taking away from the truth. The characters, their struggles and their feelings are beautifully portrayed against the background of day to day life in Israel and Judah during the time of Hosea, Amos, Isaiah and Jonah.
We see God's judgment on His adulterous people, but we also see His incredible love and compassion as He restores those who turn to Him.
The Lord speaks to Hosea and tells him to marry a prostitute and to stay faithful to her even when she turns back to harlotry. This mirrors God's unconditional love for His people and His longing for them to turn back to Him. We see the consequences of sin and the importance of obedience. Hosea's patience with his rebellious wife and his obedience to God's voice show his total trust in Yahweh..
The theme of restoration runs right through the story. It is when Gomer is broken like the pottery vessel she throws at the cave wall in frustration, that she finally lets the Lord in to restore her. Then we see Amoz mending the broken vessel and making it into something beautiful.
There is also a lovely parallel of Christ purchasing us by his sacrifice on the cross when Hosea buys his adulterous wife back from slavery.
Altogether a lovely book, beautifully written, and one I cannot recommend highly enough.





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