Deadline, by Randy
Alcorn
I have never read a book quite like this one. I chose to review the book because it would
include a mystery to solve, and I have always loved mysteries. The book starts out with a Sunday afternoon
football game being watched by three best friends: Doc, Finney, and Jake. Before the afternoon was over, all three were
in the hospital, two of them in critical condition. Only one of them was ready to meet God, but two
of them died. The story is about the
survivor trying to figure out why his friends died, and who did it. Finney, who went to heaven when he died,
continued to exert influence on his friend, Jake, through the memories of his
life choices and a letter he had written Jake.
The author spent a lot of time telling what Finney was experiencing in
heaven, and a chapter of the awfulness of hell which Doc experienced. I found the heaven scenes very interesting,
as I had never spent much time thinking about details of what heaven could be
like.
Jake is a newspaper opinion columnist who changes his mind
about nearly everything he believes the longer he investigates his friends’
deaths. The changes that come in his
life are heartwarming. Many people are
incensed when his columns change to reflect his new understanding and he is no
longer politically correct. He is also
in danger of being killed from ruthless people, so the book is very scary in
places.
Alcorn deals with issues confronting our society today, such
as abortion, sexual perversions, educational controversies, medical ethics, and
political correctness. It is not a book
I would allow my young children to read, but I think an important book for
adults to read.
Dominion, by Randy
Alcorn
This is the second book in this three volume book of
detective stories. Ollie Chandler, who
is the detective in all three books, is more prominent in this book than in the
first. Jake and his family’s story
continues, but is not the main thing.
Jake’s friend at the newspaper, a big black man named Clarence, is the
primary character. Clarence was raised
in a Christian home, but he doubts God’s power, love, and justice when his
sister and niece are killed in a drive by shooting. Ollie allows Clarence to work with him to
solve the crime. Along the way, Clarence
has many issues to deal with: racism (in himself and others), anger, unresolved
guilt, wrong beliefs about God, danger, and his orphaned nephew’s involvement
in a gang.
The reader has the wonderful privilege of peeking into
heaven and seeing what Dani, Clarence’s sister, is experiencing and learning
there. There also is a peek into hell
after the gang leader commits suicide by playing Russian roulette. After reading these books, I am more determined
than ever to live for Jesus and make it to heaven! I also am much more aware of racial issues,
gang and drug cultures, and the effect of the breakdown of homes and absence of
fathers in our nation today.
Reading about Clarence’s nephew’s induction into the gang
reminded me of Alcorn’s Courageous
book and the movie by the same title.
Alcorn has done his homework to deal with the many issues in this
book. Because of characters who were led
astray by false religious teachings, the reader can be warned against
error. I think it is an excellent book
for opening the eyes of those who have not understood the reasons for what is
going on in the black culture. Alcorn is
a master at intricate plots and surprise ending twists.
Deception, by
Randy Alcorn
Detective Ollie Chandler is the main character in this
book. Clarence and Jake are both involved,
too, helping Ollie investigate murders, and trying desperately to lead him to
faith in Christ before the murderer kills him!
I kept consoling myself, “This book is written in first person, by Ollie
himself, so he must get out alive!” The
evidence points to someone in the detective pool as having done the
murder. Some of the evidence even points
to Ollie, and he can’t convince himself he is innocent, since he blacks out
from drinking too much since the loss of his wife, Sharon. In this book, the reader gets to know Ollie
very well. Ollie has many intellectual
roadblocks to believing in God, for example:
If God is a God of justice, why do people get by with murder? If God is all-powerful, why do good people
get cancer and die?
Things are not as they appear.
Follow where the evidence leads.
There is no justice; there is just us.
These are the mantras by which Ollie lives.
But he is unwilling to follow the evidence for Christ because he doesn’t
want to know those answers.
This book gave me “whiplash” several times. When I thought I had something figured out, I
didn’t. It is a mystery until the
end.
This is a great set of mysteries. I enjoyed reading them. Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers and Edelweiss provided me
with a complimentary e-copy of this book for review purposes.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free
from the publisher through the Blogging for Books program. I was not required
to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am
disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part
255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in
Advertising.”
