Jun 06 2008
A believable fiction
A version of this article first appeared in ChristianWeek.
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Reading is one of my great pleasures. Be it a book, magazine, journal, even the back of a cereal box, if it can be read, I’m interested. I even love reading publisher’s catalogs. And though I tend to read nonfiction, that could easily change given recent suspense thrillers by Linda Hall and Eric Wright.
Linda Hall has published thirteen novels and seven nonfiction titles, but it was her Fog Point series that captured my attention. Dark Water (2006) and Black Ice (2007), both published by WaterBrook Press, are suspense thrillers guaranteed to leave you hoping for more in the series.
Dark Water (The Word Guild 2007 winner for the best Canadian suspense novel) is a gripping tale set in the seaside town of Fog Point. Private Investigator Jake Rikker has been hired by young Jewelry designer Elise St. Dennis to find an ex-con who has somehow traced her to the small oceanside community. P.I. Rikker, also a kayaker, a whale watching tour operator and salvager, throws his energy into the search. As he moves in on the prey, events unfold in a terrifying manner. I guarantee you won’t figure it out until the end.
Black Ice opens with the frozen body of a young woman in a snow bank outside Lenore Featherjohn’s Fog Point bed and breakfast. Fearing her sons might be viewed as suspects, Lenore hires P.I. Jake Rikker to uncover the truth. As the mystery unravels, tensions rise between Lenore and Amy McLaren, the wife of the local minister. Secrets they both have held for too long are about to come out. And just as Dark Water kept me guessing until the end, Black Ice will not yield in secrets easily.
In both books, Linda Hall excels in plot and character development, relentlessly pulling readers into the story. I could feel the damp, clammy fog, smell the sea salt in the air, and hear the breakers and gulls along the shoreline. Hopefully we have not heard the last from Jake Rikker and the people down at Fog Point.
Eric Wright, editor of The Fellowship Link, a leading Canadian Christian magazine for Seniors published by the FEB Central Region of the Fellowship Baptists in Canada, is probably best known for his inspirational writing. Along with numerous articles, he has written five non-fiction titles.
He has now added suspense novelist to his resume. The Lighting File (Hidden Book Press, 2007), his first foray into the suspense mystery world, is a superb thriller set in Toronto and the surrounding area east of the city.
Josh Radley, a Toronto Times feature writer believes he has stumbled upon a conspiracy to launch terrorist attacks on the U.S. from Canadian soil. On the verge of losing his job at the newspaper, Radley virtually ignores assigned stories to chase what he believes is to be a career-making scoop. A shaky job situation and a struggling marriage complicated by the presence of an alluring Pakistani psychiatrist provide the backdrop for a spell-binding story. This frighteningly realistic plot with drugs, murder, terrorism and romance is everything expected in a 21st century suspense thriller.
One reviewer described The Lightning File as “an intriguing, realistic plot…[with] very believable characters,” then remarked, “I’d open the newspaper some mornings half expecting to read an update on this story!” Make sure you have plenty of reading time before starting this book; because once you start you won’t be able to stop. Let’s hope Josh Radley lives to star in a sequel to this thriller.
There are many Christian novelists around, but what I like about Linda Hall and Eric Wright is their ability (and willingness) to craft stories portraying Christian values in accurate ways. Their characters are believable, evidencing both good and bad qualities. People of faith do not always get it right, and both authors are willing to create true-to-life characters who wrestle with fear and doubt. These books are great choices for the readers on your gift giving list.
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Visit Eric Wright’s site to learn where The Lightning File and all his other books can be purchased.
Visit Linda Hall’s site to learn where Dark Water and Black Ice can be purchased. They can be purchased online by clicking on the titles below.
Dark Water, Fog Point Series #1
By Linda Hall / Random House, Inc
Black Ice, Fog Point Series #2
By Linda Hall / Random House, Inc