The Bride Collector by Ted Dekker

My hopes for this novel were set very high. Being a fan of the work that Ted Dekker is doing with Center Street Publishers I have anticipated reading The Bride Collector since I finished Boneman’s Daughters, also published by Center Street, and I must say that I was in no way, shape or form let down. The Bride Collector delivers… big.
It is the story of FBI agent Brad Raines, the man who is relentlessly chasing a killer known as the Bride Collector, and of Paradise Founder, an innocent girl hiding in a psychiatric institute from a world that has shown her nothing but hate. The two come together when it is realized that Paradise has a special ability that may hold the key to unlocking the Bride Collectors secrets. As the two begin to decode the killer’s clues, they are forced to decode a growing attraction towards one another, as well.
You’ve read thrillers. And you’ve read a few romances. But have you read anything like The Bride Collector? This is the first novel I’ve read that had an almost perfect blend of thrills and romance. One chapter you are on the edge of your seat wondering what the killers next move will be and the very next chapter you are caught up in a heart touching love story. The two are blended seamlessly. Both compliment each other. And neither suffer at the hand of the other.
Whether you plan to marvel at it’s beauty or shriek at it’s terror… this is a story you want to read.

Burn by Ted Dekker & Erin Healy

The past Janeal thought had burned away is rising from the ashes.

Years ago, the Gypsy Kumpania where Janeal Mikkado lived was attacked by outsiders. With her best friend about to be consumed by a fire, Janeal had two options: try to save her friend–at serious risk to her own life–or disappear with the million dollars that she had just discovered . . .

But the past is quickly coming back to haunt her. Both the best friend and the boyfriend that she was sure were dead have reappeared in her life, as has someone who knows about the money. There’s a debt to be paid for the money she found, but there’s an even greater debt she must face–and if the chaff isn’t burned from her own heart, it will consume her.

Burn is a story of evil within yourself. It talks about the ability that every man has to make a choice. And it talks about the result of that choice... no matter which way you choose.
It is a novel that is very easy to read and mentally consuming! I LOVED this book! It was fun to read, and it has a lesson that everyone needs to learn or be reminded of.

Comes a Horseman by Robert Liparulo

Reeling from a series of attempts on their lives, FBI agents Brady Moore and Alicia Wagner follow a trail of evidence that leads to a conspiracy a thousand years in the making. Finding clues in the dusty tomes of the Vatican's Secret Archives and the paintings of William Blake and Hieronymus Bosche, they plunge deep into a pit of evil ambition.

Released in 2005 by Robert Liparulo, Comes a Horseman won the praise of critiques far and wide.
I have searched Amazon, Barnes and Noble dot com, book review websites, and I have even talked to people who have read the book... EVERYONE that read this book loved it. And I now stand among them.


The writing is phenomenal.
The plot line is intriguing and intense.
The characters are very human, with problems that others can relate to.
The villain is more evil than evil.
And even the ending is accompanied by a twist that most will never see coming.

I do warn you however, this is not a book for children or the faint of heart. It has a few scenes that can get pretty graphic as far as blood and gore goes. Not one that I would recommend for younger people.

Comes a Horseman is one of the best books that I read last year. Robert Liparulo has since released a few more books, all of which are highly acclaimed, and I can not wait to read them!

I give it 4 stars and will gladly call it a "must read".

Elisha's Bones by Don Hoesel - Reviewed by Emilee Iseminger

The bones of the prophet once raised the dead to life... but they vanished from history in a whisper. Now Jack Hawthorne, part-time skeptic and full-time professor of archaeology, is enlisted to sift them from the sands of time. Bankrolled by a dying man of unlimited means, Hawthorne's hunt spans the globe and leads him into a deadly conspiracy older than the church itself. And he soon discovers those sworn to keep the secret of the bones will do anything to protect them.

Elisha's bones is the type of book you don't like while your reading, but after your done you at least semi-like it.
It's written in first person, which at least for me was hard to get used to. This book has a great story with a few twists in it so it keeps you interested. All and all I enjoyed the book. It was worth the read because of the story. The writing is not all that great, but if you stick with it, it pays off in the end.
I'd recommend this book to someone who does not over critique or who does not need perfect writing.
I'd give it two and a half (out of five) stars.

Not my favorite, but I am glad that I read it.

Ulterior Motives by Mark Andrew Olsen

When an al-Qaida email is intercepted, promising a New Year's Day attack on America, it leads to the capture of the group's leader. But even under fierce interrogation, the terrorist clings to his jihadist beliefs and resists divulging anything of the threat. Desperate, the Army resorts to a contingency paper that proposes to break a subject's resistance by inducing a religious conversion. One hitch: the top-secret attempt must be masked as an offer of clemency, and must rely on a completely innocent mentor, a so-called witness who is unaware of the project's true aims. They find that witness in Greg Cahill, a disgraced FBI agent who has since turned to Christ and serves in a prison ministry. Lured by an offer of restoration, as well as the lifting of a restraining order that's keeping him from seeing his son, Greg begins an unlikely friendship with a man the entire country despises. Despite himself, he begins to share his faith--yet with a combustible result unforeseen by either himself or his government handlers.

This was a book that I can honestly say I enjoyed reading. However it wasn't without it's problems.
I feel that the author could have explored the feelings of his characters more. I myself enjoy emotional stories very much. This book had the potential to be EXTREMELY emotional, but, once again, I feel the author didn't do a very good job of conveying the characters emotions.
That being said, it wasn't a bad book. It wasn't a great book, but it certainly was an interesting plot. It is a story of the ultimate forgiveness and I feel that book was very clear in showing the power of God's Forgiveness.

All in all: It was a little unrealistic. It didn't explore what the characters were feeling enough. But it did have action, suspense, a plot that kept you interested, and a good message.

I give it 2.5 stars.

Offworld by Robin Parrish

Christopher Burke and his crew of NASA astronauts are the first human beings to walk on the surface of Mars. Their return to Earth was supposed to be a momentous day. But a surprise is waiting for them there that's beyond imagining.
Safe after a treacherous landing in Florida, the crew emerges to find the unthinkable: every man, woman, child, and animal has vanished without a trace.
It's not a dream.
It's not a trick.
It's real.
Alone now on their home planet, the crew sets out to discover the extraordinary secret behind the disappearance of mankind. And whether or not everyone can be brought back.
But they may not be as alone as they thought.

This is the first stand-alone novel that Robin Parrish has had published. His previous novels are Relentless, Fearless, and Merciless, which make up the acclaimed Dominion Trilogy. He is an excellent author and his novels are very well written, but if you want to read his stuff, and I recommend that you do, start with the Dominion Trilogy.
Offworld was very well written and kept me captivated... until the last 20 pages or so. I was constantly wondering what was going on and couldn't wait to find out what caused the human race to disappear. But once it was revealed and I thought it was wrapped up rather nicely, the author took another turn and I don't know why. He revealed this piece of information that didn't need to be revealed and it ruined the ending. It ruined it because it was never fully explained and it didn't even make sense.
I hate that I must give a perfectly good book a bad review because of one imperfection, but when the book is over the only thing you can think about is this ONE problem.

It had it's problems, as most books do, but all in all I can say that I enjoyed Reading the book. It's not a high-octane thriller, but it most certainly has its fair share of suspense. Both in story and event.

I am going to give it an overall 3 stars. If you like suspense this is one you may want to pick up, but if you like thrills and a "complete" story... Skip this one.

Boneman's Daughters by Ted Dekker

Boneman - The perfect father looking for the perfect daughter and a sadistic killer who wants nothing more than to break the bones of a daughter who shows herself unworthy to have the ONLY perfect father.

Bethany Evans - The girl who must prove herself the perfect daughter, or have her bones broken.

Ryan Evans - The father of Boneman's latest victim, who just might do anything to get her back.

The FBI - The people who think Ryan Evans is Boneman!

Boneman's Daughers is the best novel of Ted Dekker's that I have read yet. He masterfully takes the reader on a ride that you don't want to stop! It is a blockbuster combination of action and gut-wrenching reality. Both of which shine through the pages with more power than any of his previous novels.

Those of who have previously read Ted Dekker know that his stories always harbour hidden meaning. You might not see it right up front, but the more you think and read the more you begin to see a deeper meaning emerging from the story. Boneman's Daughters is the same way.
While it is the story of a serial killer who breaks the bones of his imperfect victims. It is also the story of a fathers undying love. And an allegory for OUR own Heavenly Father's undying love. A picture of God's unconditional love for his children. No matter what we do to him and no matter what we say to him he will ALWAYS love us... and nothing can change that.

Boneman's Daughters is the best book that I have read this year and it is an absolute MUST READ. Whether you are looking for terror, a deeper meaning, or both you will NOT be disappointed.

Green by Ted Dekker

Green is book zero, the beginning and the end, in the Circle Series. It is unique because it both completes the series for those who have read the other three books (Black, Red, and White) and starts the series for those who have not.

The Circle takes place in two separate realities. One which is the closest to our world, about 2060 A.D., and the other, which is in the future, about 4030 A.D.
The story is about a man named Thomas Hunter who one day falls asleep in the city of Denver (present earth) and wakes in a place called the black forest (future earth). He soon discovers that when he falls asleep in one reality he awakes in the other.
Green starts about 30 years after Thomas first fell into the black forest. His people have lost all hope, while Samuel the son of Thomas Hunter has questioned the ways of the Circle who lives in peace, not fighting against their enemy the Horde. He has gathered together forces in the valley of Migdon to wage one final battle on those who have rejected the ways of their creator, Elyon.

I was very impressed with this book. Those of you who have read other novels by Ted Dekker know that he has a very unique writing hand, and Green does not stray from the path. I would not recommend this book to a little kid due to the fact that it has some rather graphic battle scenes and excessive gore in multiple parts, but should be fine for older kids ( I plan on having my little sister read it). I would not recommend starting the series with Green, because you know how the story ends when you read the other three books.
The whole series is a beautiful portrayal of the love that our creator has for us.
Whether you start with Black or Green you are in for a treat, and I am sure you will love it either way. I highly recommend it.

You can view the trailer, get wallpapers, and buy the book by clicking here.

P.S. The trailer explains the series better than I ever could, and it is VERY entertaining.