Vigilante by Robin Parrish

It is many years in the future and the United States is a place of crime and unrest. Nolan Gray, former Special Forces and prisoner of war, has decided to do something about it. He fakes his death and becomes a masked vigilante. With the help of two friends, he sets out to help people and show that there is a better way to live. But the bad guys aren’t going to give up without a fight, so Nolan has quite the task ahead of him.

I loved the Dominion Trilogy and the two stand-alone novels that Robin Parrish has written. I loved this book even more. Parrish’s writing is suburb, and the story is very easy to get into. I have always enjoyed superhero stories, and this book is no exception. It is a fun, fast-paced novel that will be a great summer read. I really hope that Robin is able to find a much larger audience because this story needs to be read. Highly recommended

The God Hater by Bill Myers

Nicholas Mackenzie is a staunch atheist, who will do whatever he can to criticize religion. When his brother, Travis, creates an artificial intelligence program to imitate society, he asks Nicholas for help. It seems that no matter what kind of society Travis creates, the members end up killing themselves. It is Nicholas’ job to find the philosophical ideas to create the perfect society. As Nicholas begins to help out, he doesn’t like what he finds.

This is the first book I have read by Bill Myers, and I really enjoyed it. I wasn’t sure about the book when I started it, but I was quickly captivated. This story is a great illustration of God’s love and the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. I would compare this allegory to the Circle Series by Ted Dekker. Myers is able to show the power of the Gospel through a more modern tale. While a novel cannot come close to reading Scripture, this is a powerful book that I highly recommend.

Indivisible by Kristen Heitzmann

Jonah Westfall is the police chief in the town of Redford, Colorado. While he works to keep people safe, he has his own issues to deal with. There is a dark family history as well as a 9-year conflict with former friend Tia Manning. When Jonah discovers a pair of mutilated raccoons, he takes the case head on. Jonah will do whatever it takes to keep Redford safe. He finds that he cannot ignore his personal issues either, so he has a lot on his plate.

This is the second book I’ve read by Kristen Heitzmann and I’m really starting to enjoy her writing. The story is interesting all the way through and there is a message of hope within the story. A couple problems I found are that she tends to rush events which makes the story a bit confusing at times. Also some of the dialogue seems rushed, but these issues don’t take away from the story. There is the theme of unity throughout this book which adds to the enjoyment of the story. I did have the story mostly figured out by the end, but it was a fun read. I’m looking forward to reading more of her books in the future. Recommended.

The Resurrection by Mike Duran

Ruby Case is a quiet, church-going mother whose world is turned upside down when she raises a young boy from the dead. People start coming from all over to see Ruby and she isn’t sure what to do about it. Reverend Ian Clark, Ruby’s pastor, is about to turn in his resignation when he hears about the resurrection. He now has a decision to make about what to do with this situation. The quiet town of Stonetree will never be the same… And this may be for the better.

While I did enjoy this debut novel by Mike Duran, I had a tough time getting into it. The characters are hard to relate to, and the dialogue often seems forced. It is a good story of redemption and hope, but it just wasn’t that great. Mike Duran is a good storyteller who just needs to work more on his novel writing.

The Strange Man by Greg Mitchell

The Strange Man is book one in The Coming Evil Trilogy by Greg Mitchell. The story takes place in a small quiet town where evil is approaching. Dras Weldon is a young man with no direction in his life. He is living life one day at a time. His brother Jeff is a pastor and cannot get Dras to find any meaning in life. After a storm, strange things start happening, and Dras comes face to face with evil. If he wants to survive, Dras will have to realize that the only way to defeat evil is with God.

I’ve read several Christian horror novels, and I have enjoyed them all. Unfortunately, they get many negative reviews from Christians who complain that there is not enough talk about Jesus. Well this is the book for them. This is a horror novel, but there is a great deal about Jesus and Scripture. I don’t feel that every book by a Christian author has to have someone convert to Christianity, but Greg Mitchell must know how the market works. I did enjoy this book and look forward to the next book to see what happens. I hope that Mitchell can work on his dialogue a bit, but overall it was an enjoyable read that most Christians will love. Recommended.

Pujols: More than the Game by Scott Lamb and Tim Ellsworth

This book chronicles the first half of Albert Pujols amazing career. Albert has been considered one of the all-time great baseball players and this book shows how great he has been year in and year out. But what this book does is show that Albert is more than just a baseball player. He is an ardent follower of Jesus Christ. In our society faith is mostly ignored, but it is hard to ignore a man of such great faith. Albert puts God first in his life with everything he does. He knows that there is much more to life than baseball.

As a Cardinals fan, I really enjoyed reading about Albert’s career, but I enjoyed reading about his life even more. He is not just another shallow celebrity; he is a man who gives back to society. He works with those with Down syndrome and makes trips to help in his native Dominican Republic. I can only hope that people read this book and follow in Albert’s footsteps. One problem with this book was the emphasis on stats which can be tough for non-baseball fans. Still, this is a very enjoyable read about one of the most remarkable men in our country.

A Rush of Wings by Kristen Heitzmann

Noelle St. Claire is running away from her life, and she ends up in small town in Colorado. Nested deep in the Rockies, Noelle feels like this is the place for her to be. The owner of the ranch she is staying at, Rick Morgan, likes Noelle, but isn’t sure about getting in a relationship. His brother Morgan tries to start a relationship with Noelle right away. Noelle doesn’t know what to think about these two brothers, but she is perfectly happy in her new environment. Unfortunately the past that Noelle is running away from catches up to her. She is going to need help to overcome these issues and have a happy future.

I don’t read many books by female authors, but I enjoyed this book a great deal. While I would consider this a romance novel, it is filled with suspense and action. I was unable to put the book down for the last 150 pages as I could feel the emotion of the main characters surge through my body. This is a story of pain, love, and hope for the future. This book also motivated me to look at my life, and see if I was living the way I should with God being my number one priority.