Ten Adventures of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton

In this collection of ten short stories published between 1911-1927, the ingenious Father Brown uses his brains and insights to solve crimes both large and small.  Created by G.K. Chesterton, Father Brown is rather dumpy Catholic priest who has an uncanny ability to peer into the evils of the human heart and walk away unscathed.  He uses intuition rather than deduction to discover the culprit behind the crime.

This was a new mystery series for me as I've never read anything by Chesterton before.  I must say that I'm really regretting the fact that I'm almost 35 years old and just discovering one of the most fascinating characters to grace mystery pages.  I've tended to stray away from mystery series that star religious figures.  I don't know that I would ever say it was a bias, but I never got the impression that I would enjoy them. I think it has more to do with the "Father Dowling Mysteries" TV show.  I'm not sure what it was, but I could never get into that show.  It actually bugged me quite a bit.

Father Brown, even though he is a priest, doesn't really "preach" while he is solving the crimes.  His religion never really enters into it, though I think because he's a priest he is able to look at the situation differently.  He is a man used to hearing other people's confessions.  He has probably heard people confess to things that would make most of our toes curl.  He puts himself in the criminals shoes and takes the place of the murderer.  He becomes the murderer in his mind and using the insight gained to solve the mystery.  It's a refreshing change from the classic detective who uses clues to accomplish the same goal.  The other aspect  I found fascinating was how Father Brown, who has to believe in the divine workings of God, doesn't allow himself to be distracted by supernatural explanations.  He scoffs at the idea and always discovers the more rational, human solution.

As for the stories themselves, they were all previously published in other collections and I must assume that they are a good look at Chesterton's writing style.  They are all well thought out, meticulous mysteries that don't drop a lot of clues.  Instead you are brought along on a journey with Father Brown as he processes the information.  I think some people would classify them as unfair since the solution doesn't follow a set of clues. I don't think that's fair though.  There is no solution that doesn't make sense in the context of all the information given.  Nothing seems to come out of the blue.  It's a great way to tell a story and I must confess, I can't wait to read more of them.

Challenges: M&S, VM

Homecoming by Jason Garrett

Synopsis From Back Cover:

On a perfect autumn night in the coastal village of Wicker Bay, a young couple was attacked and a life was forever changed. When teenager Nickel Warren awoke she learned her boyfriend, Eric, had mysteriously vanished. Seemingly the only person on Bishop’s Island eager to find him, Nickel devoted her life to learning what happened to her first love on that tragic night. Though the years provided no clues or comfort, she never allowed herself to stop believing Eric was alive.

Now, after an eighteen year absence Eric Kade has resurfaced on Bishop’s Island under circumstances as unsettling as his disappearance. Though reunited, Nickel’s search for answers is sidelined by another horrific event more deeply connected to her childhood sweetheart than she can imagine. Living as a preacher, Eric has traveled the world for nearly two decades hunting demons in a sect named The Progeny. But a chilling prophecy has named him as a threat and turned his fellow hunters against him.

With a sense of urgency, Eric has come back to the island not to rekindle the past but to protect the home he loves from an oncoming war. Relying on the help of a rare group of locals, he builds a network of his own to defend the unknowing against a world he has come to know too well. As he works to prepare a haven, Eric will strengthen his bond with Nickel and introduce her to a world of miraculous events and unholy terror.

Since the summary provides a really good introduction to the book, it will allow me to really explore how I felt about the book and my growing awareness of how diverse Christian fiction is. I'm going to be honest, I'm still a little confused by what makes a book fall under the category of Christian fiction.

The basic premise of the book is that there is a group of warriors who protect the world from demons, witches, and other such ilk.  They come from a wide range of backgrounds but are all deeply devoted to the mission.  Eric was one of the highest ranking members of the organization until the guy in charge claims to have a prophetic vision that reveals Eric will betray them and cause the death of another in the group.  Eric flees for his life even though many in the group don't believe it and even help him out later on.

When he gets home he meets up with his ex girlfriend and despite the fact they are both keeping secrets from each other, they tentatively start off where things left off.  The action quickly picks up (demonic not sexual) and before you know it Eric has a group of churchmen and laypeople around him who know the truth and are willing to help him out.  Throughout the violence there is quite a bit dialogue about God's love and redemption, which is why, at least I assume it's the reason, this is considered to be Christian fiction.

And that comes to the crux of the question I have about this book, what makes something Christian?  If it's just the fact that good Christian men, women, or churchmen fight evil and come out triumphantly because they have the strength of God on their side, then books like The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty and The Sentinel by Jeffrey Konvitz would have to be considered in the category.  I'm not sure anyone is willing to do that though.  Or does is rest solely in the intentions of the author, is it one of those situations that if the author or publisher say it's Christian fiction, then it is?  Is it the fact that beneath the violence and demon hunting that God's love and faith in him is what allows the characters to fight the good fight?  Is it simply that they two main characters never hook up sexually because Eric is now a pastor and sex outside of marriage is wrong?

This book left me more than a little curious about what defines the genre then I was about the book itself.  Now don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed this book and hopefully will be able to read the next one in the series, since this one ends in such a way I'm left with a burning desire to understand why a character is behaving the way they are.  So I'm going leave you by asking everyone a question, what in your opinions makes a book Christian fiction?

The Silent Gift by Michael Landon Jr. and Cindy Kelley

The decade of the thirties was a time of enormous uncertainty - for the world, for America, and in particular for one lonely, struggling mother and her disabled son. Their story is one of unyielding love and incredible sacrifices in the face of circumstances beyond belief.

But then The Gift appears...where has it come from, and why? How can a young boy who can not communicate provide comfort and direction to seekers who learn of his special ability? Whatever the source, its presence brings a single shaft of light and hope to Mary and her beloved son, Jack.... Will it be enough?

I've been sitting here for about 10 minutes now trying to decide how and what I want to say about this book. I had received an email from the publicist asking me if I wanted to review the book and I have been hesitant about excepting them since I had a really, really bad experience a few months ago. I went ahead and accepted anyway and now I'm sitting hear unsure of what I want to say about it. I just keep looking at the cover and find myself riveted by the simpleness yet overwhelming power of the image.

The coauthors are both screenwriters and the book read more like a movie than a book. I was able to visualise every little description in my head which isn't always the case with most books. The opening sequence is breathtaking. The authors describe the frantic nature of trying to get your wife to the hospital before she gives birth. The horror of losing control of the car and ending up in a body of water and the frantic effort to save your wife and unborn child. The scene ends with the wife giving birth in the water and holding her new baby up. It was brilliantly written and I'm still in awe thinking of it.

Based on the cover and the description of the book you would assume that Jack would be the central character, at least that was what I was expecting. However the story centers around Mary and her desire to build a better life for her son who is both deaf and mute. It starts when Mary leaves her emotionally detached husband and runs away with her son, which by the way is another beautifully written sequence.

The rest of the book details how Mary gains and loses on her overall goal and the role that "The Gift" plays in her plans. How she uses the gift of sight that God gave and how it is twisted by other's to serve their needs which causes Mary to lose control for a period of time. Mary tells everyone that Jack can see the future and gives it by writing, with numbers, the location of a Bible verse that applies to a particular person. Now I was able to figure out the twist pretty much in the beginning of the book when Mary leaves her husband but it's done so beautifully that I forgave the authors for not hiding it a little better.

My only issue with the book is that is focused on Mary so much that Jack was little more than a storytelling device. He was a brilliant storytelling device but in the end I was not able to really feel as much for Jack as I was able to for Mary. I think it was a combination of the fact he is both deaf and mute so remains just a little distant to the reader and the fact that he is kept in the shadows for a large portion of the book.

Overall I found this to be a heartwarming story of redemption and faith in the face of adversity. That the love of family and God will see you through hard times is at the core of this book and I'm really hoping they go ahead and write the screenplay for it.