I am so happy to have been a part of judging the Mystery and Thriller Category of the INSPYs for 2011. We had five exceptional books to choose from and I will be sharing my thoughts on each one individually over the next few days. The author who won for this category has over thirty novels to his name, writes the popular Patrick Bowers series and is a sought-after speaker for writers. Steven James received his MA in storytelling from East Tennessee State University and continues to live in Tennessee with his wife and three daughters.
Publisher: Revell Books | Published: July 1, 2010
Genre: Thriller/Christian Fiction | 523 pages | ISBN: 978-0800733025
The Bishop, selected as the INSPY Mystery/Thriller winner, is the fourth book in the Patrick Bowers series. I had not read the previous three books, The Pawn, The Rook or The Knight; but I did not feel that made the reading of The Bishop any less enjoyable. I have since gone back and ordered the first three and his most recent, The Queen, No. 5 in the Patrick Bowers series.
Well, what is so great about Patrick Bowers? He is an FBI Agent raising his 17-year old stepdaughter whose mother passed away shortly into their marriage. He has tremendous integrity, yet makes honest mistakes and missteps in his life that come across humanly raw and very real. Tessa, his stepdaughter, is written by an author who truly knows what it is like to hang around a 17-year old for any significant amount of time. In The Bishop a young woman is found brutally murdered at an animal research facility. While attempting to solve the case before others meet the same fate, Patrick Bowers has to deal with critical personal issues that cannot wait either.
If I had to choose my favorite character out of The Bishop, it would definitely be Tessa. There are several monologues throughout the book where she is attempting to reconcile what she has learned about God, religion and Christianity with what is actually happening in her world. I thought perhaps Mr. James had talked to my own 17 year old daughter to pattern Tessa after, she was that real for me. Her intelligence, maturity, and even her immature actions are so par for that age. Tessa's questions about religion, including Buddhism, were woven into the story line with incredible finesse. And Patrick and Tessa's relationship was painted with a master's brush.
The Bishop is one of those thrillers that grabs you from the first sentence and does not let go until long after the story is over. There are philosophical questions dealing with animal rights v. human life and the role of God in one's life. This book I would feel comfortable giving to both the regular Christian Thriller reader and the secular Thriller reader - Mr. James deftly tackles the questions about God throughout the novel in such a manner that I felt the very questions my daughter or even I have had were sought after in The Bishop. And if you love a great thriller with a surprising ending - well, you cannot go wrong with The Bishop!
Many thanks to the INSPY's for having me back again this year to judge.
And a huge thank you to the publisher for the complimentary review copy!
Blessings!
I had not heard a lot about this book before, but it's good to hear the award is going to a worthy winner! These sound like books I might like to check out at some point. Great review, Stacy!
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of this author, congrats to him. How fun to have been a judge Stacy, I look forward to all the books you will feature.
ReplyDeleteStacy, I wanted to stop by to wish you a wonderful Holiday; hope it means special time with family and friends.
ReplyDelete