Wil's Bones

Rating:
Summary: Worst book I've ever read
Review: The most laughably written, most preposterous story line and the most contrived book I have ever read. No thinking person, let alone someone who can read, should be caught dead with this pathetic tale. Although I read it about 2 years ago, I still cringe at the memory of it. Just awful.

Rating:
Summary: A good first book
Review: This book has a great premise, but I'm afraid it misses out a bit and has a "rushed" feel to it at times. The idea of finding the "bones of Jesus" was done almost a decade ago by Paul Maier in "A Skeleton in God's Closet", and it was done better. Mr. Maier's book took time to carefully weave a reason for everything, and the end results of the world's reactions to the discovery were so chilling at times it was scary. This book follows a slightly similar storyline, except the main character is antagonistic toward Christianity in general to the point that it makes it hard to sympathize with him. Most characters are quickly introduced and thrown into the plot and we are forced to learn about them along the way. The end result is that we end up finally getting to know the person right before the book ends. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book and it was a great read - and if I'd never read the earlier book by Mr. Maeir I would have probably given it much higher stars...instead, I sort of saw this as a TV movie rather than blockbuster. Still I recommend you give it a read. It's a great book for those nights curled up in front of the fireplace.

Rating:
Summary: A good first book
Review: This book has a great premise, but I'm afraid it misses out a bit and has a "rushed" feel to it at times. The idea of finding the "bones of Jesus" was done almost a decade ago by Paul Maier in "A Skeleton in God's Closet", and it was done better. Mr. Maier's book took time to carefully weave a reason for everything, and the end results of the world's reactions to the discovery were so chilling at times it was scary. This book follows a slightly similar storyline, except the main character is antagonistic toward Christianity in general to the point that it makes it hard to sympathize with him. Most characters are quickly introduced and thrown into the plot and we are forced to learn about them along the way. The end result is that we end up finally getting to know the person right before the book ends. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book and it was a great read - and if I'd never read the earlier book by Mr. Maeir I would have probably given it much higher stars...instead, I sort of saw this as a TV movie rather than blockbuster. Still I recommend you give it a read. It's a great book for those nights curled up in front of the fireplace.

Rating:
Summary: A good first book
Review: This book has a great premise, but I'm afraid it misses out a bit and has a "rushed" feel to it at times. The idea of finding the "bones of Jesus" was done almost a decade ago by Paul Maier in "A Skeleton in God's Closet", and it was done better. Mr. Maier's book took time to carefully weave a reason for everything, and the end results of the world's reactions to the discovery were so chilling at times it was scary. This book follows a slightly similar storyline, except the main character is antagonistic toward Christianity in general to the point that it makes it hard to sympathize with him. Most characters are quickly introduced and thrown into the plot and we are forced to learn about them along the way. The end result is that we end up finally getting to know the person right before the book ends. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book and it was a great read - and if I'd never read the earlier book by Mr. Maeir I would have probably given it much higher stars...instead, I sort of saw this as a TV movie rather than blockbuster. Still I recommend you give it a read. It's a great book for those nights curled up in front of the fireplace.

Rating:
Summary: Great action and dialogue!
Review: This is an excellent novel, which demonstrates the authors knowledge of the weakness of humanity and the volatility of world politics and religion. The unexpected plot turns make for an adventurous read, and the dialogue flowed with an ease which made it a pleasure to turn the pages.

Rating:
Summary: Fast paced, exiciting political thriller!
Review: This novel was exceptional. The plot was well presented and had many twists and turns that kept the reader on the edge of their seat. I could not put it down! Whether or not you are of the Christian faith did not matter, it touched upon everyone and the idea of the impact of the "find" involved people of all faiths! A great novel for those who love suspense, intrigue and unexpected endings.

Rating:
Summary: Fast-moving plot, thankfully
Review: This really wasn't my type of book. It's an interesting premise, and I had heard various people recommend it, but it left me with a blah feeling. It is a fairly engaging adventure, and it's kinda fun following people through the story. But a lot of the stuff was really quite routine, and partially due to the fantastic nature of the book, a lot of it just seemed outlandish, even reading in a huh-wouldn't-it-be-interesting-if-this-happened mindset. It probably was not my cup of tea, but I was glad for the fast-moving plot: I was able to get on to another book as quickly as possible.

Rating:
Summary: Wil's Bones
Review: This was a phenomenal book. It grabs your attention and doesn't let go. You will find it very difficult to put down. The story is intriguing and entertaining. I am anxiously awaiting his next book.

Esther

Rating:
Summary: Surprising! Kept me on the edge of my seat!
Review: Thought provoking! I found the plot fascinating as it leads down some very interesting paths. Its contemporary setting is cleverly cloaked in historical significance as both past and present are woven into a tapestry of mystery and intrigue. I found myself surprised throughout as I was continually confronted with the unexpected. Fun! Fast-paced! Thrilling! Can't wait for his next book!

Rating:
Summary: Religious preaching
Review: Under the guise of a fairly good mystery comes more preaching. As is common with The Christian Right we were fooled in to thinking that this was a pretty common mystery book. As it turns out it is preaching to us the authors personal religious beliefs. There is nothing wrong with that if it were not in fact buried in the book. Not until about half way through did I start to get inklings that something underlying was up here. Not a pleasant experience at all.