A Bird, a Girl, and a Rescue, by J. A. Myhre

In this captivating novel, Kiisa, an eleven-year-old girl, finds herself in boarding school. The transition is a difficult one for her, but it is also filled with wonder, as she discovers a talking bird in her trunk among her things. This Messenger, Njili, relays news from home but also hints of a "rescue," and of interesting events to come.

Kiisa learns to navigate the new world of the school and begins coming into her own as a young woman, but events are turned upside down when rebels attack. And this gives Kiisa a new chance to seize the opportunities she is given to make a difference. Events hurtle to a compelling and action-packed conclusion.

My boys and I loved reading this novel. It was a great read-aloud book. I especially appreciated the immersion in East African culture (I'm assuming, based on the author's background, that it is quite authentic, since I don't have a first-hand way of judging), and enjoyed opening up my kids' eyes to other ways of life. The story is also filled with fascinating tinges of Christianity that come across as authentic and can stimulate further discussion. And the story was just a lot of fun. We haven't read the first book in the series yet (we most definitely will be doing so soon!), and it isn't required background for this book, though there are a few allusions to the earlier story.

In all, this is a great book. My boys (nine and six) all loved it and gave it two thumbs up. The language was often a stretch for the six-year-old, but he was still able to follow along, and my nine-year-olds were fully immersed in the action. I've no doubt they'll read this book on their own in the coming years.

Thanks to New Growth Press and to Cross Focused Reviews and Shaun Tabatt for the review copy of this book.

P. D. James, Unnatural Causes

Just had to throw a quick review of a great mystery up here. This early entry in the Adam Dalgliesh series certainly has all of the hallmarks of James's best writing. Dalgliesh takes center stage, even though he's not the lead detective on the murder in question. He is on vacation in the quiet Monksmere area at Pentlands, the home of his aunt, when one of the locals floats ashore in a small boat dead with his hands cut off. This sets off an odd yet interesting investigation, as all of the members of the small local community are the inevitable suspects. There were a few parts that seemed to drag for me, but the finish was satisfying and the characters were well wrought. A great classic mystery. Not in the class of some of James's best, but still worth the time.

Jim Gavin, Middle Men

In this outstanding collection of short stories, Jim Gavin brings to life an array of men (and a few supporting women as well) who are struggling to find their way through life. The central characters range from a high-school basketball player to a plumbing-products representative on the verge of retirement, though his main focus is on men in their late twenties and early thirties. In we are given a window in to the lives of each, their hopes and dreams, as well their struggles. The composite picture that emerges presents plenty of futility and listlessness, though it isn't completely without hope. These stories provide an insightful portrait of life that is coming to typify a generation, though it certainly isn't restricted to today's twenties and thirties. Gavin also wrestles with the question of role models and influences. I think the question of what it means to be a man in today's Western culture is an essential one. I too have lived the listlessness of a uncertain future and no clear plan, and these characters certainly ring true to that. But this is an even bigger issue for me as a father to three young boys. So savor these stories, and wrestle with these questions. We must.

Thanks to the publisher and the Amazon Vine program for the review copy.

P. D. James, Devices and Desires

This twenty-year-old novel proves once again that P. D. James is truly a master of the mystery genre. In this installment of the Adam Dalgliesh mystery series, her protagonist finds himself on England's sparsely populated headlands to attend to matters of his deceased aunt's estate. Meanwhile England's latest serial killer is on the loose. And his latest victim is an employee at the near-by nuclear power plant that dominates the headland. Though Dalgliesh is off-duty while out in the country, his proximity to events, and his discovery of what seems like the latest victim while walking along the beach involves him in the mysterious events.

This book, like all of James's mysteries, is filled with well-developed characters that give verisimilitude to her stories, that give real humanity to the victims, to those touched by the killings, and even to the suspects. This serves both to give depth to the narrative and to heighten the tension of the mystery, as it makes suspects more interesting but also keeps you guessing as to who the real perpetrator may be. Devices and Desires also contains some great dialogue that probes deeper issues, such as the detective's relationship to death, or the possible continuing relevance of the category of sin, or the possibility of justice in a world full of twisted devices and desires that enmesh our lives. This mystery does not disappoint. It is well written, thoughtfull, and entertaining, and comes to a satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend it.

J. Mark Bertrand, Pattern of Wounds

I love to read fiction, as well as non-fiction (and Tony Reinke's Lit! gives some good reasons for Christians to do just that, though for me, one key reason is simply that I love to read a good story). And I love to read fiction that engages with Christian themes, which sometimes means reading "Christian fiction," though that's a difficult category to nail down for sure. When offered a review copy of Mark Bertrand's second book, I thought it looked intriguing and decided to take it on, and I'm glad I did. Pattern of Wounds is the second "Roland March Mystery" from Bertrand. I haven't yet read the first, but my interest is certainly piqued. In this relatively classic who-done-it, a girl is found brutally murdered and grotesquely positioned near her landlord's swimming pool. The pursuit for the killer starts out routine enough, but quickly intertwines with one of March's earlier cases which is now being challenged on appeal, and is soon intertwined with a possible serial killer case connecting dozens of deaths around Texas. Suspects come and go, and the case heats up when March's wife is brutally attacked in his house. The action builds to a series of discoveries that break open the case. Pattern of Wounds is published by Bethany House, putting it squarely in the traditional "Christian fiction" world, but it breaks out of the mold in a number of ways. The most prevalent way is that its main character, Roland March, isn't a Christian but is instead a skeptic, sometimes ignoring and sometimes wrestling with his wife's faith. And while Christian themes are present, in sometimes powerful ways, it's not preachy, and there are no facile or obvious conclusions drawn. March comes off as an honest character, and an authentic one. And the book is better for it. I greatly enjoyed Pattern of Wounds, a thoughtful, plausible, and authentic murder mystery with much to offer. I'm glad to recommend it. Thanks to Bethany House for the review copy.

New P. D. James mystery forthcoming

Knopf has announced on their website a new P. D. James novel that will be coming out December 6, 2011: Death Comes to Pemberly. It is a novel taking up the setting and characters of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and involving them in a murder mystery five years after Austen's novel leaves off. I have enjoyed P. D> James's novels immensely (especially Death in Holy Orders). Her writing is wonderful, her characters, and especially her main characters, have great depth, and theological themes often intertwine with the mysteries at hand. So I look forward to this one.

Ben Witherington, Roman Numerals

Roman numerals is the second Art West adventure from Ben and Ann Witherington. Ben is a prolific and widely respected biblical scholar who has written widely in new testament history, exegesis and theology. Ann is his biology-professor wife. And together they have crafted this series of adventure mysteries. In this second installment, Art West finds himself investigating a major antiquities heist, and he is later abducted by an Islamic group that wants to silence his christian witness. The books are relatively well written, and have lots of action as well as some interesting characters. Much of the action takes place in Jerusalem and in archaeological sites in its surrounding hills, and the Witheringtons show sensativity to the complex historical, cultural, and theological situation there. Also a major theme in this book was Art's ficticious investigations into the presence and extent of the emperor cult in the first century, and especially in Palestine. this theme especially is helped by a brief author's note at the end of the book that details which archeological finds and ancient artifacts were real and which were ficticuous. I won't ruin the plot by outlining it here, but there is enough action woven together with thoughtful and authentic historical detail to make these great books, especially for people with interest in Biblical history and archaeology, and not to mention an ability to explore the content and implications of Christian faith. I look forward to reading the third installment.