30 A.D. – Ted Dekker

©2014 Center Street, New York

Ted Dekker is one of the more popular writers in a new generation. I personally have jumped on his bandwagon for several of his thrillers (such as Thr3e, and Showdown), was impressed with a couple of hisChristmas tales, but haven’t enjoyed some of his writing nearly as much. That’s okay, because sometimes we get so caught up in an author that we are blind to the things that they write that aren’t so good (I have blind spots for JohnGrisham and Bill Crider). In this new book, Dekker stretches his Christian beliefs to the highest of heights and attempts a story set in the days of the New Testament and resting heavily on the shoulders of the saints who penned the sacred books.

Dekker weaves for us the tale of an outcast Bedouin princess (Maviah) who finds herself on a task to earn back her father’s honor and avenge her son’s murder. Aided by two of her father’s trusted servants—a large black mercenary (Saba) and a Jew descended from the wise men who followed a star, she sets out on her quest. The mission leads her from the oasis stronghold, now overrun by her father’s enemies, into the land of Palestine. Here she meets with King Herod, as well as with Miriam (Mary), Peter, and even Yeshua (Jesus). In the midst of her travels and struggles she finds her heart changed and her view of her mission re-structured.

The historical setting and Biblical background of the story give the reader pause because of the attention to detail and the desire for accuracy. Dekker did such a superb job of weaving this story that I can hardly wait for 33 A.D. (the promised follow-up story). I give this book an easy five reading glasses. Even those who are skeptical of the truth of the Scriptural record will find this story intriguing, inviting, and interesting.

—Benjamin Potter, December 16, 2014

The Drummer Boy – Ted Dekker

©2006 J. Countryman, Nashville

[from previous post: This weekend as we were driving around on our anniversary, the Blushing Bride and I (kids in tow) happened upon a new Christian bookstore having their grand opening (on “Black Friday” no less). We decided to stop in and take a gander. What we found on their special extra Christmas discount table were a couple of books by Dekker—Christmas Tales. And since I try to read a Christmas story or three every Christmas season, we picked them up.]

In a follow-up Christmas Tale to The Promise, Ted Dekker whisks his readers to the “near future,” a time when people celebrate “the Holiday.” The Holiday happens on the 25^th of December each year to celebrate the joys and wonders of commerce. It is a time of giving and receiving gifts to show how well the City is doing.

Enter Daniel, the son of a Circus drummer. Daniel, because of boyish tom-foolery when he was young, has stiff wrists, but he still hopes to be an expert drummer like his father one day. A secret meeting with the Circus Property Man lands Daniel a small and ancient drum. The drum comes with a story and with some magic, all because the drum must be played for the King—a King that has long been forgotten and turned away by the people of the City.

Inspired and based on the lyrics of the classic Christmas song of the same name, this book speaks of courage in the face of overwhelming odds in order to sing (and play) for the King of kings whose birthday we celebrate on December 25^th.

This charming little book is easy to read and will do what all good Christmas Tales do – remind the reader of how special this season is and bring a quick tear to the eye in the process. I give The Drummer Boy four out of five reading glasses.

 

—Benjamin Potter, November 28, 2011

The Promise – Ted Dekker

 

©2005 J. Countryman, Nashville

When I like Ted Dekker’s stories, I really like them. When I don’t like them, I usually can’t finish them. That’s okay though. I don’t have to be enamored by every author I read. Nor do I have to like everything written by the authors I do like. I don’t always like everything that I write. Dekker – at least in my experience – is a master of the suspense novel. His typical story takes you on a web of twists and turns and then drops a bomb on you at the very last minute.

This weekend as we were driving around on our anniversary, the Blushing Bride and I (kids in tow) happened upon a new Christian bookstore having their grand opening (on “Black Friday” no less). We decided to stop in and take a gander. What we found on their special extra Christmas discount table were a couple of books by Dekker—Christmas Tales. And since I try to read a Christmas story or three every Christmas season, we picked them up.

The first of them transports us back to the biblical account of the Nativity. The story focuses on a mute orphan boy named Rueben. Adopted by a loving woman who is the wife of the leader of a traveling band of shepherds, his (new) mother is his only support and protector. When disease strikes and takes her from him, life becomes more difficult for the re-orphaned boy. All he has to cling to is his mother’s dying promise that God will one day give Reuben his voice, and the shawl she left as a token of the promise.

In this very short tale, Dekker weaves together a number of the most classic of Christmas narrative elements: shepherds, angels, inns, stables, Bethlehem. (If you read St. Luke’s account in chapter 2 of the Gospel bearing his nameyou’ll find the background for this tale.) The Savior, his mother Mary and earthly father Joseph, also put in an appearance. Here’s a story you’ll want to get and cherish, and read with your children Christmas after Christmas. I give it five out of five reading glasses.

—Benjamin Potter, November 28, 2011

Adam – Ted Dekker

©2008 Thomas Nelson, Nashville

Ted Dekker doesn’t always hit the mark for me (see my review of Skin). Even so, he hit a home run with his recent thriller Adam.

Adam is the story of a serial killer known to the FBI as Eve. He has killed fifteen young women in as many months, and law enforcement officials are hoping to catch him before number sixteen. He kills every new moon and has developed the habit of writing the word “Eve” on the wall over his victims in blood, leaving the victims in basements, cellars, and caves.

Daniel Clark is the behavioral psychologist who leads the chase of the elusive Eve. His obsession with catching the killer has cost him his marriage, and perhaps his sanity. Upon locating victim sixteen alive, Daniel comes face to face with Eve and is shot for his effort. New team member Lori Ames, a pathologist imported from Phoenix to help in identifying and catching Eve, works feverishly to resuscitate Daniel after the fatal wound. Through some miracle (which Daniel doesn’t believe in) her efforts are rewarded, and Daniel lives again to obsess over Eve.

When Eve takes Daniel’s ex-wife, Heather, as victim number 17, Daniel determines to catch up to the killer and save Heather, even if he must die in the process.

Adam reads like a procedural part of the time and a suspense/thriller at other times. Dekker throws in the cleaned up “reporter’s” account in the form of periodic interruptions throughout the book that claims to be a “Nine part series” of reporter Anne Rudolph. For Crime Today, Rudolph chronicles the lifelong travails of kidnap victims Alex and Jessica Price. In essence, you get two takes on the same tale from two different perspectives.

This is a work reminiscent of Dekker’s earlier rocker Thr3e. If you’re fond of suspense or thriller writing (especially with a whopper of a twist) you’ll enjoy this read. I know I did. I give Adam 4.5 out of 5 reading glasses.

—Benjamin Potter, January 30, 2009

Sinner – Ted Dekker

©2008 Thomas Nelson, Nashville

I tested my on-again, off-again reader’s relationship with Ted Dekker the past couple of weeks. Dekker is the breakthrough author of books that have loose connections (or not so loose connections) with each other. His early works thrilled the Christian reading community because they followed the age-old pattern set by pioneers in the Christian fiction industry. I believe that the departure from this well-worn path started with Thr3e. The stretching of his writing wings brought in an entirely new readership for Dekker. It also prompted me, from time to time, to liken Dekker’s writing style to that of mainstream novelist Stephen King. Dekker’s good with words, and this latest release is an excellent example.

For this effort we were on-again. Sinner is the culmination of a trilogy of books set in Paradise, Colorado. The story begins in Showdown where we learn about the Books of History into which a young boy, Billy, has written pure evil. And Evil’s name is Marsuvees Black. The story continues in Saint, the not-so-engaging story of a grown-up Johnny (who helped facedown Black in Showdown in order to save his hometown).

In this third effort, we follow the lives of the three children (Billy, Darcy, and Johnny) all grown up and learning to deal with special “gifts” they had written into the Books of History for themselves in order to defeat evil wherever they found it. Thirteen years after the destruction of the monastery outside of Paradise where Billy and Darcy spent their childhood years, we find them young adults discovering that Billy can read the thoughts of people he is looking at and that Darcy can control the actions of people with her voice.

Armed with their new talents, these two young people wind up in Washington, DC where they help a select council of the elite to change the Constitution in order for Tolerance to be the law. In rewriting the Constitution, most religious jargon becomes relegated to the arena of hate speech.

Side stories include the coming to faith of a young witch named Kat, and lynchings and riots orchestrated by Black behind the scenes setting the stage for the aforementioned law change.

Fans of Dekker and his later writings will lap up Sinner. Readers who were turned off by the edginess of stories like Red, White, and Black will find Sinner to be more of the same. Readers outside Christian circles may find the text a bit too preachy for their tastes, but the story flows well. Dekker includes his trademark plot and character twists which keep the reader interested and guessing. All in all this one is worth being on-again with Dekker. I give it four reading glasses.

—Benjamin Potter, November 20, 2008

Skin – Ted Dekker

There is a problem with a book that only ends well. It never gets read. When I taught literature, I convinced many of my students to explore the possibility of reading. I never expected them to truly enjoy those things that I made them read—I didn’t even expect the majority of them to read those books I told them to read. However, I wanted them to give reading a chance. My answer: give a book two to three chapters before saying, “This one’s just boring,” and giving up. I figure that most of the time, even the slow starters will show enough sign of promise to keep the reader reading.

Skin is a book that ends well. It ends really well. So well in fact that I can’t give much information without invoking a double spoiler alert. I stuck with the book to get through the interesting parts, not because I wanted to (really), but because I was determined to give a plausible review here. (Something that can’t be done if you stop after chapter three.) Why was this important? Because Dekker is such a talented wordsmith. Perhaps the struggle with Skin lies in the pressure for talented, rising-star authors to crank out at least one book a year forces occasional mediocrity.

The story follows the adventures of a group of young adults thrust together by circumstance. During the course of their lives together, these six people are thrust back and forth between the town of Summerville (devastated by a massive tornado and the terror created by a ruthless murderer) and a vast desert which replaces the town from time to time leaving only the structures of the town library and the house of the doctor who had the library built. This jumping back and forth leaves the reader trying to decide whether or not he is reading a fantasy (played out in the desert) or a police procedural-type mystery.

From time to time there are glimpses of Dekker’s writing talent, usually embodied in the setting of the town without the advent of the desert. Often the writing seems disjointed. So how long should the reader give this selection in order to make it worthwhile reading? My estimation is about 40 to 45 chapters. Die-hard Dekker fans will want to read this book. Those who enjoyed House and Showdown will like portions, but will find the writing not up to Dekker’s normal par. If you must read everything that Dekker writes, I would advise you to rush to the last 125 or 150 pages. As I said, the book ends really well. Because of the good ending I give Skin 1 ½ thumbs. Sorry I can’t give the first two-thirds of the book even a thumb to stand on .

—Benjamin Potter, August 27, 2007

Saint – Ted Dekker

Christian suspense has reached a new high. Ted Dekker has done it again, and this time with a spy novel.

Carl Strople does not know who he is. What he knows is that he is trained to kill. He knows that he will kill for Kelly, his wife(?). Carl completes his training and teams up with Kelly to complete his first assignment—to assassinate a dignitary outside the UN.

Dekker keeps you jumping with his trademark twists and turns. He tells you the ending three or four times and then makes you question your assessment. During the course of the book he makes advertisement for previous books: Showdown, House, and the “Color” trilogy. You love and you hate Carl, you find yourself on his mental precipice with him as he learns who he is and who he is meant to be.

Keep ‘em coming, Ted. We want more.

—Benjamin Potter, April 25, 2007

Links to Past Reviews

Because I have a tendency to be lazy instead of industrious, but I did want to include these reviews here, I decided to just link to the reviews for those who would like to read them rather than cut and paste them. So here are some past reviews that I did before starting this blog:

• Murder Among the OWLS by Bill Crider
• Next by Michael Crichton
• The Great Santa Search by Jeff Guinn
• Simple Church by Thom Rainer & Eric Geiger
• Just a Simple Carpenter by Benjamin Potter
• House by Frank Peretti & Ted Dekker

Just click the links and enjoy.

--Benjamin Potter, March 2007

Thr3e – Ted Dekker

Twists, turns, suspense, and scares. Not what you’d normally expect from a Christian writer published by a major Christian publishing house. But that’s exactly what you get in Ted Dekker’s Thr3e. Along with mainstays like Frank Peretti and writing gurus like Sigmund Brouwer, Dekker is helping Christian fiction become as good or better writing than mainstream publishers can offer.

Thr3e is the story of struggling seminary student Kevin Parson. He is plagued by phone calls and notes from a homicidal maniac. Who can he trust to help save his life and the lives of those he loves? The FBI, the police, his favorite professor and mentor?

Dekker writes with a smooth gate that leads the reader to a variety of conclusions, all of which are partly right and mostly wrong. As you read this page-turner, you’ll be caught up in Parson’s life, you’ll figure out who the caller is three times before you discover that you were wrong, but you should have seen it. Of all Dekker’s books, Thr3e is the one to start with. Read it and then see the movie.

—Benjamin Potter, March 2007