Haunted by a dark past, Aramis Black fears a shadow from his former life has returned for retribution! Following a bizarre attack on his brother, the blade of an arrogant sociopath takes aim at Aramis, challenging him to "face his sins." Can Black escape the guilt of old ways---or will vengeance cut him down?
Average Rating: 5 out of 5 stars(5 out of 5 stars)
8 of 8 Reviews Showing:
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by David Porter (Castle Hayne, NC), August 13, 2008
This story was even better than the first book ion this series, The Best of Evil. A Shred of Truth keeps you guessing to the very end, the truths that this book contains is valid and applicable to our everyday lives as Christians. Eric Wilson is a wonderful author full of colorful and masterful descriptions of Aramis Black's adventures. If you're looking for an "edge of your seat" book, pick this one up, it's incredible!!
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Susan Sleeman (www.thesuspensezone.com), July 18, 2007
In A Shred of Truth, we once again find Aramis Black at home in his Nashville coffee shop with his brother Johnny Ray fast climbing the ladder to country music fame. The mystery takes off from the first chapter when Johnny Ray is abducted and the initials AX are slashed into his back.
Aramis wants to protect his brother. Wants to discover the identity of the sicko cutter. Wants to settle into the comfort of his motto, Live by the sword, die by the sword, that brought him through his tumultuous past before he gave his life to God. But now, the motto only serves to complicate matters. Does he revert to the security of his motto and seek vengeance or does he follow the faith that tells him to lay back and let Detective Meade handle the investigation?
Aramis struggles admirably with the decision, but when the threats become personal the motto wins out and he is thrust into a hunt that has all the elements of a keep-you-reading-when-you-should-be-sleeping mystery. If Wilson’s fast pacing and superb prose don’t firmly affix the book in your hands until the last page, his revelation of a mid-book surprise guarantees you’ll read until the satisfying ending.
When I finished Eric Wilson’s last novel, The Best of Evil, I thought it would be difficult for Wilson to top that book. As I said in my review of The Best of Evil, Wilson’s prose was outstanding, his characters deep, his pace fast moving but full of life’s meaning that connects us with the characters, and his dialogue genuine. The same is true of A Shred of Truth, but Wilson has provided an even more compelling mystery in this one.
And, as in his last book, Aramis Black’s struggle with his faith, with doing the right thing staring him in the face and failing to do it, rings true to the reader. Through his balance of credible dialogue and internal exposition, Wilson reveals Aramis’ strife and helps the reader recognize and better understand the battle with the same force in their own life.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Jillian (Ashland City, TN), July 17, 2007
Awesome Book Eric!! The coffee just got stronger, can't wait for the next cup of brew!! Thanks so much for the message, the drama, the adventure. God Bless Ya Friend!!
4.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Fabrizio (Winston), July 12, 2007
Here’s a great sequel to "The Best of Evil." Top notch mystery with creative characters and a good solid plot. Although I really liked "The Best of Evil" I found "A Shred of Truth" to be a great improvement in character development with a storyline which was much more complex and engrossing. There were so many suspects that it had you changing your mind throughout the book on who you thought the bad guy was. Finally towards the end someone said something a tad bit out of character and I knew I pegged the perpetrator.
Usually I find the filler parts of books that give you a break from the main plot (such as romance, buying a new puppy or back-flashes that take you to the first time you broke a bone) just to be a waste of time however the filler in "A Shred of Truth" was very engaging, thought provoking and worked well in adding to the story’s biblical perspective. Do yourself a favor and get this book but you’ll have to read "The Best of Evil" first. This is not a stand-alone novel.
4.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by bill garrison (Oklahoma City, OK), July 11, 2007
Aramis Black returns in A SHRED OF TRUTH, a new novel by Eric Wilson. Aramis first appeared in Wilson's BEST OF EVIL. In that novel, Aramis had to overcome a dark past and the evil surrounding his mother's death. He got the "best of evil" by granting forgiveness to those who wronged him. In the newest novel, Aramis is still running his coffee shop, still working with the elegant and beautiful Samantha Rosewood, and still battling the violent ways of his past.
The novel opens at a party/concert where Johnny Ray Black, Aramis’s brother and a rising country music star, is seduced by a beautiful redhead. Aramis later finds Johnny tied to a statue with the letters "AX" carved into his back with a razorblade. About ready to go on tour, Johnny is too busy to deal with the assault, so Aramis takes over. Soon Aramis begins receiving cryptic messages, and one message reveals a shocking truth about his past. Aramis vows to confront this tormentor head on, and begins carrying a gun wherever he goes. Aramis wages a constant battle between his new commitment to God and his motto that he had lived by for so many years, "Live by the sword, die by the sword."
Part of the fun in reading a series is that you get to enjoy the characters and setting over several novels. The city of Nashville plays a prominent part in this book as it did the first. The witty interaction between Johnny and Aramis also continues. Wilson also created many colorful new characters in his newest work. Wilson weaves a complex plot full of suspicions and sprinkled with humor and wit. A SHRED OF TRUTH is a novel I'd recommend to fans of Brandt Dodson, Brandilynn Collins and anyone else that enjoys a good mystery/suspense novel. Wilson brings a unique voice to the genre in Aramis Black, a man haunted by his past and determined to have a future shaped by God.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Heather (Ashland City, TN), July 07, 2007
Good Book Eric!!
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Harriet Klausner (Morrow, Ga), June 18, 2007
In Nashville, Aramis Black has come a long way from his “Live By The Sword, Die By The World” lifestyle. He found God when divine intervention is the only reason he still lives. Now he runs and espresso shop and lives with his half-brother rising country singer Johnny Ray.
At a gala to celebrate Johnny Ray’s hit single “Trying to Do the Right Thing”, Aramis searches for his sibling; he finds him tied to the statue Musica in nearby Owen Bradley park with the initials AX carved into his back. Later Aramis receives an email from AX to meet in Cheekwood Gardens; thinking an eye for an eye he goes there only to find his former lover during the dark days of Portland Felicia Daly there. The case takes several spins with deaths and a return from the grave that keep reminding Aramis of his sins that he thought he had faced, but now knows he has more to confess.
The sequel to the exhilarating THE BEST OF EVIL is an exciting action-packed thriller that stars an atypical Christian antihero who turns to the Lord for solace, but his gun for protecting those he cherish as he follows the unbelievable clues seeking A SHRED OF TRUTH. The story line is fast-paced and beyond the plausibility zone, but no one will care as the various subplots come together in an entertaining no holds barred climax. Eric Wilson provides a unique Christian thriller due to the one of a kind star.
Harriet Klausner
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Todd Michael Greene (NC), June 14, 2007
We first met Aramis Black in The Best of Evil. We learned of his dark past, his tattooed forearms a constant reminder. Live By The Sword, Die By The World. After experiencing divine intervention at gunpoint, Aramis turned his life over to God. He moves far away from his former life and now reads the Bible, prays, runs a coffee shop--a tribute to his late mother. And his past came back to haunt him. As book two, A Shred of Truth, unfolds, Aramis learns there's more past to outrun. He finds his brother strapped to a stature and bloodied by the markings AX sliced into the man's back. Thus begins the continuing saga of Aramis Black. And the constant struggle to separate truth from lies, darkness from light, sin from righteousness. Having read each of Eric's novels I can honestly say this is his best to date. With each novel I've witnessed the growth of one of today's cutting edge novelists. His prose has never been tighter, more laced with emotion that the reader feels within themselves as they read. His weaving in of history never takes you out of the present immediate danger Aramis is in. And with all that goes wrong, a sliver of hope shines through along the way. I've come to really like this cast of characters. If by chance you haven't read The Best of Evil 'shame on you', have no worries. Though part of a series, this novel stands on its own as Eric guides us through the events mingling in tidbits of the past as needed and never slowing us down. I hope to see more of Aramis Black in future novels. For now, we have the upcoming novelization of Facing The Giants and a new series beginning next year unlike anything you've seen before. I, for one, can't wait. I'll save you a space in line at the bookstore.
Write a review of A Shred of Truth
Author: Eric Wilson
Located in: Nashville, TN
Submitted: January 27, 2007
Tell us a little about yourself. I've always had a desire to write stories that
portray biblical truths in original ways. Since
childhood, I've scribbled down stories and poems.
My wife of sixteen years, and my daughters (age
12 and 14), have been very encouraging, giving
Dad the time and space to write. It's been a long
haul--with financial difficulties and emotional
roller-coaster rides--but the end result is worth
it.
What was your motivation behind this project? I wanted to explore Aramis' past even further--
what drives him, what makes him run from a
serious relationship with a woman, and what
pushes him toward, and away from, knowing God.
When a religious extremist tries manipulating
Aramis' life in harsh ways, Aramis must come to
terms with his own dark nature...and the
redeeming grace of Jesus.
What do you hope folks will gain from this project? For those who met Aramis Black in "The Best of
Evil," I hope you will be caught up in the
unfolding of his family secrets. For those just
discovering Aramis Black, I hope you'll find a
new fictional friend. I love writing about this
character and his struggles to know God--not just
as a dictator of rules and regulations, but as a
Savior desiring relationship with his creation.
Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? My current inspiration comes from authors who mix
real-life struggles with issues of faith. James
Lee Burke and John Dalton do so in the secular
market. In the Christian bookstores, I find the
same thing in books by Melanie Wells, Brian
Reaves, Randy Singer, and Lisa Samson.
Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know: Keep supporting authors who want to entertain
with quality writing while also addressing the
issues of our current culture. We need to be
lights in the darkness.
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