Playing Saint

Zachary Bartels in his new book Playing Saint published by Thomas Nelson introduces us to Parker Saint.

From the back cover: Yesterday, Parker Saints only concern was his swiftly rising star power.

Today, hes just trying to stay alive.

Parker Saint is living the dream. A cushy job at a thriving megachurch has him on the verge of becoming a bestselling author and broadcast celebrityuntil life takes an abrupt turn that lands him on the wrong side of the law. To avoid a public scandal, he agrees to consult with the police on a series of brutal murders linked by strange religious symbols scrawled on each victim.

Parker tries to play the expert, but he is clearly in over his head. Drawn ever deeper into a web of intrigue involving a demanding detective, a trio of secretive Vatican operatives, and a centuries-old conspiracy to conceal a mysterious relic, he realizes for the first time that the battle between good and evil is all too realand that the killer is coming back . . . this time for him.

A pastor, who seemingly has everything, has a legal issue which is promised to be removed if he will help the Grand Rapids PD with two cases they are working on. Both have religious implications and, as a pastor, they feel he can help in that regards. Wow, what a way to introduce a character. Parker Saint is no saint and he has all kinds of issues, mostly with regards to faith and it takes this adventure for him to realize just what God is trying to tell him. Tension, suspense, mystery and a crazy killer are all within these pages. This is a fast-paced read that will keep you guessing as to what is really going on. Dont start this book late at night because you will not want to put the book down until you finish. I am so looking forward to more from this talented author.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

I had high hopes for this book...and it didn't dissapoint! Come on, with a recommendation from Steven James, I had a pretty good idea Playing Saint was going to be good.

Parker Saint is a pastor rising quickly to fame by telling people what they want to hear. He hasn't lost touch with truth, but with the influence of his mentor, he's realizing it doesn't sell. When faced with the loss of his reputation, Parker agrees to work as a consultant with the Grand Rapids PD, and the walking-cliche, Detective Ketchem.

Filled with a fantastic cast of believable characters, a psycho-killer on the loose, and refreshing humor, you can't go wrong with Playing Saint. I found myself comparing it to Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti with the added bonus of humor that didn't take away from the intrigue, but only added interest.

This is a definite must read from me! If you like a good thriller* that weaves in faith realistically and keeps you guessing, look no further. I'm anticipating more from Zachary in the future and will definitely make time to read what he puts out next.

*One note here: There are elements of the demonic represented in this book. I found that it aided the story and in no way created nightmares for me, but I understand some readers could be sensitive to that - thus the slight warning.

Originally posted on my blog: http://eahendryx.blogspot.com/2015/02/playing-saint-by-zachary-bartles-review.html

_______________________

I received a free copy of this book for review purposes, but was under no obligation to read the book or post a review. I do so under my own motivation and the opinions I have expressed in this review are honest and entirely my own.

Suspense is not a genre I normally read--but now I can't wait to dive into more books like Playing Saint by Zachary Bartels. I loved this from the first chapter because of the characters and dialogue. But as the story progressed, I loved it even more,not just for the way it kept me turning the pages, but for the way it demonstrated the danger and foolishness of dismissing our desperate need for Christ. My favorite line in the book comes from the Author's Note at the end. Bartels says: "If you take away anything from this book, I pray it will be that positivity in and of itself is powerless to save you and without the cross it will lead you in the opposite direction." Mission accomplished, Reverend Bartels! Playing Saint is a riveting suspense novel, but even better than that, it packs a powerful theological punch without ever coming across as preachy.

~Jocelyn Green, author of Spy of Richmond

Let me introduce to you a new author with a knockout work of fiction Zachary Bartels! Playing Saint is not just an outstanding piece of work but the message really is relevant for today. I was glued to the pages until the very end due to the ingenious placing of more twist and turn of the plot than expected. With each twist and turn of the plot the tension was ramped up and before the ending characters revelations kept me turning the pages with eagerness to read the finale.

The story s enveloped in a mystery with spiritual overtones as the killer leaves a calling card which looks like on object but is it really what it appears? While trying to capture the person responsible for these murders another killer seems to be on the loose that draws figures on the bodies before leaving the scene. To help solve the cases the police ask a Pastor who is on the rise to stardom with a growing flock to join their team as a consultant. Before too long the Pastors life is endanger bit what really strikes Pastor Saint is what is revealed about his true spiritual life.

When I read the synopsis of the book I was captivated and desired to read it as soon as possible, what I read defies description. The story is captivating and the plot truly brilliant I havent read anything of this nature in a long time. There is spiritual themes, mystery, flashbacks and characters that may not be what they appear to be, or are they? After the audience is done reading there is a note from the author which will truly drive home the main theme of Playing Saint. All I can say is I will be watching this author closely in hopes that in the near future he will write another outstanding piece of work that will be on my shelves to reread again and again.

There is a new author on the Christian mystery scene and I really like his debut novel.

The characters in the novel are great. There's Parker Saint (a name he took on for his TV celebrity persona). He's a popular TV preacher who speaks about creating your destiny forget the real gospel. He'd been caught on video forcefully acting out his displeasure to an airline employee. He's sort of blackmailed into helping the police solve what looks like an occult serial killer. If he does that, his image wrecking tirade will never see the light of day.

And there are the three priests from the Vatican secret operatives. They are great. What an unusual trio of men, at least one of whom is gun toting. They are trying to find a centuries old relic and end up getting involved in the murder case.

This novel has all the elements I like in a mystery. There has to be murders. Here we have several with mysterious images painted on the victims (with their own blood). There has to be well developed and believable characters involved. There has to be something I learn about in the course of the novel (Catholic artifacts in this case). There has to be a suspenseful end (and this one had me whipping pages as fast as I could read the words).

I like it when the main character grows or matures during the novel. Parker Saint comes to the point where he knows he is way over his head. His positive attitude, create your destiny preaching doesn't cut it when he is confronted with vicious demonic evil. He has to face the crisis of what he believes, what he has been preaching, and what the Bible says.

The interaction between Saint and the Vatican operatives is great. The priests know their stuff. They understand the gospel and the reality of evil much better than Protestant (their name for Saint). The conversations between them are enlightening, especially about occult symbols both recent and ancient.

Since this is a Christian mystery, there needs to be a spiritual aspect to the novel and there was. The difference between a positive self-help message and a sermon is clearly pointed out. Saint is told to ask the question: Could this sermon make sense without a crucified and risen Savior? If the answers is yes, throw it out, because it's not a Christian sermon. It's advice, life coaching, pep talks, whatever you call it, but it's not a Christian sermon. (232) Wow, chew on that one for a while.

As I said, I really liked this novel. It is great fiction yet it also contains some very important spiritual lessons. Christian fiction rarely gets any better than this novel. And since there is a reading group guide included, this would make a terrific book for reading groups.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.