"According to Their Deeds" Book Review and Giveaway!

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
According To Their Deeds
Bethany House (March 1, 2009)
by
Paul Robertson

MY REVIEW:

I have heard really good stuff about Paul's first two books and looked forward to reading his newest venture. Here we have a really good premise... Charles is the owner of a bookstore specializing in rare books goes to an auction to buy back some books he had sold previously to a friend that was just murdered. He gets more than he bargains for when he examines the books and finds some papers hidden in one of them. These papers are incriminating to some high profile people and now he has to decide what to do with the information. The story passes between what is currently going on from Charles' perspective and past conversations that Charles had with his murdered friend.

I have to be honest here when I say that as much as I really wanted to like this book, the writing style really threw me for a loop. Many of the conversations that Charles had, especially with another antiquities dealer - Norman, seemed to go in circles... short, stacatto, circles that left me unsettled and wondering if I was reading it wrong. The progress of the story was good and the resolution was everything it should have been. I might not have been in the right frame of mind for it or maybe it was written to a different target audience. Charles and his wife Dorothy have the cutest relationship and I loved seeing that, but they are older and that may explain the whole conversational style. Aside from that, it was a good book. And that is just my personal opinion.

SPECIAL REVIEW NOTE:

My mother-in-law just finished this book and can't stop talking about what a "fun read" this is. She loved everything about it - the characters, the story, the writing style and especially the conversations (the part I didn't like). She is hoping that Paul will actually write more stories with these same characters because she just loved it! So I just wanted to clarify that just because I didn't love this style doesn't mean that you won't :-)

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If you would like a chance to win this book and check it out for yourself then leave me a comment telling me, "If you could own the first edition of any book that is special to you, which book would you want?" Make sure you leave me your email address so I can contact you if you win - good luck!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:




Paul Robertson is a computer programming consultant, part-time high-school math and science teacher, and the author of The Heir. He is also a former Christian bookstore owner (for 15 years), who lives with his family in Blacksburg, Virginia.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A Deadly Game of Justice Versus Mercy Charles Beale lives outside the shadow of Washington, D.C. Politics and power matter only when a client crosses the Potomac to visit his Alexandria Rare Books shop.

But that all changes when a former client--a man deeply connected in the Justice Department--is found murdered after a break-in gone bad. When Charles reclaims at auction the books he'd once sold, he quickly discovers he's bought more trouble than he could have ever imagined.

Inside one volume are secrets. A collection of sins that, if revealed, could destroy reputations, careers--even lives. Charles soon learns he isn't the only who knows. Going to the police means ruining a multitude of lives. But staying silent puts a target on his shop, his wife--and himself. Charles must decide: Should one mistake really cost you everything?

If you would like to read the first chapter of According To Their Deeds, go HERE