One across…Three down…
The
answer is in the puzzle.
The
danger is in not solving it before time’s up.
Libby
Keaton longs to be close to her twin sister, Tori, but their lives have taken
them in different directions. Forced to share Aunt Stella’s old Philadelphia
home in order to receive their inheritance, Libby hopes for a change, but it
isn’t looking good so far.
First,
Tori tries to steal the affection and allegiance of Libby’s thirteen-year-old
daughter, Chloe. Then, when a crossword puzzle with a hidden warning shows up
on their doorstep, Tori refuses to take it seriously—in spite of the dead man
who delivers it.
Libby
finds comfort in neighbor Drew Canfield, but he hesitates to trust her after
his disastrous marriage. As Libby struggles to act faithfully in the midst of
these confusing relationships, she must also deal with a stolen diamond and a
botched kidnapping. The answer to her problems lies in the riddles of the
crosswords, if only she can solve the puzzles before it’s too late.
I decided to take a break from
reviewing my favorite genre, Historical Fiction, and try a fiction/suspense
novel. I’m glad I did as Fatal Deduction from
veteran author Gayle Roper turned out to be one of the most unique pieces of
Christian literature I have read yet.
The concept that individuals are
kept from doing what is right out of a sense of fear is deeply explored through
each emotional situation the main characters face. As Job once wrote in the
Holy Bible, “Man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward,” yet the
apostle Peter eternally reminds human beings to cast ALL of their anxiety to
the Lord because he cares. This is one of the most beautiful aspects of the story
Roper has given her audience. Every character essential to the plot is caught
in an emotional upheaval—those who believe in the Lord with all their heart
find their flaws coming to life while attempting to lead a Godly life in an ungodly
world, particularly through the turmoil members of their family put them
through. In this sense, Roper has presented reality. Fatal Deduction is a piece of contemporary Christian fiction, yet
the reader doesn’t experience the story through rose-colored lens. It’s
humanity at its highest and lowest points. Just as God has a purpose for each
individual, our lives are all connected, in ways we cannot even begin to
comprehend. We are destined to meet
certain people…this destiny, an important gift in God’s will, sometimes leads
us to second chances in life.
Roper has also intertwined the
concepts of murder, mental illness, forgiveness, peace, love, and mystery into each
twist and turn in the plot. Readers interact with the characters as the actual
crossword puzzles delivered to Tori are featured in the book, giving each
audience member the chance to solve the puzzle.
From the moment readers pick up the
novel, they will be intrigued to the other end, as they turn the pages very
rapidly to discover which twist will unfold next. It is truly masterpieces,
such as Gayle Roper’s novels, that are forever changing the shape of Christian
literature to appeal to a wide variety of audiences. What an incredible
testament to an author who has written novels for more than thirty years with
more than forty-five books to her name.
*I
received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this
review.*
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