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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
I have been interested in reading this book ever since I saw a blurb about it a few months back. Even though it is a new author with his debut novel, it sounded good enough that I was going to buy it. Then I got a chance to review it, so of course I grabbed it.
This book is not for the faint of heart. Even though the author doesn't get overly graphic, there are a lot of crime scene descriptions in the book. And although he doesn't get too descriptive with it, the issue of demon possession is covered a lot in the book.
It is a very suspenseful and exciting read. I had a hard time putting it down, and read through it in one sitting, and if I still chewed my fingernails, I'd have been doing it. This book is a nail biter. And worth every minute I spent reading it.
I found nothing in the book to dislike. I wasn't too crazy about the main character, Parker Saint, one of those fake preachers who are all about show, but by the time the book ended, had come to like him. I loved the armed priests in the book and thought they added a lot to the story. And I really liked the double play on words with the title. I can't give any spoilers away, but the title is pure genius.
An interesting idea was approached in the book. There is a Scripture verse that talks about demons coming out of a person, and if they don't stay true to God, the demons coming back with seven times as many demons. I don't think it is possible in real life, but one of the characters in the book would have demons cast out of him over and over just so he could get more back later. It did show how real demon possession is, and that it is nothing to mess around with, and also that if someone is trying to cast demons out, they had better have their heart right with God.
The book did have a twist that totally surprised me, which I enjoyed. If a book is too predictable, it isn't as fun to read. And this one was fun to read. I highly recommend it. This is an author to watch.
This book is not for the faint of heart. Even though the author doesn't get overly graphic, there are a lot of crime scene descriptions in the book. And although he doesn't get too descriptive with it, the issue of demon possession is covered a lot in the book.
It is a very suspenseful and exciting read. I had a hard time putting it down, and read through it in one sitting, and if I still chewed my fingernails, I'd have been doing it. This book is a nail biter. And worth every minute I spent reading it.
I found nothing in the book to dislike. I wasn't too crazy about the main character, Parker Saint, one of those fake preachers who are all about show, but by the time the book ended, had come to like him. I loved the armed priests in the book and thought they added a lot to the story. And I really liked the double play on words with the title. I can't give any spoilers away, but the title is pure genius.
An interesting idea was approached in the book. There is a Scripture verse that talks about demons coming out of a person, and if they don't stay true to God, the demons coming back with seven times as many demons. I don't think it is possible in real life, but one of the characters in the book would have demons cast out of him over and over just so he could get more back later. It did show how real demon possession is, and that it is nothing to mess around with, and also that if someone is trying to cast demons out, they had better have their heart right with God.
The book did have a twist that totally surprised me, which I enjoyed. If a book is too predictable, it isn't as fun to read. And this one was fun to read. I highly recommend it. This is an author to watch.
adventurous
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was a really enjoyable Christian mystery. The main character, Parker Saint, is the Pastor of a mega church with his own tv show to boot. He preaches a feel good message which doesn't help him much when he is forced to assist the local police detectives with a murder investigation with Satanic influences. Throughout the investigation, he comes to realize where he is lacking and makes changes in his life. The investigation was great and I enjoyed the characters. Paul Kecham, the rough head detective was one of my favorites, but I especially enjoyed Parker's escapades with the 3 Jesuit priest/spies! The mystery had a nice twist at the end and held my interest throughout, and the story of the change of Parker's spiritual life was well done as well.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
Parker Saint is your typical televeangelist with a thriving megachurch and sermons about destiny with no gospel message included. But when a public scandal threatens to come to the public eye he is offered a way out by collaborating with some local detectives on some recent homicides that have occultish symbols as the calling card. Then through in some Jesuit Militants and you have a very interesting story. ‘
When I read the description I was a bit afraid there would be too much going on in the book but it all plays together well. I loved the writing. Mr. Bartels is a fabulous word smith. Many of the dialogues read very genuine. You can actually imagine it happening instead of it just being something that would happen or be said in a book. His character development is also fantastic! My favorite characters in the book are the Vatican operatives. They are hilarious. I laughed out loud several times.
This story was full of suspense and mystery. Lots of action that read as though you were watching it happen in a movie. It was fantastic. Also the mystery of whodunit was amazing. I had no clue until right at the end who it was. It was someone I never, ever suspected the entire time. Usually in mysteries I’ve at least considered who it was for a short time during the story but not so with this one. It hit me out of nowhere.
If you love suspenseful books with fabulous characters I highly recommend this book to you. I sure hope Zachary Bartels continues to write novels.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. 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 Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
When I read the description I was a bit afraid there would be too much going on in the book but it all plays together well. I loved the writing. Mr. Bartels is a fabulous word smith. Many of the dialogues read very genuine. You can actually imagine it happening instead of it just being something that would happen or be said in a book. His character development is also fantastic! My favorite characters in the book are the Vatican operatives. They are hilarious. I laughed out loud several times.
This story was full of suspense and mystery. Lots of action that read as though you were watching it happen in a movie. It was fantastic. Also the mystery of whodunit was amazing. I had no clue until right at the end who it was. It was someone I never, ever suspected the entire time. Usually in mysteries I’ve at least considered who it was for a short time during the story but not so with this one. It hit me out of nowhere.
If you love suspenseful books with fabulous characters I highly recommend this book to you. I sure hope Zachary Bartels continues to write novels.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. 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 Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Reverend Parker Saint has led a very comfortable lifestyle, with a dream job broadcasting his sermons and writing novels. He’s widely known for his positivity and famous saying, “God is awesome and so are you!” Life is good…or at least until an altercation leaves him with no other choice but to make a deal with the police in order to avoid a public scandal. The deal turns out to be helping a group of detectives solve a series of murders linked only by ominous religious symbols left at the crime scenes. Only problem is, Parker is no expert and his only hope at getting out of his mess is by pretending he is…something he’s gotten quite good at over the years. Add to that some funny secret agent priests and a centuries old conspiracy similar to the Holy Grail, Parker soon finds out that he is in way over his head with more evil forces at play than he can imagine. Will he survive long enough to get his life back on the track it was meant to all along?
A novel not for the queasy, Playing Saint slams us into intense suspense right from the get-go. It pulled me in with it’s entertaining characters, crazily intriguing plot, and just the unique overall “feel” of the story. The writing is spectacularly well done—this is a debut author to watch out for. If you’re wondering why I started with mentioning this book wasn’t for the queasy, here’s why. This story revolves in large part around spiritual warfare, including occult symbols, exorcisms, demonic possession, and evil curses to name a few. There are parts that are absolutely grisly, like crime scenes and the killer’s flashbacks. Speaking of, we get many chapters with different character’s point-of-views—including but not limited to the detective working the case, victims, victim’s families, and the killer himself. I really prefer having a strong focus on the main character, but I do understand why it was important to include other perspectives in this story. However, it did still confuse me at times and was especially difficult to remember everyone and everything going on, especially if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t finish a book in one sitting. These things made the book a little less than it could have been for me…hence the 3.5 stars. I have only one more thing to mention—the ending was explosive. And by that, I mean it was crazy exciting and I couldn’t have stopped reading even if I tried. And that is the sign of a good read.
If you’re looking for something refreshingly different from this genre, this is it. A thought-provoking crime drama, Playing Saint will put you on the edge of your seat with it’s twists and turns and suspenseful mystery. Side note—don’t forget to read the author’s note as it had an impactful message that made the perfect ending.
http://www.willbakeforbooks.com/2015/01/review-playing-saint-zachary-bartels/
A novel not for the queasy, Playing Saint slams us into intense suspense right from the get-go. It pulled me in with it’s entertaining characters, crazily intriguing plot, and just the unique overall “feel” of the story. The writing is spectacularly well done—this is a debut author to watch out for. If you’re wondering why I started with mentioning this book wasn’t for the queasy, here’s why. This story revolves in large part around spiritual warfare, including occult symbols, exorcisms, demonic possession, and evil curses to name a few. There are parts that are absolutely grisly, like crime scenes and the killer’s flashbacks. Speaking of, we get many chapters with different character’s point-of-views—including but not limited to the detective working the case, victims, victim’s families, and the killer himself. I really prefer having a strong focus on the main character, but I do understand why it was important to include other perspectives in this story. However, it did still confuse me at times and was especially difficult to remember everyone and everything going on, especially if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t finish a book in one sitting. These things made the book a little less than it could have been for me…hence the 3.5 stars. I have only one more thing to mention—the ending was explosive. And by that, I mean it was crazy exciting and I couldn’t have stopped reading even if I tried. And that is the sign of a good read.
If you’re looking for something refreshingly different from this genre, this is it. A thought-provoking crime drama, Playing Saint will put you on the edge of your seat with it’s twists and turns and suspenseful mystery. Side note—don’t forget to read the author’s note as it had an impactful message that made the perfect ending.
http://www.willbakeforbooks.com/2015/01/review-playing-saint-zachary-bartels/
It's not really fair for a non-Christian to review this book, because I don't buy the central premise. But I think the writing and plotting are certainly there, and I enjoyed turning those pages.
Full review was first posted on my blog: https://sorryiambooked.wordpress.com/2016/08/03/book-review-playing-saint/
Not. Thrilling. At. All.
I think I hyped it up too much - thought I get why the focus was more on Parker. I just wished for more of the suspense. I didn't get the suspense feeling until right as the climax was happening. I didn't feel like it built up at all for me.
The writing was good, but I didn't find it amazing. Same thing with Parker Saint as a character - he seemed very mediocre/ in the middle.
I will say both the writing and the plot made sense and flowed, although I did not get the point of the Vatican operatives (that part just didn't seem realistic to me either). I really enjoyed the chapters from the killer's POV and how it starts from the beginning of their journey and then leads up to the climax and it kept me guessing until the big reveal.
It was at least entertaining.
Not. Thrilling. At. All.
I think I hyped it up too much - thought I get why the focus was more on Parker. I just wished for more of the suspense. I didn't get the suspense feeling until right as the climax was happening. I didn't feel like it built up at all for me.
The writing was good, but I didn't find it amazing. Same thing with Parker Saint as a character - he seemed very mediocre/ in the middle.
I will say both the writing and the plot made sense and flowed, although I did not get the point of the Vatican operatives (that part just didn't seem realistic to me either). I really enjoyed the chapters from the killer's POV and how it starts from the beginning of their journey and then leads up to the climax and it kept me guessing until the big reveal.
It was at least entertaining.