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Summary
Summary
Set in Charleston, the novel introduces Nick Barret. He is drawn home by a mysterious note about the mother who abandoned him. Past secrets emerge to meet present danger. Along the way, Nick comes face-to-face with the God he has always denied. Sharply defined characters and vivid settings will engage and appeal to both men and women. Remarkable storytelling with uncommon intrigue.
Author Notes
Sigmund Brouwer, Sigmund Brouwer was born in Central Alberta to Dutch immigrant parents. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Commerce from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan and an Honours Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from Carleton University. He published many articles in American and Canadian magazines before he got his big break as a novelist.
The first book he published was entitled, "Accidental Detectives," aimed at youth fiction. He is best known for his adult fiction novel, "Double Helix," published in 1995. Brouwer teaches writing courses at Red Deer College and is on the Board of Directors of the Red Deer College Press. Brouwer also played semi-pro hockey as well as a stint as the editor for National Raquetball Magazine. He has taught mystery writing seminars and in 1993, co-founded The Young Writer's Institute to encourage today's youth to follow their dreams of a career in writing. Brouwer has won the Alberta Film and Literary Arts Writing Grant twice.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
When he's hot, no one can craft a good Christian suspense novel like this prolific bestselling author, and readers will be delighted to find him in top form here. From the opening pages, Brouwer spins a riveting tale of intrigue and deceit set against the contemporary backdrop of wealthy Charleston. Nicholas Barrett is abandoned by the women he loves the most: first by his mother, who deserts him as a child, and later by his wife of only four days. Crippled in an accident that costs him everything he holds dear, Nick returns from global wanderings years later determined to discover the shattering truth about his past and to extract revenge. He doesn't expect to find God. Strong themes about toxic family secrets and the power of forgiveness frame the plot, and Brouwer's vivid imagery is fresh and engaging. The characters' clipped, almost courtly dialogue occasionally flirts with stiffness, but fans of Brouwer's writing will find this comfortingly familiar. He sprinkles his story with just enough startling revelations to propel the reader on to the next page without giving too much away. Brouwer's portrayal of Nick wrestling with questions of life and faith is a tad forced, and he sometimes drags the pace with too much travelogue and philosophical reflection. But the unexpected plot twists and a strong finish will please his fans, who will find it difficult to put this novel down. (May) Forecast: Brouwer's CBA readership has grown tremendously since he began writing Christian fiction for adults in 1995. For this, his 10th adult novel, Tyndale has a $100,000 marketing budget and an initial press run of 20,000 copies. Expect predictable interest and sales. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
Brouwer's hero, Nick Barrett, is an amateur astronomer teaching at a junior college in Santa Fe. He receives an unsigned letter summoning him home to Charleston on the promise that the mystery of his mother's disappearance will at last be solved, not to mention the mystery of what really happened the night a teenage Nick was in an automobile accident. Years earlier, several of the oldest families of Charleston objected to the "white trash" Nick marrying one of their finest young debutantes. They settled an income on Nick and promised not to pursue a manslaughter charge for the young man killed in the car accident if Nick would agree to an annulment and leave town. Both events have angered and embittered Nick--turned him into an agnostic, in fact. In a search for the facts that is also a spiritual search, Nick discovers that the past he has accepted to be true is not the entire story. Unfortunately, the well-regarded Brouwer's usually fine sense of narrative seems strained here, and his denouement gathers all the principals in a set piece that seems dated, rather like an Agatha Christie drawing-room scene. Still, run-of-the-mill Brouwer is more interesting than many another writer's best effort, and several scenes--the attack of a rottweiler and a near-drowning--will leave you in a cold sweat. --John Mort
