Book Review: Judgment Day by Wanda L. Dyson

I opened this book hoping for a suspenseful read. I hoped for a riveting storyline and engaging characters. As the Rolling Stones sang: "You can't always get what you want."

Ms. Dyson puts forth a good effort but there are details that are oddly disjointed: For example, why does Alex always mess up colloquialisms? Because she's a blue blood? It doesn't add to the character, it's just annoying. What happens to the bodies at the end?

Many things fall neatly (almost too neatly) into place but some things are left untied and those are the things I wanted double knotted. The characters are one dimensional and, especially in the case of Alex, stiff. The motive behind all the mayhem is sketchy.

However, if you are looking for a great beach read; something to keep you on the towel for a couple of hours, this is your book. The relationships are compelling to the extent you will get a good, even tan and, when it's time to go inside, you won't be loathe to put the book down and it will be easy to remember what was going on when you pick it up again.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. 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.”

The Devil You THINK You Know. . .

The Canary List by Sigmund Brouwer is a very easy read. Unfortunately, it's a bit simplistic in other ways as well.

While the beginning of the book is intriguing and draws the reader in with a story of a teacher wrongfully accused, the supporting characters are mostly cliches as are the legs of the plot. Do demons exist and are they the engines that drive the evil in the world, or at least some of it? If so, could the very Papacy itself be threatened by demonic possession? It would be a wonderful premise if more research had been done and detail added -- not to mention the fact that the "advance reading copy" I have is very poorly edited.

While I found myself liking the characters of the teacher, Crockett Grey, and the student, Jaimie Piper. However, the first two-thirds of the book takes a long time to get anywhere and the last third of the book is so choppy, you wonder if it was worth the wait. You find yourself asking when the book will actually end.

And, surprisingly, you get to the end of the story without any real answer as to whether Mr. Brouwer believes in demons or not. It doesn't matter, as with many of the poorly executed good ideas called books these days, I see a movie in this one's future.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. 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.”