If you enjoy suspense in the vein of Alex Cross or Jack Ryan, you'll find much to like in Andrew Huff's debut Shepherd Suspense novel.
A gripping debut thriller pits a man of God against terrorists—and his own deadly past
John Cross is a small-town pastor, bent on leading his flock to follow God's calling. He's not the sort of man one would expect to have a checkered past.
But the truth is that the man behind the pulpit preaching to his sheep was once a wolf—an assassin for the CIA. When John decided to follow Christ, he put that work behind him, determined to pay penance for all the lives he took. He vowed never to kill again.
Now someone wants the peaceful pastor to pay for his sins with his own life. And when a terrorist out for revenge walks into the church, John's secrets are laid bare. Confronted with his past, he must face his demons and discover whether a man can truly change. Can he keep his vow—even when the people he loves are in mortal danger? Will his congregation and the brave woman he's learning to care for be caught in the cross fire? In the end, his death may be the only sacrifice he has left to offer . . .
Andrew Huff's thrilling debut is not only a riveting story of suspense, it's also a deep exploration of the moral quandaries that face those who choose to follow the Prince of Peace in a violent world.
John Cross is a former CIA assassin who, after finding the Lord, realizes he can no longer kill. He becomes the pastor of a very small church, but his former bosses at the CIA keep pulling him into rescue ops. When a rescue goes awry and John realizes terrorists may still be after the reporter he rescued, he discovers a plot that goes deeper than he dreamed.
A Cross to Kill begins at rapid-fire pace, and that pace doesn't let up throughout the whole novel. There are, however, moments of normalcy and levity (even as the reader knows John's next trial is just around the corner), and these help keep the novel from becoming too intense. I especially loved Lori Johnson and Mrs. Templeton, two of John's elderly parishioners who brought out a different side of him.
John's Christianity is at the forefront of the novel—his relationship with Christ is the reason he left the CIA. I felt like the faith thread was seamlessly woven into the novel, and one of my favorite scenes featured Lori clearly explaining the gospel in a conversation that felt organic, not forced.
While I didn't find myself completely immersed in the novel, I did enjoy it, and I would certainly like to find out what comes next for John Cross. 4 stars.
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Andrew Huff is the product director at Igniter Media, one of the largest church media companies in the nation. He has also spent ten years in church ministry as both a youth pastor and creative arts pastor. Andrew currently lives in Plano, Texas. This is his first novel. Learn more at www.andrewhuffbooks.com.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review from Kregel Publications. 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.”
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