Hello Everyone :)
I hope you're all doing well, and I want to thank you all for joining me for another book review here on The Preppy Book Princess.
I love getting to give new authors a try, and today I'm excited to get to share with you all a review for the debut novel by Andrew Huff.
Andrew and his publishing team reached out to me to see if I was interested in reviewing his debut novel, and I was instantly intrigued. I love giving books a try that are out of my comfort zone, and since this one is more of a Christian action/suspense novel, I knew it would be unlike anything I'd ever read before.
Now I'm here to share with you all what I ended up thinking about this book once I'd finished it.
A Cross to Kill by Andrew Huff:
Source: Complimentary Copy Provided By The Publisher and Author
Publisher: Kregel
Publication Date: October 15th, 2019
Genre: Christian Fiction/Suspense
Series: Shepherd Suspense
Synopsis:
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 do 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, John's life 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. "An action-packed nail-biter from beginning to end! . . . I couldn't put it down."
--Lynette Eason, best-selling, award-winning author of the Blue Justice series
(synopsis from goodreads)
My Review:
A Cross to Kill is an action packed nail biter right from the opening sentence, and I found myself barely able to put it down. I appreciated that it's truly a unique story in the Christian genre, as it's an edgier suspense novel that will appeal to a lot of readers who may not enjoy some of the more traditional Christian published titles.
I was intrigued when I first read the synopsis; as the idea of a retired CIA agent turned preacher who's past life soon resurfaces, sounded unlike anything I'd ever read before, and I knew there was great potential for where the author chose to take the story. The action is non stop across the pages, and includes car chases, brawls, explosions-basically you name it, it happens. The action scenes are extremely realistic, and almost feels like a James Bond type movie script come to life on the pages. After reading this, I still can't believe that this is Andrew Huff's debut novel, as his writing and settings speak of a veteran of the craft, and not of someone who's new to the game.
I was expecting the story to be action driven, which it definitely is, but I was pleasantly surprised with how much reliance is placed upon the characters themselves to carry the bulk of the story. All the characters included were three dimensional, and I found myself invested in each of their journeys they travel throughout the plot. John's character had a great background, and I enjoyed the way that the author chooses to develop this. It raised some pretty great questions about trying to move on and make amends from a troubled past. And showcased the notion that true repentance and forgiveness is not possible apart from Jesus, and no matter what any of us do we will all fall short without His Holy Name. I was a little leery of Christine's character at first, as I'm not always the biggest fan of journalists as main characters. However, I loved that she wasn't written in a stereotypical way, and instead, showcases the belief that there's more to life than chasing a life changing story. I also enjoyed the secondary characters, and I'd love to see Lori, Guin and Eric all pop up in the upcoming books in the series as well.
Perhaps, however, my favorite part of all was just how strong the faith element is throughout the entire developing story. John Cross cares for Christ first and foremost, and this fact is demonstrated again and again throughout his journey. He refuses to take the easy way out, and go back to a life that wouldn't line up with God's plan or purpose for him, and he continues to practice what he preaches even in the middle of the dire circumstances that his past brings back to the present.
I wholeheartedly enjoyed this one from start to finish, and I'm looking forward to reading on in the series to discover where the author plans to take John, Christine and us readers on the next journey.
I highly recommend checking this one out, especially if you're a fan of action movies or books and want a Christian component in that genre.
Final Rating: 4/5
Thanks so much to Andrew Huff and Kegrel Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this!
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher (Kegrel) and the author (Andrew Huff) in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to give a positive review.
I hope you're all doing well, and I want to thank you all for joining me for another book review here on The Preppy Book Princess.
I love getting to give new authors a try, and today I'm excited to get to share with you all a review for the debut novel by Andrew Huff.
Andrew and his publishing team reached out to me to see if I was interested in reviewing his debut novel, and I was instantly intrigued. I love giving books a try that are out of my comfort zone, and since this one is more of a Christian action/suspense novel, I knew it would be unlike anything I'd ever read before.
Now I'm here to share with you all what I ended up thinking about this book once I'd finished it.
A Cross to Kill by Andrew Huff:
Source: Complimentary Copy Provided By The Publisher and Author
Publisher: Kregel
Publication Date: October 15th, 2019
Genre: Christian Fiction/Suspense
Series: Shepherd Suspense
Synopsis:
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 do 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, John's life 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. "An action-packed nail-biter from beginning to end! . . . I couldn't put it down."
--Lynette Eason, best-selling, award-winning author of the Blue Justice series
(synopsis from goodreads)
My Review:
A Cross to Kill is an action packed nail biter right from the opening sentence, and I found myself barely able to put it down. I appreciated that it's truly a unique story in the Christian genre, as it's an edgier suspense novel that will appeal to a lot of readers who may not enjoy some of the more traditional Christian published titles.
I was intrigued when I first read the synopsis; as the idea of a retired CIA agent turned preacher who's past life soon resurfaces, sounded unlike anything I'd ever read before, and I knew there was great potential for where the author chose to take the story. The action is non stop across the pages, and includes car chases, brawls, explosions-basically you name it, it happens. The action scenes are extremely realistic, and almost feels like a James Bond type movie script come to life on the pages. After reading this, I still can't believe that this is Andrew Huff's debut novel, as his writing and settings speak of a veteran of the craft, and not of someone who's new to the game.
I was expecting the story to be action driven, which it definitely is, but I was pleasantly surprised with how much reliance is placed upon the characters themselves to carry the bulk of the story. All the characters included were three dimensional, and I found myself invested in each of their journeys they travel throughout the plot. John's character had a great background, and I enjoyed the way that the author chooses to develop this. It raised some pretty great questions about trying to move on and make amends from a troubled past. And showcased the notion that true repentance and forgiveness is not possible apart from Jesus, and no matter what any of us do we will all fall short without His Holy Name. I was a little leery of Christine's character at first, as I'm not always the biggest fan of journalists as main characters. However, I loved that she wasn't written in a stereotypical way, and instead, showcases the belief that there's more to life than chasing a life changing story. I also enjoyed the secondary characters, and I'd love to see Lori, Guin and Eric all pop up in the upcoming books in the series as well.
Perhaps, however, my favorite part of all was just how strong the faith element is throughout the entire developing story. John Cross cares for Christ first and foremost, and this fact is demonstrated again and again throughout his journey. He refuses to take the easy way out, and go back to a life that wouldn't line up with God's plan or purpose for him, and he continues to practice what he preaches even in the middle of the dire circumstances that his past brings back to the present.
I wholeheartedly enjoyed this one from start to finish, and I'm looking forward to reading on in the series to discover where the author plans to take John, Christine and us readers on the next journey.
I highly recommend checking this one out, especially if you're a fan of action movies or books and want a Christian component in that genre.
Final Rating: 4/5
Thanks so much to Andrew Huff and Kegrel Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this!
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher (Kegrel) and the author (Andrew Huff) in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to give a positive review.
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