In October of 2005 I decided to get
in shape. I absolutely despise exercise, so I had to find something that would
keep me interested. I tried walking, but quickly discovered I grew tired of
listening to Duncan complain about having to walk so far and Bekah and David
were constantly upset with each other because they kept touching each other in
the stroller. After about a month, I decided walking just was not going to
work. So, I turned to a stationary bike. I found watching TV or listening to
music to be pretty boring while exercising, so I decided to try books. This put
me in a position of having to find good literature that would keep my interest
and give me a reason to exercise. I read primarily Christian fiction. What I
discovered, though, was a lot of the popular writers did not really fit my
style. I like very fast paced, edgy books, with a lot of suspense, twists, and
turns. Original themes and supernatural elements are an extra bonus.
Frank Peretti
was my favorite author up to this point. However, I had already read all his
adult books. So, my search began. After trying a few well publicized authors
and being pretty disappointed with the predictability of the stories, I decided
to search ChristianBook.com for
authors similar to Frank Peretti. One author was writing a book with Peretti
called House. Hmm…he sounded like a good place to start. So, I discovered Ted
Dekker and a whole lot of other great Christian suspense writers. This page
will grow as I continue to find more authors which I truly enjoy and consider to
be above average and unique. Click
here
for reviews of books by these and other Christian authors.
Ted Dekker
Ted Dekker writes some awesome novels. His books have been, inspiring, encouraging, convicting, and
enlightening. With few exceptions, I would not hesitate to recommend his books to
Christians and non-Christians. They are cleverly constructed parables, so they
have two layers. The first is just a great story everyone can
enjoy. The second layer is the meaning behind the story. His books are
Christian at their core, but they are not pushy or offensive to non-Christians.
In fact, if one is not open to the message, it is possible the Christian aspect
could be overlooked entirely. I would suggest starting with the Circle
Trilogy (Black, Red, and White). These set the background for several of
his other books. When reading Dekker's books, sit back and enjoy a great story and look for the
underlying message.
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Frank Peretti
It has been a while since I have read
any of Peretti's books. While I remember all of them were good, This
Present Darkness is probably the best. The visualizations are awesome. In
certain situations, I will look at someone and still have a visual of a little
demon sitting on their shoulder trying to ‘help’ them with a decision. Most of Peretti’s books fall under supernatural suspense and are extremely entertaining.
I have not read his series for young adults.
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Eric Wilson
Eric Wilson is quickly becoming my favorite author. Unfortunately, he's
one of the best kept secrets in Christian suspense. His books are very
original and well written. His characters are completely believable and
human. His heroes are
not the usual, perfect, squeaky clean Christians that are typical in so many
Christian books. In fact, they are very human with some dark backgrounds.
They struggle with everyday problems and in some cases, some pretty big
supernatural problems. The characters are very much alive, which
makes reading Wilson's books very enjoyable. I'm guessing Wilson has a
love for history, since each book has a very intriguing historical backdrop.
Book one in the Jerusalem's Undead trilogy was released in
October 2008. It is absolutely awesome. It's been a couple of years
since I've found a book that's been as deep and full of wonderful truth and
excellent characters as Field of Blood. I highly recommend it for anyone
who loves to read.
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Randy Singer
Let me start by saying legal dramas
are not my favorite. However, Randy Singer is really good. I had
read some legal dramas before, but really didn’t enjoy them because of the
amount of time it took to develop the plot—they seemed to drag along.
However, I was very impressed with Singer’s writing and style. While the
stories takes place over a long period of time, the plots are developed quickly
and the several enjoyable substories are intriguing. He tells great
stories while tackling some pretty difficult issues. While my favorite is
By Reason of Insanity, Self-Incrimination is a
writing master piece. In it, Singer does an excellent job of writing a first
person story for a female character.
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Robert Liparulo
Robert Liparulo is great author. While I tend
not to like books where the ‘who did it’ is known up front, his are
exceptions. The race and twists to find and catch the bad guys make these books
really fun reads. While I enjoyed Comes a Horseman and Germ, both had slow
spots that made the books seem long. With Deadfall, Liparulo eliminated
that problem by using his characters to keep the story going. Deadfall was
my favorite book of 2007. It was an absolute thrill ride from start to
finish. Liparulo also has a young adult series, Dreamhouse Kings, which is
very good. While it's geared towards a younger audience, it's an enjoyable read
for adults as well.
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Jack Cavanaugh
I have only read a few of Jack
Cavanaugh’s books, but I completely enjoyed them. While his books move at
a slower pace and are a little sappy, they really made me consider the subjects
they covered very carefully. He brings out the people in his stories, and
causes the reader to genuinely care about them. The books are suspenseful,
but not thrillers. They're simply books that center around people caught
in a particular part of history and how those people handle the positions they
face. My favorites are the Songs in the Night.
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Chris Well
Chris Wells is very, very funny.
His three books Forgiving Solomon Long, Deliver Us From Evelyn, and Tribulation
House were quirky and
down right good. Wells combines the mob, police, FBI, religious figures,
professional hit men, con-men and common thugs to tell incredibly humorous
stories. The themes of forgiveness, escaping the past, moving forward, and
many others in his books are cleverly presented. I really don't think I've
read an author quite like Wells. He's definitely one to pick up if you're
looking for books to read that are quick and on the lighter side.
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T.L.
Hines
I was very impressed with T.L. Hines first two books. He has a great
imagination combined with some excellent plots. There's a lot of mystery
and suspense involved in his books and he pulls in some interesting supernatural
aspects. His heroes hardly seem to be heroes, but they truly offer
wonderful insight into humanity. Waking Lazarus was my favorite so far,
but I have The Unseen on the shelf waiting to be read.
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Steven
James
This guy knows how to write a story. I was blown away by The Pawn. I
found it hard to believe it was his first novel. It was loaded with
suspense and wonderful interaction between characters. I have heard people
comment on the gore in his books, but I did not find it to be excessive.
It was gritty and descriptive, but more than acceptable. The Patrick
Bowers trilogy is an FBI serial crime based series full of action and suspense.
I highly recommend this series. James is a great author and I look forward
to many more books by him.
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Similar Authors to Ted
Dekker--Several people have asked about authors similar to Ted Dekker,
so I thought I'd add a section for that question and leave a place for others to
add to this list. The short answer is, there isn't another author like
him, which can be said about most authors. He does have a great writing
style which makes his stories flow and come to life. However, he has some
elements that are common to other authors like grit, edge, supernatural
elements, suspense, fast pace, and twisty plots. So while none of these
authors are going to be exactly like him, they'll have some common
characteristics. Please feel free to add your suggestions to the list. Let's stick with
Christian authors.
T.L. Hines--I thought
Waking Lazarus was an excellent book. The plot was full of turns, not
exactly squeaky clean characters, and some hard hitting truth. I wasn't
quite as impressed with The Dead Whispers On, but it was still that same dark
gritty style. If you're looking for dark books, his certainly delivers.
Robert Liparulo
(Listed
Above)--Excellent thrillers. Not really any mystery aspect to his books,
but definitely gritty fiction. Don't expect a lot of in depth Christian
teaching, but do expect a good, sometimes chilling story.
Frank Peretti
(Listed Above)--I've always seen
Peretti as the founder of realistic, supernatural Christian fiction. I
find his style similar to Dekker as far as plots and the use of believable
supernatural events. However, Perretti's books have always felt like he
started writing them with an express lesson to teach. As a result, I've
found his books to be heavy handed when it comes to spiritual teaching and
narrow in focus. Where as I feel like Dekker touches on so many Christian
truths, one is bound to hit home.
Eric Wilson
(Listed above)--Dark to
Mortal Eyes and Expiration Date are Dekker like, in that they are suspenseful,
well developed plots, with lots of twists. The Aramis Black series, have
the same plot similarities, but they are mysteries, and not Dekkerish in that
respect. Like Dekker, the spiritual teaching is woven into the story,
rather than it being presented as awkward insertions or lectures.
Personally, I like Wilson's characters better. They are deeper and easier
to relate to.
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