Book Reviews: Home Before Dark, Payne and Misery

Home Before Dark is the third book I’ve read by Christy Barritt. Daleigh McDermott is a country music singer of some success. Her father dies, and Daleigh suspects it wasn’t an accident. She starts talking to people who knew her father, trying to find out what happened to him. Daleigh and her sister have a bad relationship, always fighting, and Daleigh’s other relationships are also crumbling—especially those with her pushy boyfriend, Nashville itself, and the music industry. As she gets closer to the truth, the dangers grow, and someone is out to frighten her away. Then, he wants to silence her for good. In the middle of this story is a romance. (This book is labeled “Christian Romantic Suspense.”) It’s a good read, a little slow-moving for my taste, especially after the “Squeaky Clean” books by Mrs. Barritt were so exciting and made me want to read more. I think it’s the genre that let me down, not the author. I’m just not a romance fan. But, if you are, this is a fun book with an exciting ending. Great for light reading on a rainy afternoon.

Payne and Misery (A Christine Sterling Mystery) by Catherine Leggitt is a delightful mystery story starring nosy neighbor Christine, who, along with her husband Jesse, live next door to the Paynes. Jesse and Christine are a couple around sixty years old. Jesse loves his horses, and Christine is attached to her dog and her cats. One day, Christine decides to meet her neighbor lady, and the adventure takes off. Some days later, both the dog and the neighbor are missing, and Christine is convinced she knows who did it. Jesse tries to keep Christine from getting too “imaginative,” but Christine employs the help of another neighbor, Zora Jane. Zora Jane is a flashy dresser and devout Christian who prays first and acts later. The two ladies make an unlikely but amazing crime investigative team. While Christine misses her dog, the adventure continues. I believe anyone would enjoy this fun book, and most of us over fifty will identify with Christine, Zora Jane, Jesse, or a little bit of each. I loved this book every bit as much as the second in the trilogy, A Dunn Deal. I look forward to reading the third one, Parrish the Thought. Great job, Mrs. Leggitt!

Faith is Paranormal

Young adults are really into the paranormal. Why this fascination with the supernatural? Part of it is that the fantasy world of vampires, zombies, and ghosts always has story appeal. Movies about ghosts and weird otherworldly happenings are popular, if not exactly critically acclaimed. In one animated film, a little boy sees ghosts, talks to the dead, and eventually rescues his town from zombies. The movie trailer says, “You don’t become a hero by being normal.”

It’s not my kind of movie, but I concur with the trailer statement. Heroes are definitely not normal—whatever normal is.

Isn’t it interesting that faith isn’t “normal” either?

The Bible says, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). What a definition!

By faith, we know that there’s another dimension, another world. It is supernatural and unearthly.

No, it’s not ghosts, vampires, transformers, zombies and walking mummies.

This other world, the one we accept by faith, is the plane where angels and Jesus seated at the right hand of God the Father. It is heaven, glorified bodies, souls dressed in white. It’s the army of God, a river of glass, a throne. Gates of a single pearl and a foundation of colored layers of gems. Streets of pure, pure gold.

A place for us.

Biblical people had a hard time describing what they saw.

When transported to the other world:

• Isaiah describes the Lord up on a throne in a temple, with seraphims flying and smoke. (Isaiah 6)
• The Apostle Paul says he doesn’t know whether he was dead or alive when he peeked into the third heaven. He says he heard words that were unspeakable, not lawful for a man to utter (2 Corinthians 12:1-4).
• When John, the last living apostle, tries to describe it, he falters. He, too, sees a throne, with Jesus on it and circled by a rainbow. He hears thunder, sees lightning, and describes precious stones. He sees beings and “beasts” that defy description. He sees angels. (Revelation 4)

This other world is different but just as real as our earth. We can’t see the host of angels or the beasts around the throne. We can’t see the colors or majesty of heaven, and we certainly can’t audibly appreciate the voice of God like mighty waters—or like a trumpet. We can’t usually see our guardian angels, but they’re there.

Another plane.

Another world.

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me,

thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen,

and yet have believed (John 20:29).

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,

neither have entered into the heart of man,

the things which God hath prepared for them that love him (1 Corinthians 2:9).

For we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding,

that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true,

even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life (1 John 5:20).

Faith is real and forever. (And, it's paranormal.)