This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingPattern of WoundsBethany House (July 1, 2011)byJ. Mark BertrandABOUT THE AUTHOR:

J. Mark Bertrand lived in Houston, where the series is set, for fifteen years, earning an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Houston. But after one hurricane too many he relocated with his wife Laurie to the plains of South Dakota. Mark has been arrested for a crime he didn’t commit, was the foreman of one hung jury and served on another that acquitted Vinnie Jones of assault. In 1972, he won an honorable mention in a child modeling contest, but pursued writing instead.

ABOUT THE BOOK

It’s Christmas in Houston, and homicide detective Roland March is on the hunt for a killer. A young woman’s brutal stabbing in an affluent neighborhood bears all the hallmarks of a serial murder. The only problem is that March sent the murderer to prison ten years ago. Is it a copycat — or did March convict the wrong man?

Alienated from his colleagues and with a growing rift in his marriage, March receives messages from the killer. The bodies pile up, the pressure builds, and the violence reaches too close to home. Up against an unfathomable evil, March struggles against the clock to understand the hidden message in the pattern of wounds.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Pattern of Wounds, go HERE.

Why — when you can find every kind of one-hit wonder from the 70s on iTunes, and every obscure indie musician on emusic — why can’t you find this truly phenomenal, ground-breaking recording on these or any other digital music stores? For that matter, the CD seems to be out of print, too.

The album was originally released by ABC/Decca 1974 and reissued by Myrhh. I’m not sure either one of those labels is actually in business anymore. It’s one of those albums that got a lot of critical praise but was a bit ahead of its time. But it truly was amazing — musically complex, lyrically strong, wonderful musicianship. I think one of my favorite tracks on the album was called “Take Me Down,” about baptism, but it was all good.

I just think that even with all the dreck out there, surely it would be worthwhile to reissue a classic Christian rock album.

That dogged determination doesn’t apply just to crime solving — early in the book I wondered if March’s marriage could possibly survive, but he sticks with it. Mark captured the ways a couple can wound each other so well, but he also captured the underlying love and commitment to see each other through the bad times. It’s one of the best depictions of a fragile marriage I’ve read. Relationships matter to me and I enjoy reading books where relationships matter, so I appreciate that the relationships in Back on Murder are an important part of the story.

Another strong point is the depiction of Christians. Roland March is not a Christian, and in fact finds much evangelical culture to be confusing. He’s not sure how to deal with the Christians he’s working with, and yet he responds to their kindness and integrity. They’re not all perfect, which is also refreshing. There are no conversion scenes but there is hope.

One aspect of the book that worked less well for me, at least part of the time, was the first-person present tense. I’m fine with first person but sometimes I found all the present tense a little jarring. Still, I was forced to see things through Roland March’s eyes, as he saw them, and that was an interesting experience. I’m not sure I could pull it off, but Mark kept the voice consistent throughout. I also thought the story felt a little rushed at the end, though sometimes events all come together at once.

I appreciated what seemed to be a realistic picture of police life and I appreciated that, though the crimes were solved, it was bittersweet. Some crimes just almost never have a happy resolution and that plays out realistically in the book.

I can heartily recommend Back on Murder and I’m really looking forward to the next installment in the Roland March series next summer, The Pattern of Wounds.

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Back On Murder Bethany House (July 1, 2010)

by J. Mark Betrand
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

J. Mark Bertrand has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston. After one hurricane too many, he left Houston and relocated with his wife Laurie to the plains of South Dakota.

Mark has been arrested for a crime he didn’t commit, was the foreman of a hung jury in Houston, and after relocating served on the jury that acquitted Vinnie Jones of assault. In 1972, he won an honorable mention in a child modeling contest, but pursued writing instead. Besides his personal website, visit his Crime Genre website at http://www.crimegenre.com/.

The next book in this series, Pattern Of Wounds will come out in the summer of 2011.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Det. Roland March is a homicide cop on his way out.

A missing girl. A corrupt investigation. They thought they could get away with it, but they forgot one thing:

Roland March is BACK ON MURDER…

Houston homicide detective Roland March was once one of the best. Now he’s disillusioned, cynical, and on his way out. His superiors farm him out on a variety of punishment details. But when he’s the only one at a crime scene to find evidence of a missing female victim, he’s given one last chance to prove himself. Before he can crack the case, he’s transferred to a new one that has grabbed the spotlight–the disappearance of a famous Houston evangelist’s teen daughter.

All he has to do? Find the missing teenage daughter of a Houston evangelist that every cop in town is already looking for. But March has an inside track, a multiple murder nobody else thinks is connected. With the help of a youth pastor with a guilty conscience who navigates the world of church and faith, March is determined to find the missing girls while proving he’s still one of Houston’s best detectives.

Battling a new partner, an old nemesis, and the demons of his past, getting to the truth could cost March everything. Even his life.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Back On Murder, go HERE.

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Beguiled
(Bethany House February 1, 2010)
Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

ABOUT THE BOOK

In the shadows of Charleston, someone is watching her… Rylee Monroe, a dogwalker in Charleston’s wealthiest neighborhood, never feared the streets at night. But now a thief is terrorizing the area and worse, someone seems to be targeting her.

Reporter Logan Woods is covering the break-ins with the hope of publishing them as a true-crime book. The more he digs, the more he realizes this beguiling dogwalker seems to be at the center of everything. As danger draws ever closer, Logan must choose: Chase the girl, the story, or plunge into the shadows after the villain who threatens everything?

If you’d like to read the first chapter of Beguiled, go HERE

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I’ve also been watching Lost. Yes, I know, the last season is about to start so I’m coming very late the Lost party. But, boy, is it good. I’m almost through the second season (fortunately it’s available to watch instantly on Netflix, so no waiting for disks to arrive). I’ve also watched some summary episodes so I kind of know what’s been happening in the other seasons, but I’m still going to watch it all. A summary can hit the high spots, but it doesn’t give you those “a-ha!” moments when you see another connection between characters or another mystery is revealed. Lost is another good example of well-drawn characters and good writing. I’ve noticed that the second season has slowed down some in the middle, sort of treading water, but it’s picking up again toward the end. It’s hard to sustain that kind of show over 20 plus episodes. But I think the other seasons are shorter, which will probably mean they’re a little tighter. Even at it’s worst, though, Lost is very good and I’m enjoying it a lot.

I think, at least for me, Frasier and Lost have something in common. They’re both shows that revolve around well-written characters. They’re complex, layered, and they grow and change. Frasier Crane, though he seems pompous and arrogant, is also insecure and just wants to love and be loved. At the start of the series he and his dad barely tolerate each other, but as the years pass, they learn to appreciate each other and value their differences. On Lost, the characters are developing as well, though the time frame is shorter. On the face of it, Jack and Sawyer seem to be opposites. And in some ways they are. But both are more complex than the sterotypical good guy and bad guy. They are each driven by their own personal demons. While I’ve liked Jack from the start, I’m starting to appreciate Sawyer more, too. And Locke is an enigma. Sometimes I like him, and sometimes I don’t think anyone should trust him. So it’s fun to see how the story has developed and how the characters respond to their circumstances. Lost involves more of a time investment and not everyone likes this kind of complicated, long-term story. But my favorite novel is The Lord of the Rings, so I think I’m up for it.

Actually, 2009 was fairly eventful and 2010 promises more of the same. We’ll be getting ready for two weddings: Tim is getting married in August and John is getting married early next January. And then there will be other, unexpected, things I’m sure. Some will be good and some will not be so good, but I know that God will be with us through all of it.

Once again I’m starting the new year with a resolution to be more faithful about Bible study or at least some kind of quiet time. I’ve started using the Daily Texts from the Moravian Church (frequently recommended by Brad Boydston). They’re short, but they also allow you to go deeper if you want.

I may or may not blog more regularly. I do have several months of newsletter columns to post, so maybe I’ll at least get caught up on that. I’m sure I’ll find some books and music worth writing about, too.

I think as I get older I realize how hard it is to really plan for the year to come. Things can change so quickly and yet God is at work through all of it. I think it’s better to have a general idea of what you hope to accomplish and be flexible about the details.

So welcome, 2010.

Tiger liked the Christmas tree.

Well, the kitten thought so. Me? Not so much.

Perhaps I was overly optimistic. I thought that if I left the tree up for a little bit, the novelty would wear off and Tiger (our three-month-old kitten) would get used to it. It quickly became apparent that the novelty would not wear off. Tiger batted at the branches, grabbed the light string and then climbed the tree. This would be a source of endless amusement and a disaster once I started putting ornaments on the tree. So, this year, we will not have a Christmas tree. I put out other decorations (out of Tiger’s reach) and we’ll just leave it at that.

So far, I like this study Bible. The NLT is a good, readable translation and I think I’m going to enjoy using it. It’s a dynamic equivalent translation, which means it’s less formal than the ESV. That makes it a good contrasting version for study. This Bible’s layout is useful — it has two columns, with center references, for the scripture on the top two-thirds of the page. The bottom third (more or less) of the page is the study notes, which are set in two columns in a slightly smaller contrasting font. The text of both is large enough to be easily read. (And that matters a lot to me as my eyes get older.) There’s also a concordance and maps in the back, along with preaching outlines of each book of the Bible (a feature of Wiersbe’s commentaries). Interspersed throughout the Bible are set-off sections labeled “Catalyst.” These sections highlight specific themes in the text. For example, on the page with Hebrews 11 is a Catalyst section about Faith — just a couple of paragraphs of additional thoughts a reader could use devotionally or to spark further study. Each book of the Bible has an introduction that includes an outline of the book, a brief overview, and a section labeled “Be Transformed,” which focuses on the application of the text. Dr. Wiersbe is a respected writer, preacher and Bible teacher and his commentaries have been widely used for years. His doctrine falls squarely within the evangelical mainstream. His commentary in the various helps and study notes is clear and will be easily understood by the average person in the pew, as well as useful to pastors and teachers.

Most study Bibles come with a certain set of theological presuppositions and the reader needs to keep in mind that introductory sections and study notes are helps and not part of the scripture. But a good study Bible can help the reader understand more and dig deeper into the scripture. I think the Transformation Study Bible is another good tool that a student of the Word will find useful.