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Reviewed Titles House Obsessed Showdown The Slumber of Christianity: Awakening a Passion for Heaven on Earth	Ted Dekker Reviews Page Two Added May 24, 2006 House Author: Ted Dekker Publisher: WestBow Press Available At: Bookstores Everywhere Publishing Date: April 2006 Genre: Fiction: Christian/Suspense/Thriller Format: Hardback Price: $25.99 ISBN: 1-5955-4155-1 Author Email/Website: www.teddekker.com Reviewer: Joyce Handzo Rating: 8 Gargoyles Don't bother locking the doors to this House; the evil is already inside. After their car was sabotaged in the backwoods of Alabama, Jack and Stephanie surprisingly found themselves near a charming old inn. Seeking a phone and some rest, they entered the house only to fall into a killer's deadly game. Together with another couple, Randy and Leslie, the foursome are thrust into a battle for their lives against a most unusual foe. However, the madman makes things simple by clearly spelling out the rules to this contest. The game ends at dawn and there must be a dead body. To make things really sinister, the doors and windows are all locked; no one can leave. The shaking of the reader's hands will seem to turn the pages faster in this emotionally packed book. The house literally becomes a character in this drama, breathing out evil and malice with a pounding pulse. Both of the couples race madly through the rooms and hallways of this inn, as they desperately search for a way out. Their wanderings eventually lead them into the basement, which hides a multitude of sins and secrets. And all the while the clock ticks steadily, reminding the players that the game will end at dawn, one way or another. With a very strong beginning, the story grabs readers and thrusts them into a chilling scenario. Unfortunately, the overlong chase scenes seemed designed more for a movie audience than the printed page. Although the action is visual with a touch of the symbolic, and the characters provided an appropriate sense of terror, fans of these authors may be seeking a more spiritual element to this novel. While the conclusion does center on a fundamental truth of God's Word, the evil aspect got a little wearisome. The writing style is powerful, and there is enough mystery and mayhem to increase the heart rate of readers. Hopefully, the spiritual lessons will not get lost in all these halls of horror. Return to top of page. Updated! April 10, 2006 Obsessed Author: Ted Dekker Publisher: WestBow Press Available At: Bookstores Everywhere Publishing Date: January 2006 Genre: Fiction: Christian/Suspense Format: Trade Paperback Price: $14.99 ISBN: 1595540784 Author Email/Website: www.teddekker.com Reviewer: Joyce Handzo Rating: 8 Gargoyles Obsessed is hauntingly irresistible! Author Ted Dekker blends the spiritual and the physical world to give this story a supernatural backdrop with life-threatening complications. The time frame slips between the early seventies in Los Angeles to a labor camp in the Nazi regime. While Stephen Friedman was making a bundle of money in California's real estate market, a deceased woman's life calls out to him through some priceless religious artifacts known as the Stones of David. Stephen realizes that she may have been his mother, who disappeared in war-torn Poland, and he becomes obsessed with the idea of obtaining the legendary relics. Somehow, he knows that his life and legacy are bound up with the Stones of David, but first he must meet his own Goliath. The shift in settings keeps readers off balance and provides a tantalizing tension. The story moves along at steady increments, revealing key facts and faces. The bond between Stephen and Rachel Spritzer develops through flashbacks, and readers will enter into an emotional understanding of their relationship. The Stones of David, while valued at millions of dollars, hold an incalculable importance to this story. They are believed to be the stones that David selected to battle Goliath. In a similar manner, the Stones cause the main character to revisit the original battle fought between a Nazi officer and a Polish woman. The bad guys in this book are completely evil, which means readers have to turn each page carefully. Yet, parallels to Biblical accounts are also present, lifting this story into a higher realm. Obsessed is a story that dominates the mind, as it captivates the conscience! Return to top of page. This page was last updated on January 1, 2008 This page and all its contents are Copyright© 2002-2008 In the Library Reviews and the individual reviewers. Except where noted, all graphics are Copyright© Eos Development and are used with permission. All book covers are Copyright© their respective publishers and are used with permission. The In the Library Reviews logo is Copyright© 2002 by In the Library Reviews/Sharyn McGinty. Site maintained by In the Library Reviews.