Book Details:
Author: Julie Cave
Publisher: Master Books (2010)
Binding: Paperback
Page count: 288
ISBN: 978-0890515846
Recommendation:
Review Date: 11/28/2011 by Shaun Tabatt
Rating: Highly Recommended
Review:
Deadly Disclosures is the first book in the Dinah Harris Mystery series published by Master books. As you may surmise from the series name, the main character is Dinah Harris. When we first encounter her in the story, she is a mostly washed up FBI agent, who is struggling with depression, alcoholism and is on the verge of suicide. The one thing that keeps her going, the routine that gets her up in the morning is her job. At one time Dinah was a highly respected FBI field agent, but after one of her cases goes horribly wrong, Dinah was removed from active field duty and now spends her days instructing the fresh off the farm FBI recruits. For better or worse, this was her day to day existence until a mysterious abduction thrusts her back into active field duty.
The seemingly unlikely abduction victim is Thomas Whitfield, secretary of the Smithsonian. As Dinah and her partner Ferguson begin their investigation of the alleged crime, it seems that nobody is willing to admit to any conflicts with Thomas Whitfield or want of doing him harm. However, the deeper they dig, the higher the number of people who are getting threatened or harmed along the way to protect some unknown secret. Dinah and Ferguson are unable to catch a break in the case until they meet Andy Coleman, president of Genesis Legacy, a Christian apologetics organization. Andy shares with them the story of how he and Thomas Whitfield got to know each other on the debate circuit, Thomas making the case for evolution and Andy making the case for creation / intelligent design. Through an unlikely meeting in the aftermath of the horror of Columbine High School, the direction of their relationship begins to change and Andy is able to tell Thomas about the faith that underlies his belief in a creator and intelligent design. Through this and a series of follow up conversations, Andy shares the gospel with Thomas, who eventually repents and accepts Christ as his Lord and Savior. Along with this new found faith, comes a rejection of his former beliefs in evolution. While this would be highly unpopular within the circles Thomas runs in, Dinah and Ferguson struggle to come to terms with whether or not it’d be enough to get him murdered.
There are still many more exciting twists and turns in the story that I could share, but I’ll end my spoilers for now as I want readers to be able to fully enjoy the story for themselves. All thing considered, Deadly Disclosures is a great piece of fictional writing. The book moves along at a fast pace, which made it really hard to put down. I actually finished the entire novel in about 48 hours. The story that unfolds around the creation / evolution debate felt like it was pulled from the headlines. The interchanges with Andy Coleman throughout the story provide an excellent summary of the case for creation / intelligent design over evolution. There are also several clear articulations of the gospel in the story that take place between Andy Coleman and Thomas Whitfield and eventually between the Colemans (Andy and Sandra) and Dinah. Although Deadly Disclosures is a work of fiction, it does a great job of taking on some raw life issues (tragic loss, depression, alcoholism, etc.) and showing that Jesus Christ is all sufficient, able to heal the deepest of wounds and deliver from even the deepest of hurts. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Deadly Disclosures and would highly recommend it, both as an excellent fictional story and for its presentation of the creation / evolution debate and its presentation of the gospel. Readers who enjoy Deadly Disclosures will also want to consider The Shadowed Mind (Master Books, 2010) and Pieces of Light (Master Books, 2011), books two and three in the Dinah Harris Mystery series.
Author Information:
Julie Cave credits her parents for introducing her to books at a young age, which fostered an enduring passion for reading and writing. As a child, her favorite authors were Enid Blyton and C.S. Lewis and it wasn’t long before she began copying them, writing short stories for anyone who would read them. At fifteen, two things happened which would shape her future: she heard a creation science speaker at her church which cemented her faith in God; and she finished her second novel-length story and realized she had fallen in love with writing novels. After school, she completed a health science degree, got married, and worked in banking and finance. All the while she wondered how she could combine her love of writing and her strong passion for Christian apologetics and evangelism. One weekend at a church camp, a friend asked, ‘What if the guy in charge of the Smithsonian Institution went missing?’ The result – and the answer to that question – is Julie’s maiden published novel, Deadly Disclosures. Since then, Julie has written and released the other two books in this trilogy, The Shadowed Mind and Pieces of Light. Julie has two daughters and lives in Brisbane, Australia with her family. She divides her time between being a wife, a mother and an author.
Where to buy:
Related Media:
- Julie Cave Web Site – www.juliecave.com
- Julie Cave on Facebook – www.facebook.com/julieacave
- Julie Cave on Twitter – www.twitter.com/julieacave
- Book Trailer
Disclaimer:
This book was provided by Master Books for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.
