The best Alton Gansky book I've read yet: My review of "Wounds"

Check out a preview and my review of the latest book from Alton Gansky, courtesy of the publisher and CFBA:

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This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Wounds B&H Books (May 1, 2013) by Alton Gansky

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alton L. Gansky is the author of 24 novels and 8 nonfiction works, as well as principle writer of 9 novels and 2 nonfiction books. He has been a Christie Award finalist (A Ship Possessed) and an Angel Award winner (Terminal Justice) and recently was award the ACFW award for best suspense/thriller for his work on Fallen Angel. He holds a BA and MA in biblical studies and Lit.D. He lives in central California with his wife. In addition to his own writing, Alton Gansky has consulted and provided editing/ writing services to several CBA publishers and written copy, video scripts, and other works for the general business market. Through Gansky.Communications he has consulted with publishers and agents, as well as provided editing services. He is “the go to guy” for co-writing having been selected by Penguin, Waterbrook, Broadman Holman, and other publishers to work with their top tier authors. Gansky is in frequent demand at writer’s conferences having taught and keynoted in California, Arizona, New Mexico, North Carolina, Delaware, Washington, and Canada. He has also been guest lecturer on suspense writing at Taylor University in Indiana.

 ABOUT THE BOOK

A man’s lifeless body is found in the fresh soil of San Diego’s botanical garden. Cause of death is asphyxiation, an easy call for the medical examiner. More mysterious, however, are the tiny drops of blood on the victim’s skin, resulting from hundreds of punctures. A rabbi leaving his house for work expects a regular day at the synagogue. That quickly changes when he discovers a dead man on his front lawn, clearly beaten to death. Motorcycle riders racing along the empty streets of an abandoned military base stumble across another man’s corpse, its skin revealing long, red-purple marks of a thrashing given with wood dowels. The numbers mount. Each week another victim and another mysterious clue in a game of mass murder the police don’t want to lose. The solution rests with Dr. Ellis Poe, a religious professor who only wishes to be left alone with his books and classes. But evil must be faced, and the choice is no longer his own.

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

my review.....

If you are looking for a terrifically written suspense novel, then Alton Gansky has just what you are looking for! His latest book, "Wounds", is his best book to date, with gritty suspense, non-stop action, and characters you are going to love to meet. The chapters absolutely flew by as I was quickly absorbed into the intriguing plot of the story. I greatly enjoyed the homicide detectives Carmen Rainmondi and Bud Tock, as their quick wit and repartee made for some fun dialogue. More than that, however, Carmen's tragic past immediately warmed my heart towards her, as did her unexpected connection to Dr. Ellis Poe. It is not often that I can be held in the grip of a suspenseful story and yet find my faith stirred at the same time, but Alton Gansky has accomplished just that. God's love and gift of forgiveness shine ever more brightly against the backdrop of the gruesome murders and the haunting pasts of the characters.

I should say that readers who are turned off by details of blood and gore should be cautioned before picking up this novel, as some of the descriptions of the murder scenes are very vivid. As such things don't bother me, I actually found this to be a strength; the descriptions were so well done the scenes played like a movie across my mind.

I closed this book wishing that "Wounds" was only the first in a series, as I would love to meet these characters again and see them solve future crimes together. Although there is no indication that we will be meeting Carmen or Bud or Ellis again, I am certainly keeping my fingers crossed! I highly recommend this book and award it 5 out of 5 stars.

Book has been provided courtesy of the publisher and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, for the purposes of this unbiased review.

Link to buy book: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1433677180