Review of The Knight by Steven James

Steven James has written another compelling thriller with The Knight. I'm again amazed at his ability to weave together such complex tapestry of facts and events without confusing the reader but keeping them guessing until the end.

I'd been warned that The Knight is a darker book than his previous ones, and half-expected that I might not be able to finish it. (My imagination is too active, and I have tossed out books by some best-selling authors because they are too sick.) However, James manages to write about a truly sick, sociopathic killer and some hideous crimes without making me feel personally soiled by the images. (Although, I must admit, the snakes freaked me out, but that's a personal issue.) Don't get me wrong--I was on the edge of my seat at times, and Giovanni (the murderer) made my skin crawl, especially when he was remembering his grandmother's murder. This is an engaging book.

I've enjoyed learning more about the characters, especially the relationship between Patrick and his stepdaughter, Tessa. The warmth, the humor, the fumbling attempts to do the right thing. As a mom of teens, I want to shout advice to poor Patrick, but the whole relationship is very believable--and very touching. This time, Patrick handles some tough issues, and I admire his resolutions. No, no spoilers--go read the book.

In fact, go out and get your copy--or order it by clicking on the Amazon link. This is a terrific thriller, a solid mystery, and a great story.

The Knight by Steven James

The stakes have never been higher. FBI Agent Patrick Bowers is used to tracking the country's most dangerous killers, but now it looks like a killer is tracking him. When he realizes the murderer is using clues from a medieval manuscript as a blueprint for his crimes, Bowers faces a race against time to decipher who the next victim will be and to stop the final shocking murder--which he's beginning to believe might be his own.

A word of caution: This book is considered "gritty, chilling and intense." It contains graphic descriptions of disturbing crime scenes. While not for the faint of heart, the series has been described as "suspense thriller writing at its highest level" and is likely to keep you up all night.

Steven's Website: http://www.stevenjames.net/


Interview with Steven:

1. Tell us a little about the series.

Patrick Bowers, an FBI criminologist who uses cutting-edge 21st century investigative techniques, tracks a variety of killers, arsonists, cult leaders and criminal masterminds. The novels are suspenseful and filled with high-octane action. I’ve loved working on the series and hearing from the growing fan base about how they’ve grown close to the characters, especially Patrick’s stepdaughter, Tessa.

2. What do you enjoy about writing these books?

Well, I’m not sure my wife appreciates the long hours I have to put in! At least she’s been very supportive over the years. Peraonally, I enjoy the challenge of coming up with complex plots. Each book feels like putting together 125,000 word puzzle. It takes me nearly a year, but in the end, it’s worth it. I think.

3. Does any part of the story, character or subject disturb you? How do you work through that,if so?

When writing from the point-of-view of the sadistic serial killers, it can be a bit troubling. All right, more than “a bit.” For instance, last summer, the killer from The Knight began to give me nightmares and I had to put the book aside and finish writing a prayer book I’ve been working on. (It’s called A Heart Exposed, and will be released later this fall.)

4. What reaction do you hope readers get from this book?

Two things. First, as a Christian, I have a strong belief in the reality of both good and evil, in the dignity of life and the tragedy of death. So, when I present evil, I want it to be disturbing rather than alluring. I want to bring humanity to the characters so that when someone is killed, it matters. That’s the way it is in real life and I want my fiction to reflect that.

Second, I write with a moral question in mind that drives the story. Typically, it’s a moral dilemma like “What’s more important, truth or justice?” I would like readers to spend time thinking about these questions that ultimately matter. The novels present hope as real and available from God, and of course I would like my readers to discover that as well.

5. What's next? The Bishop? The Queen? Checkmate?

The Bishop will release summer of 2010. We’re planning four more books after The Bishop: The Queen, The King, Checkmate, and then a prequel entitled Opening Moves, so I guess Patrick Bowers and his stepdaughter Tessa will be around for awhile! By the way, readers can find out more about the series at www.patrickbowers.com



Available August 2009 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Review for The Rook by Steven James

Steven James has written an engrossing and sometimes disturbing thriller featuring FBI agents Patrick Bowers and Lien-hua Jiang. In this one, they go to San Diego to investigate a series of fires and end up catching a serial killer--but not before he nearly kills them.

Aside from a single nit, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. James has a wildly creative mind--sometimes a scarily creative one--and a knack for characterization and weaving in false trails and red herrings.

My favorite character, from a creative point of view, is the villain, Creighton. We start out seeing him as so creepy and evil that I had to force myself not to read before bed or I got nightmares! However, the real intrigue to Creighton comes over halfway through the book, when his capture and interrogation reveal the reason behind his twisted mental workings. Brilliantly conceived and brilliantly set up--and I also love how James made us understand him without being made to pity him.
The mystery itself is complex and expertly woven. At one point, I was so sure I knew what was happening next that I practically shouted at the characters to get a clue, but I was wrong! The ending too me by surprise, too: Creighton, as the title suggests, was only the rook in this story. James laid enough clues that I could figure out the king, but several other pieces are in play, in ways you'll never suspect!

Agent Bowers has a unique skill, geographical profiling (looking for patterns in time and place in order to trace a criminal's point of origin, and he learns, his next move). This gives the mystery an interesting perspective to compliment the usual investigative procedures, including personality profiling done by Agent Jiang. The romance between Bowers and Jiang moves forward in halting steps, a nice change from the usual get-them-together-by-book's-end approach. Also interesting is the growing father-daughter relationship between Bowers and his step-daughter; although, as a protective mother of four, I wanted to slap Bowers a few time for his parenting choices.

If you like thrillers, you'll love Steven James. In fact, I enjoyed The Rook far more than the NYT best-seller thriller I read in August. James doesn't just write exciting thrillers--he writes intelligent ones.

Buy it. You won't be disappointed.

The Rook by Steven James

Special Agent Patrick Bowers is about to uncover the military's darkest secret . . . and his own dark past.

While investigating a series of baffling fires in San Diego, Special Agent Patrick Bowers is drawn into a deadly web of intrigue where nothing is as it appears to be. With a killer on the loose and one of the world's most deadly devices missing, Bowers is caught in a race against time to stop a criminal mastermind's trap before it closes around the people he loves.

Full of fast-paced action and mind-bending plot twists, The Rook is an adrenaline-laced page-turner that will hold you captive until the very end.

REVIEW COMING TOMORROW

Order at Baker Publishing