Simon Mason is not your average world-famous evangelist. A down-to-earth “everyman”, his rapid ascent to household name surprised him more than anyone else. After being informed that his name is popping up in terrorist circles as a target, he employs Taylor Pasbury - an unusual woman in her own right - to provide security services for him.

Taylor is barely on the job when her past Secret Service training is called into action. Mason’s daughter Kacey, the jewel of his life, has been kidnapped. The terrorists demand? Forsake Christ. Deny that He is the Son of the living God. Then we will return your daughter. Placed in a situation that few of us will ever be called to face, Mason must make a life-shattering decision that will change his life forever.

While Forsaken sounds at first glance like a typical terrorist/suspense novel, it is so much more than what it seems. Well deserving of the suspense genre label, it moves at an intense and engrossing pace through the first two-thirds of the book, only to slow into a more thoughtful, reflective later portion. Readers are treated to what amounts to two stories within one cover, skillfully blended. A tale of nerve-wracking uncertainty and action combined with the story of one man’s faith and spiritual journey.

Jordan’s novel enthralled me. Forsaken possesses a special quality that refuses to let the reader set the book down for long. Far from being rote, the story of Kacey’s capture and the difficult decision her father faced were captivating. The characters are realistic, flawed and uncommonly personable. Mason is true to life in his vulnerability, failings and foibles. Pasbury, a woman with a difficult, tainted past is gritty, wounded, and loveable. The author has succeeded in writing both male and female characters that resonate in the heart of the reader.

Exploring far more than the themes of inter-religious tensions and terrorism, Jordan dips his characters into loneliness, evangelism, love, the bonds of family and God’s grace. A surprising depth is created through the drawing together of seemingly disparate threads of story – the lines between past and present.

Jordan does introduce some threads that are left dangling by this story’s end. Readers looking for a single title read may feel disappointed that these avenues have been left open. Those looking forward to future adventures with Taylor Pasbury will be delighted by the prospect of a sequel. Double-Cross is scheduled for release in October 2009.

A balanced perspective on the actions of Muslim terrorist groups is also woven into this novel. Far from condemning all followers of Islam as dangerous radicals, it is made clear that the purpose of such radicals is rarely religious, but more often power based. Moderate followers of Islam are treated with respect and dignity without minimizing the need to share the gospel with them.

Certainly a well-written suspense novel, Forsaken is so much more than I expected; deeper, truer, touching and surprising. Come for the thrill, adrenaline and addictive compulsion to keep reading. Stay for the lingering reflection, insight and first steps on the path to healing.

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Publisher Info:

Title: Forsaken
Author: James David Jordan
Format: Paperback, 400 pages
Publisher: B&H Fiction (October 1, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0805447490
ISBN-13: 978-0805447491