An arson fire totals the church and brings doubt to the parson that leading the church is his true calling.Very good story

This is Book IV in the Newpointe 911 suspense series.

I loved this book. Terri Blackstock is a great christian writer as well as mystery/suspense. Every one of her books is excellent.

Read All Book Reviews of "Trial by Fire Newpointe 911 Bk 4"

Blackstock's Newpointe 911 series is a somewhat melodramatic series revolving around 911 responders (firefighters, paramedics, and police) in a sleepy little Louisiana burg. The book starts with the local Calvary Bible Church being burned to the ground with the son of one of Newpointe's finest, Ben Ford, found dead of a gunshot wound in the building. The mystery deepens as another church is burned and, later, a young black teen is beaten severely.

The pastor/firefighter of Newpointe, Nick Foster, is having a hard time dealing with the loss of his church as well as the discovery that he has not-so-platonic feelings for unbelieving paramedic and party girl, Issie Mattreaux, whose cousin Jake is somehow involved.

There are a few subplots revolving around what affect the death of a child has on a family (Susan and Ray Ford's rejection of God is all too realistic) as well as what affect a teen's friends have on him (Jake's realization that his friends are KKK-influenced cultists). There's a birth as well (Stan and Celia Shepherd, whose pregnancy was revealed in the last book).

The Nick and Issie subplot is the most interesting by far, since it deals with the Christian concept of being "unevenly yoked". It's very important, from a Christian standpoint, that both mates have common beliefs and principles. Marriage to someone (like Issie) that doesn't share Nick's faith in God would make it more likely that there would be severe disharmony. Mutual devotion to the Creator is the strongest basis for unity, and this is seen reflected in the marriages of Mark and Allie, Stan and Celia and, eventually, Ray and Susan.

Blackstock makes her points very well in this book without it being overly preachy (which happens all too often in her Cape Refuge series). This book is, for my money, the best in the series.

This book was great, probably the best in all 4!

Read All Book Reviews of "Trial by Fire Newpointe 911 Bk 4"