The thing Tim Downs has established in every novel he’s ever written is he’s never short on good dialogue, unusual characters, and unique plots. Wonders Never Cease is a distinct break from the Bug Man series in an original standalone with plenty of tongue-in-cheek moments and its share of stereotypical characters to keep the flavor of this supernatural tale from being taken too seriously while pointing out the ironies of both “religious” establishments and unbelievers concerning the supernatural.
Leah, a precocious six year old, attends an expensive Episcopal private school in the “City of Angels”, aka Los Angeles. During “See and Say”, Leah shares her observation of an angel’s actions she witnessed in the aftermath of a horrible car accident and again during an evening at the UCLA hospital where her divorced mother, Natalie, works as a nurse along with her mother’s live-in boyfriend Kemp MacAvoy who also works as a nurse. Leah’s accounts of angel sightings cause a parent-teacher meeting which results in another meeting with the school’s counselor. Labeling Leah everything from an imaginative child to a potentially dangerous student, Natalie is astounded at the reactions to her sweet daughter’s explanations.
How the angelic sightings mesh into the story of Kemp MacAvoy, aka Bobby Foscoe, the narcissistic and conniving boyfriend, proves both disgusting and amusing as he finagles a plan to make millions using a comatose mean-spirited actress who happened to be in the car wreck where Leah observed her first angel.
Kemp’s antics and smug self-assurance belie his stupidity due to his prideful assessment of his good looks, intelligence, and medical skills. Meanwhile, it takes Natalie far too long to realize what a waste the man sharing her house is and how little he cares about her, let alone her daughter.
The most endearing character is the hospital janitor, Emmet, who outsmarts the team of bloodsuckers Kemp assembles to make sure they get as much money as they can from the actress’s recovery. Emmet’s ability to ignore Kemp’s demeaning attention and eventually manipulate the arrogant manipulator made me snicker. The conclusion to the story is clever but no surprise.
Tim Downs allows the reader rotating POVs from Kemp, Natalie, and Leah. Leah’s voice sounds slightly masculine to me, but her conduct is definitely female.
Since there’s zero to like about Kemp, and Natalie presents a kind of weak and whiny character with poor judgment making it difficult to find real empathy for her, and Leah’s sullen brief appearances give us little to root for, the story drags a bit until Emmet becomes a viable character. Tim Downs has little trouble doing humor or irony, sarcasm or wit, so this slight risk of a novel which is difficult to categorize will most likely appeal to a wide variety of readers who prefer a quirky little story with spiritual implications. Not sure devotees of the Bug Man books will be quick to favorably respond to this Wonders Never Cease effort.
Father, you’ve blessed Tim with amazing skills. May he continue to honor you with them. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Into the Fire 
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