Into the Fire

Brad Thor hits the proverbial nerve with Hidden Order exposing The Federal Reserve which most people assume is operated by the federal government but which is in fact operated by a private group who basically control the banking industry and money printing. It figures that if this group and its leader are corrupted, there's a boatload of money at their disposal. Add to them a rogue CIA operation which was supposed to be defunct because of its dangerous members working too far outside their boxes, and you have one treacherous band of wicked operators committing heinous murders.

Working in parallel efforts, Scot Harvath and the attractive Boston Police Homicide Detective Laura Cordero and CIA Operative Lydia Ryan with her mentor Bob McGee scramble to find the killer or killers of the potential leaders of the Reserve since their previous leader died. The selected group of individuals are turning up dead, their vicious murders heavy with symbolic gestures.  

From the beginning of Harvath's assignment, nothing has felt right about the investigation. He can't identify the problem and the victims are mounting. The detective is determined to force his hand and get the information he's concealing. Part of him wants to come clean with all the particulars, but he holds out until he garners more critical information.

This novel will make you mad because too much of it is no doubt true. As the late great Vince Flynn had specialized sources and wrote near-prophetic thrillers, so it is with Brad Thor. Hidden Order has some menacing and unusual killers with gory murders, traitorous activity, and a solid mystery. 

(In the paperback version there's a short additional chapter that doesn't appear in the hardbound book.)

Father, continue to bless Brad Thor's life and writing. May your purpose for him be foremost in his mind. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

     Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.

Matthew 1:17 (NIV)

Five reasons I love Christmas:

Jesus: The Reason for the Season; the Nativity in all its simple beauty

The trees: living, cut Douglas or Noble Fir, artificial   

The beautiful lights

The decorated streets

The old Christmas carols

(and Christmas cookies, giving gifts, all kinds of decorations, etc.)

Thank you, Jesus, for coming to save us all.

(Originally posted on May 10th, 2015: "Secured by . . . Blood Evidence")
                             

Blood Evidence is the second book in a three book series by Mel Odom. I haven't had the pleasure of reading the first in the series (Paid in Blood).

Commander Will Coburn of NCIS and his team discover two bodies long-deceased on the property of an ex-con after raiding his farmhouse to rescue the daughter of Marine Captain Whitcomb. Coburn's team secures the girl after significant gunfire, an injury to one of his team, several prisoners captured, and a few escapees.

The two bodies belong to a missing Marine and the missing daughter, Chloe Ivers, of a Navy officer and her ex-husband Congressman Ben Swanson, Chloe's step-father. As Coburn, his team, and the Medical Examiner, Dr. Nita Tomlinson, attempt to determine the hows and whys of their deaths and what their connection could be, the intrigue and power plays begin.

Everyone loves to suspect the slimy politician will meet his match, and Ben Swanson is the consummate politician who will blame everyone else for personal woes, mislead, lie, and pontificate with poise to throw blame and suspicions elsewhere. Seemingly capable of anything to maintain his power, it's Coburn's and his team's job to hunt and search for the ties between the deaths and Swanson.

It's a good story with plenty of conflict, frustrations, emotional issues and upheavals, and filled with interesting characters. The thing I really liked about this story was its "structure". All suspense and thriller novels take the reader to the edge of excitement and then reroute them to another incident or character situation leaving the reader on the brink of chaos. Mel Odom does it extremely well, highlighting different characters, good and bad, in the midst of their struggles or schemes.

Ultimately Odom uses one of the least likable but impeccably skilled characters to find the keys to the case. There is one scene near the end of the story involving this character which didn't quite feel plausible based on her established personality but   presented a welcome change in behavior.

Understated but definitely present, Christian faith is organically expressed and evident in the lives of certain characters.
Blood Evidence by Mel Odom (Tyndale Fiction, published 2007) is well worth the read for those who love military, procedural, suspense, and well-characterized novels. Probably should start from the beginning with Paid in Blood, but you won't feel "behind" if you read Blood Evidence.  

Father, please continue to bless the writing and teaching efforts of Mel Odom. May he do as you ask of him and enjoy every minute of it. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

For the romantic at heart, this is a beautiful wistful commercial. Of course I love it. 

Thank you, Lord, for your amazing beauty and creativity. So many ways to show off the divine. May those who create it know the Source. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Back in the day we all needed to be shown the way. Some of us are still looking . . . 

Thank you, Lord, for showing me the only way in you, Jesus. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Need I say more? For the lover of contemporary espionage, political, assassin drama, Brad Thor is the next best thing to Vince Flynn. Since this list, add Code of Conduct, Foreign Agent, and Use of Force to your thriller buying list. 

Father, it's a hard world filled with sin. Thank you for providing the Savior of the world and allowing those you've called as warriors to do their jobs. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

     Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him."

Matthew 21:31(b)-32 (NIV)

Five things that make me smile (in no particular order):

Mt. Rainier (aka "The Chief") summer, fall, winter, spring. Looking at it and the foothills from our kitchen and living room windows shows off God's magnificent glory in His creation.

Christmas always. I don't care if the lights and decorations come up before Thanksgiving. I love it. Not the silly stuff or the Santa stuff, but the "Jesus is the reason for the season" stuff and the beauty that is Christmas.

Driving early in the morning before dawn when there's no traffic and it's quiet. Not too many places where it's still like this, but it's peaceful when it is.

Buying gifts. Oh how I love buying presents for people. I tend to overdo it, but, much like my dad, giving is my thing.

My beautiful dog. He's over-sensitive, loving, fierce to strangers and super protective of me, hilarious with some of his expressions, and just an amazing German Shepherd. Love him to the moon and back. 

Father, it's a wonderful thing when you put a smile on my face. Love that feeling that precedes a smile. You are the ultimate giver of good and perfect gifts. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

No words great enough to express how thankful I am to God who gave me life and saw me through the journey to the Cross of Christ and into salvation. Everything else is secondary to the One who gave me every good and perfect gift in this world and waited for me to realize the source of them. Thank you, Lord God. In the Name of your Son Jesus Christ, Amen.