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The Rook Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Steven James / Revell Reviewed by Susan SleemanBestselling author, Steven James has mastered the thriller, and with only two fiction books under his belt, has surpassed many of the big name thriller authors.As in The Pawn, The Rook finds FBI geographic profiler Patrick Bowers hot on a serial case, this one seemingly involving only arson. But before long the stakes ratchet up to include kidnapping, suicide, murder, taunting video tapes, a challenging deadline, and a serial killer of surprising identity. And fueling it all is a biotech weapon, one of the world's most deadly devices and one of the military's darkest secrets. I want to give you more specifics about the plot, but I am forcing myself to stop here as I don't want to ruin the page turning surprises you will encounter in this almost five hundred page thrill ride. Bestselling author, Steven James has mastered the thriller, and with only two fiction books under his belt, has surpassed many of the big name thriller authors. Clearly James understands the concept of the BIG novel as in both The Pawn and The Rook, you couldn't ask for a more aggressive, big, and I mean really big plot. As a writer I admire his ability to think on such a high level, his unique plot lines, and his diligent research. Equally important as the race to the end plot are the characters James has richly developed. My favorite parts of the book involve the interplay between Tessa and Patrick. James gave us a glimpse of this tumultuous relationship in The Pawn, but in The Rook, Tessa is more of a starring player. James has captured the wit, sarcasm, and emotions of a teenager, though I have to say, Tessa like everything else in this book is not what she seems on the surface. I am one of the plethora of readers who loved The Pawn, but before I read The Rook I had the chance to sit down with Steven James for an interview. As the book unfolded and the plot built, I kept remembering what he told me in the interview--all this seemingly thrilleresc technology expertly used in The Rook exists today and is simply waiting for someone to put it together and make the weapon. Wow, did this up the thrill of reading the book for me. And hopefully it will for you as you listen to my interview with Steven James. |
Steven James is one of the nation's most innovative storytellers. He is the author of more than twenty books and a full-time speaker, having appeared more than 1,500 times throughout North America, Europe and Asia since 1996. Now harnessing his ability to build suspense with his vivid imagination and evocative writing, James is launching his first series of high-octane thrillers, The Bowers Files. With his first title in the series, The Pawn, James is proving that he can cross genre lines and find critical acclaim in a new style of writing.
James has had many outlets for his creativity. He holds a Master of Arts in Storytelling. In 1997, when he completed this degree, he was one of only 100 people in the world with the same degree.
Over the past four years, James has focused on crafting nonfiction books that explore and broaden the connections of story, imagination and Christian spirituality. He has written for Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, Zondervan, Tyndale, InterVarsity Press, Cook and Standard. His recent books include Sailing Between the Stars and the critically acclaimed Story: Recapture the Mystery. He has been honored with six national awards for his writing and storytelling, including a nomination for an ECPA Gold Medallion Book Award. His book Story: Recapture the Mystery received a starred review from Publishers Weekly.
Hundreds of his articles and stories have appeared in over 80 different magazines and publications, including Writer's Digest, Guideposts for Teens, and Campus Life.
James lives and writes in eastern Tennessee near the town of Jonesborough, the heart of the modern storytelling revival. He likes rock climbing and science fiction movies. When he's not writing or speaking, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three daughters.
Read more about Steven at: www.stevenjames.net
Suspense Books By Steven
| The
Pawn Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Steven James / Baker 
 
Special Agent Patrick Bowers has met only one person he's feared---until now. Working on a North Carolina serial murder case, he's caught in a macabre game of cat-and-mouse with a cunning killer called the Illusionist. The pieces of the puzzle don't add up. Can Bowers unravel the pattern in time to save the next victim? 432 pages, softcover from Revell. |
| The Rook,
The Bowers Files Series #2 Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Steven James / Revell
An arsonist has struck a top-secret research facility at a key US naval base. But it's not just a random terrorist attack. These people were after something specific. When Special Agent Patrick Bowers is called in to investigate, he is drawn into a deadly web of intrigue and deception. With his own criminology research being turned against him and one of the world's most deadly devices missing, Bowers is caught up in a race against time to stop an international assassin before it's too late. |
©2006-09
Susan Sleeman
Susan Sleeman
is the author of Nipped in the Bud, available May of 2009 from Heartsong Presents: Mysteries, an imprint of Barbour Publishing.
