Showdown

Dekker's readers will recognize many of his mainstays: mysterious forces causing havoc, characters who may or may not be what they seem and open, faith-based questions about the very nature of reality. In this page-turner, the residents of Paradise, Colo. (a one-saloon town in the mountains), encounter Marsuvees Black, a purported preacher who claims God sent him to bring "grace and hope" to their town. Meanwhile, at a nearby nondenominational Christian monastery, monks fret over a rebellion among the gifted children in their care. Dekker (Thr3e ; Blink ) impressively paces the novel, maximizing suspense and intrigue by solving the novel's myriad mysteries at the exact point readers will likely be guessing at them. For example, it will dawn on readers by the middle of the story that a certain type of connection must exist between the monastery and the town. Dekker rewards that discovery by explaining the connection, but still leaves enough questions open to keep readers sleuthing to the end. While there are gory scenes and small problems with the story (especially the implausible, unethical circumstances under which the students at the monastery have been procured and studied), Dekker delivers his signature exploration of good and evil in the context of a genuine thriller that could further enlarge his already sizable audience. (Feb. 10)