Every Now & Then

Prolific evangelical Christian fiction author Kingsbury (Between Sundays ) revisits characters from her previously well-received 9/11 series in this stand-alone focusing on sheriff's deputy Alex Brady, who lost his fireman father in the twin towers attack. Now 25 years old, Brady, whose faith once ran sure and strong, turned from God and family after his father's death. He relocates to California and spends all his time trying to find the bad guys and put them away with the aid of his K-9 partner, Bo. Bent on preventing arsonists from setting more fires, Brady is stunned to discover that others have endured similar loss but have made peace and moved on. Despite his anger, Brady's heart begins to thaw when unexpected memories and people re-enter his life, forcing him to choose between bitterness or hope. In typical Kingsbury style, by book's end the troubles are tidily wrapped up, which is clearly not so in real life. But the novelist's ability to accurately express life's sorrows and grief through her characters' inner dialogue rings true time and again. (Nov.)