The Ambition

Bestselling nonfiction writer Strobel (The Case for Christ) makes his fiction debut with a legal thriller that draws on his background in legal journalism. In Chicago, which specializes in deep-dish corruption, the mobster Bugatti brothers want a murder case steered to the right judge, so they send a payoff to Judge Reese McKelvie. McKelvie is a candidate for a U.S. Senate seat vacated as a result of corruption; his rival is pastor Eric Snow, who heads a suburban megachurch and who has developed political ambition. One member of Snow's congregation is Gina D'Orazio, girlfriend of investigative reporter Garry Strider. When Gina's faith prompts her to move out of Strider's apartment, the cynical Strider takes Snow's megachurch as his next investigative target. The much published author writes with great confidence and plots like a screenwriter. The book's ending has a rushed feel, as if some major developments are dropped rather than resolved. On the whole, however, Strobel succeeds in his new direction; his nonfiction fans will certainly want to check this out. (May)