Give Thrasher credit: his debut novel, The Promise Remains, was one of the nicest surprises in CBA fiction last year, and this second offering is a notch above the first. Here, he tackles the question "Is anything we do too awful for God to forgive?" Former music prodigy Sheridan Blake is afraid of holding his life up to the light—thus the watermark—because of a tragic secret in his past that he refuses to examine too closely. The 28-year-old senior at Chicago's Covenant College and his aged, diabetic mutt, Barney, share digs with the party-hearty Erik Morrison, who's on a crash course to repeat the mistakes Sheridan has made. When Sheridan falls for the feisty Genevie Liu, an attractive graduate student, he must face his past or risk losing her. "But maybe God can work miracles—even out of horrible mistakes," Sheridan muses. Thrasher expertly paces the story, blending touches of humor (as when Barney throws up on Genevie on their first date) with poignant moments that avoid being cloying. The novel is spritzed with plenty of Scripture and prayer as Sheridan gradually works his way back to God, but Thrasher carefully avoids the trap of tying up all the loose ends. It feels awkward that Erik's frequent curses are not actually on the page; however, these omissions will likely smooth the book's entrance into CBA retail outlets. Thrasher's solid writing is beautifully packaged as a gift-sized hardcover, which should make it almost irresistible to Christian fiction readers. (Oct.)
