Dark Rising

Conflict rages on between the Shepherds (holy warriors in service to God) and the Dark Ones (demon-possessed human minions of Satan) in the pulse-pounding fourth entry in Andrews and Wilson’s Christian-themed thriller series (after Dark Fall). After defeating the leader of the Dark Ones in the previous book, former Navy SEAL Jedidiah Johnson is ordered to take some much-needed rest. While vacationing in the Dominican Republic, Jed rescues a child from an attempted abduction. Convinced the incident was part of a larger plot by the Dark Ones, he calls his handlers for backup. Gayle James, a CIA liaison to the Shepherds, who’s still adjusting to the reality of the spiritual war that Jed and his team are waging, arrives to assist. While Jed and Gayle investigate a series of kidnappings orchestrated by Haitian voodoo priestess Manbo Athaliah Guerriera, teenagers Sarah Beth Yarnell and Corbin Worth, who have psychic gifts, discover that the Dark Ones are set to choose their new leader in an upcoming unholy ritual. Andrews and Wilson set a lively pace, and never let the mayhem become too convoluted or self-serious. Series fans will walk away satisfied. (Apr.)