After The Pawn . . . The Rook

FBI geospatial genius and elite serial crime solver Dr. Patrick Bowers is called to San Diego to investigate a peculiar series of arsons. Glad to be reunited with the attractive Agent Lien-hua Jiang, the profiler on the case, and awaiting friend, Agent Ralph Hawkins, the agents quickly determine these fires are not the norm for typical arsonists.

Accompanying Agent Bowers on what he thinks will be a brief and relatively safe week of work is his 17-going-on-30 year old step-daughter Tessa. A bizarre and frightening incident occurs to Patrick and Tessa as they attempt to share an evening together. Alarmingly intuitive, paradoxical Tessa manages to contribute a few insightful observations to the case before completely acting her age and inserting herself into horrible danger.

Accomplished storyteller Steven James’ gives us The Rook which follows The Pawn, and coming in the summer of 2009 will be The Knight. Both The Pawn and The Rook leave us with an enticing cliffhanger, but each novel can be read with a sense of completion for the individual plots addressed. We know we will ultimately see one antagonist again, but there are several others to be concerned about—and eliminated—in the process of these stories without focusing on future dangers which of course are intimated.

If you read my review of The Pawn, you will remember I enjoyed the book. There is no question Steven James can write a suspense-filled thriller, palpably describing the evil in his multiple antagonists from primarily Patrick Bowers’ first person POV. However, in The Pawn I thought the plot was a bit too ambitious, dividing my interests in the bad guys and making me feel like I had to abandon one part of the story to keep up with the other two. Now that doesn’t mean anyone else felt that way, but I felt it strongly enough to make the point. The Rook is tightly focused, intense, employing a fair amount of bad guys but this time it’s easy to follow how they’re all connected, even when we’re unsure of whom the head and tail are and what exactly motivates them besides a strange device.

Inside The Rook we learn of a rare condition which “afflicts” one of the villains and when we get inside his head for a dream—well, if that doesn’t register a maximum surge on your “creeped-out-meter”, you don’t have one.

Patrick Bowers struggles with evil, not only in the heinous crimes and criminals who inflict them upon others, but within himself. While the theme exposes the God-based revelation that we are innately evil and need redemption outside of ourselves, so far in this series Steven has yet to make it clear if it’s possible or how it can be attained. In other words this is yet another Christian novel which approaches God and His offered salvation from a distance. Patrick Bowers and the ensemble cast of characters rely upon their talents and training, intelligence and intuition and expect the combination of these factors to ultimately work in their favor. When their most desperate efforts fail to secure their safety, it occurs to them to pray to the God none of them are sure is there.

Only a couple of minor plot concerns, one of which really can’t be faulted because of “real” time occurrences. In Chapter 55, page 246, Patrick answers a deceased character’s cell phone. At the end of a brief effort to fake the decedent's voice, the caller addresses Dr. Bowers by his real name. We know that Patrick is capable of dissecting and compartmentalizing intricate information, but this surprise isn’t even referred to again until Chapter 62, page 272. The only other incident which I felt might carry more weight in the story was when Patrick was informed about the sighting of a previous enemy. Overall, in light of this particular story and events and the intense pacing, these are not huge.

There was a hint of a spiritual softening in Patrick Bowers at the end of The Pawn due primarily to arriving at the end of his rope and natural abilities to save his kidnapped step-daughter and in remembrance of his deceased wife’s faith. Apparently it’s going to take more than a few near death experiences before Patrick takes real faith seriously. And that is my one and only disappointment in the novel.

An intriguing, good length, thrilling tale which took the next step in outdoing The Pawn. This series would make good films.

Father, thank you for gifting Steven James. I pray you would continue to inspire his work, watch over and protect him, and help him to remain obedient to the call(s) on his life. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.