First off in the CFBA Tour for July is Davis Bunn’s Lion of Babylon published by Bethany House. Davis Bunn is the consummate novelist with numbers of books sold in upward of six million copies published in 16 languages. So when you want to read those novels that exhibit skill and finesse, diverse plots with intense character development, you turn to a Davis Bunn novel.
Ex-operative Marc Royce, fired by his hard-nosed boss because of attending to his wife who suffered a stroke at a very young age and eventually died, learns his best friend Alex has gone missing with a female American nurse and a female aid worker in Iraq. When approached by his former boss to go under the radar to rescue the trio, he accepts the request without hesitation.
His contact in Iran sets Marc up with an Iraqi lawyer Sameh el-Jacobi from whom he learns that not only is the trio missing but also a young wealthy Iraqi man along with multiple Iraqi children disappearing and continuing to be kidnapped.
You’ve heard of the clichéd “strong silent type”. Marc Royce is that guy. When he has no suitable answer, he simply doesn’t reply. He commands respect without ever asking for it and understands the value of recognizing the culture and adapting to its protocols without condescension, disrespect, or compromise. His relationship with Sameh is cemented not only in mutual respect and earned trust but in brotherhood of the Christian faith. If there is a miniscule fault in this novel, it’s Marc’s infallibility.
Marc’s skills in the field return with the rush of adrenaline, and with Sameh’s help and insights he begins to figure out the underlying plot of all the kidnappings eventually discovering why his friend and the others have disappeared. When Marc is able to gain assistance from Sameh’s old friend, a well-trained but demoted cop (Hamid Lahm) who is now a prison guard, he secures both the respect and trust he needs to employ the man in his attempt to rescue the missing victims. First accomplishing the rescue of several local kidnapped children with the help of the cop and his faithful men, suddenly Marc becomes a hero to the local Iraqis and Hamid and his men are instantly promoted to important positions in law enforcement. When the new “Major” Lahm hails Marc as a “lugal”, an unheard of praise and title for an American, the door opens for whatever Marc needs to find his friend and the rest of the kidnapped victims. He will need everything he can get because of where the victims are.
With clean and crisp writing Davis Bunn once again delivers a fascinating story with current and ancient history carefully woven into the telling of Lion of Babylon. That mix of old and new, the clashes of different denominations in the Muslim faith and hierarchy, the politics of people lusting for power, and the bridge between an Iraqi’s family and a lonely American give the reader a clearer picture of a people’s innate distrust and the conflicts of nation building after its ruination by a dictator. The clever title speaks of both the physical and eternal. Another quick, interesting, exciting, and ultimately touching read for Davis Bunn.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764209051
Father, you’ve given Davis so many fascinating stories, and I’m sure you’re not done yet. Please continue to meet the supply for stories that bring honor to you from the hand of your servant Davis Bunn. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.