A Good Mystery: What's Not to Like?

I love a good mystery. Always have. When I was six or seven, the two neighbor girls and I used to play a game we made up called "Pete, Michelle and Lisa." In it, we were characters who solved mysteries. We would spend hours acting out our stories and solving crimes. I have no idea where we came up with that name or who played who in it. But the mystery solving bug stayed with me.

One job I'd like to have is to be J.J. in Criminal Minds or an investigative crime reporter or Castle, the writer helping police solve cases.

But since my crime solving credentials only include being well-versed in nearly every crime drama of the past 25 years, I guess I'll stick to writing stories for great Christian organizations and causes. And read and watch crime dramas and mysteries in my spare time.

The current thriller I'm reading is Singularity by Steven James (not the comedian). It has suspense on overdrive. The story marries mysterious scientific experiments aimed at joining man and machine with a magician whose stunt producer is gruesomely murdered during a show. Solving his friend's murder will reveal a dangerous, dark secret testing the ethical limits of mankind.

Part murder mystery and part sci-fi thriller, James brings up questions about the possibilities of abuse of technology leading to ethical breakdown and the demise of mankind. Could our quest to become like God be our own downfall? Its frighteningly believable. Murder, secrets, moral dilemmas and a little romance make for a real page turner.

“Available November 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”