Unholy Hunger by Heather James - REVIEWED!!

About the Book: (from Kregal Publications)

Evelyn Barrett wants to die. As long as her daughter’s murderer dies with her, she is ready to go. Why did this man--this stranger--destroy her family? Why has he not been brought to justice? Why is she forced to live a life of anger and grief? Amid a million questions she cannot answer, Evelyn knows one thing for sure: this murderer must be punished for his crime.

Before it all, she was a successful attorney who won all the hard cases. Now that the case is personal, Evelyn will stop at nothing to seek her own version of justice. When another girl goes missing, Evelyn plows forward, ignoring the warnings from police detectives, the pleas of her grief-stricken husband, and the strange, almost supernatural tingles that tug at her. But as she follows the stench of evil, Evelyn learns that the hardest thing she will have to face may not be the death of her child after all. Perhaps the harder lesson is this: the ultimate truth--of crime and verdict, of life and death--cannot be swayed by a mother’s revenge.

In this first book of a new, page-turning series, a woman will be brought to her limits before she finally recognizes the movement of the Holy Spirit and reconnects with the source of true peace.

My Thoughts:

“There is no safety for people who dance with the devil.  That destroyer doesn’t know how to play nice and he sure doesn’t intend to be a considerate dance partner. You are going to be minus something when the music stops.” (p. 266)

Unholy Hunger is one of the most poignant, gritty, honest and disturbing books I’ve ever read.  The truth contained in this book applies to all believers.  Truly.  We must all learn, at some point in time, that there are things, many things, beyond our control.  We do live in a fallen, broken world, a world under the rule of evil.  That we struggle to make God-like decisions in the face of that evil is the temptation that can and will break your spirit so greatly that you won’t even recognize yourself.

The temptation to execute God-like judgment is the temptation that Evelyn yields to within the pages of this story.  The consequences of yielding are grave indeed.  She is grieving the greatest loss a parent ever faces this side of heaven – the loss of her only child.  That is no reason to give herself over to vigilante justice.  Evelyn loses everything in her effort to appease the unholy hunger within her own soul.

Everyone should experience this novel.  It will indeed change your life.  You will be forced to examine some hard truths and whether or not your own heart recognizes and responds to God’s presence – regardless of the circumstances you are facing.  There are scenes in the story that made me weep.  I wept tears of sorrow and of joy.  This is not a pleasant read per se, but it contains a VERY important truth that no one should miss.   This is a well-written and unforgettable book, and I look forward to reading more from this author!

About the Author:

Heather James is the author of the Lure of the Serpent Series, suspense novels that pack quick wit into the high heels of attorney turned vigilante, Evelyn Barrett.

In addition, Heather is a practicing lawyer in California and a columnist with The Bakersfield Californian. Her columns focus on the humorous aspects of marriage and parenthood. Heather is married and works at home, raising two young sons.