Wounds by Alton Gansky - Reviewed

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Wounds B&H Books (May 1, 2013) by Alton Gansky

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alton L. Gansky is the author of 24 novels and 8 nonfiction works, as well as principle writer of 9 novels and 2 nonfiction books. He has been a Christie Award finalist (A Ship Possessed) and an Angel Award winner (Terminal Justice) and recently was award the ACFW award for best suspense/thriller for his work on Fallen Angel. He holds a BA and MA in biblical studies and Lit.D. He lives in central California with his wife. In addition to his own writing, Alton Gansky has consulted and provided editing/ writing services to several CBA publishers and written copy, video scripts, and other works for the general business market. Through Gansky.Communications he has consulted with publishers and agents, as well as provided editing services. He is “the go to guy” for co-writing having been selected by Penguin, Waterbrook, Broadman Holman, and other publishers to work with their top tier authors. Gansky is in frequent demand at writer’s conferences having taught and keynoted in California, Arizona, New Mexico, North Carolina, Delaware, Washington, and Canada. He has also been guest lecturer on suspense writing at Taylor University in Indiana.


 ABOUT THE BOOK

A man’s lifeless body is found in the fresh soil of San Diego’s botanical garden. Cause of death is asphyxiation, an easy call for the medical examiner. More mysterious, however, are the tiny drops of blood on the victim’s skin, resulting from hundreds of punctures. A rabbi leaving his house for work expects a regular day at the synagogue. That quickly changes when he discovers a dead man on his front lawn, clearly beaten to death. Motorcycle riders racing along the empty streets of an abandoned military base stumble across another man’s corpse, its skin revealing long, red-purple marks of a thrashing given with wood dowels. The numbers mount. Each week another victim and another mysterious clue in a game of mass murder the police don’t want to lose. The solution rests with Dr. Ellis Poe, a religious professor who only wishes to be left alone with his books and classes. But evil must be faced, and the choice is no longer his own.

My Thoughts:

Alton Gansky is brilliant! Wow! Wounds takes readers deep into the mind of a deranged killer.  The bodies grow in number, and at some point a connection is made that will send shivers up your spine!  The killer’s spree is eerie enough, but Gansky goes one step further and ties together a crime from the past to a very gruesome present.  Your jaw will hit the floor when you realize the connection!  It just makes this story all the more compelling!

I refuse to give away a single clue to this novel!  It is brilliantly executed!  The police angle – Carmen Rainmondi in particular – is very reminiscent of the detectives that currently populate the airwaves.  She is headstrong and unrelenting in her search for answers.  She has an inner strength that I admire.  Her relationship with those around her is both tenuous and deep.  You will enjoy the depth revealed within her character.  All of the characters are well-developed and memorable in their own way.

If you enjoy suspense thrillers – mysteries with depth and character – a faith theme woven throughout in gritty reality – Alton Gansky’s Wounds is a MUST READ for you!! I highly recommend this novel!!

If you would like to read the first chapter of Wounds, go HERE.