Blood of the Lamb Book 3 Resurrection by Mandy Hager

Resurrection by Mandy Hager. Pub. Random House, 2011.

A powerful novel that ends the Blood of the Lamb trilogy.

In the previous two books Maryam, Ruth, Joseph and Lazarus have fled the idyllic Pacific island of Onewere which has been hijacked by a religious cult, Blood of the Lamb, led by the horrible Father Joshua and his equally horrible wife Mother Lilith. They have established their own Ten Commandments and adulterated the scriptures to secure their power and to convince the people that the word of man is really the word of God. How true is this in our world?

Many on the Island of Onewere especially the ruling family suffer from a blood disorder that requires continuous blood transfusions, and Father Joshua and his cohorts literally milk the local population to survive.

Ruth and Maryam were victims of the Blood of the Lamb cult and along with two sons of Brother Joshua, Lazarus and Joseph flee the Island of Onewere in a boat and end up in a country something like New Zealand. A holocaust has isolated the world and a strict regime rules in this country and they discourage immigrants.

Joseph dies of the disease but Maryam discovers a cure for the blood disease exists and can be made from a local plant. Lazarus is saved and Maryam makes her way back to Onwere to help her people and hopefully to end the power of Father Joshua.

It is a formidible battle and not for the feint of heart. Senior stuff this, but there is a love story running through it. The struggle to remove Father Joshua and the cult is brutal and macabre, but the ending is hopeful as it should be.

For those who have not read the first two books The Crossing and Into the Wilderness there is a summary for both in the front of this novel and in the back there is chapter 1 of both books to heighten your interest.

I enjoyed the novel but there is a lot of religious argument that may deter some particularly later in the novel but the action will drag you back in. You are with Maryam and Lazarus all the way.

 

Smiling Jack by Ken Catran.

Smiling Jack by Ken Catran. Pub. HarperCollins, 2010.

Robert’s father and uncle are killed in a motor accident in which they some how swerved on a bridge and went over the side into a fast moving river. They both knew the road well and the accident is a mystery. Ccould it be murder?

18 year old Robert is taken to the scene by the local police Sergeant, Sarge Peggy and finds the Jack of Hearts by the roadside. Is this a clue? The Jack had been given a bizarre smile and all other murders that occur in the book are accompanied by the same Smiling Jack. I wondered about this because the cover has the Jack of Diamonds on it. Perhaps I missed something.

It is suspected that Robert’s father and uncle were involved in a swindle in which clients money was used to convert into three million dollars worth of gold coins and these coins are missing. Where could they be?

The clients mostly reside in the small country town of Tucker and include the leaders of a religious cult called the Aten whose beliefs are taken from an ancient Egyptian religious leader. What do they know of the swindle?

When several other characters are done to death things start to look grim for Robert.

A classic whodunnit from Ken Catran told in his familiar style and frantic pace which characterised his earlier series on serial killer Blue that included Talking to Blue, Blue Murder and Blue Blood. These are quite brilliant and if you like this title try the Blue series.

Ken Catran keeps you guessing and as always his research into the Egyptology of the religious cult is faultless. His writing style keeps you reading because it is so effortless, and tension is maintained throughout the book. The ending is breath taking.

Will appeal to high school students and reluctant readers.