Ruby Case, a disabled mother of two boys—and a prayer warrior for her community—just wanted to stay out of the limelight, and she is successful at doing so, that is until she unexpectedly raises a young boy from the dead. The people of the quiet coastal town of Stonetree wonder if it truly was a miracle.

His heart hardened by tragedy, the Rev. Ian Clark isn’t sure he believes in miracles anymore, but he is determined to find out. With the help of a few friends, Case and Clark uncover more secrets than they bargained for. Case’s town is ruled by demonic powers, and it’s up to a faithful few to stand together to expose and defeat the forces that have held their town captive for years.

Duran’s debut novel is full of characters having premonitions, seeing apparitions and engaging in occult practices. It is terrifying, but it’s also engaging and an eye-opener for the church, aiming to demonstrate that spiritual warfare is still a reality today. The Resurrection will appeal to readers of supernatural suspense and fans of authors such as Ted Dekker and Eric Wilson.

—Sarah Stegall

The Resurrection  

Mike Duran  

Realms (Strang Book Group)

978-1-616-38204-9

February 2011

Daniel Harrell, senior minister of Colonial Church, Edina, Minn., wanted to do more than preach about Leviticus—he wanted to live it. He records his online Levites-for-a-month experiment in How to Be Perfect: One Church’s Audacious Experiment in Living the Old Testament Book of Leviticus.

Harrell and a likeminded group of 18 church members share insights into their desire to be holy and their need for much grace. Although the pastor admits he doesn’t always understand Levitical law concerning food, clothing and skin disease, he explains such regulations are given because God wants to be involved in every area of life.

The book, which will appeal to younger readers, vacillates between a serious attempt at holiness and an excuse for lightheartedness. However, Harrell addresses with insight some social issues such as homosexuality and poverty. He also successfully relates Jesus’ teaching to Old Testament law, and underscores getting to the heart of God’s commands rather than mere appearances.

Readers of similar titles such as A.J. Jacobs’ The Year of Living Biblically may be interested to see how Harrell’s congregation approached the subject, and how the church used social media to start this movement.

—Eilene Ishler

How to Be Perfect

Daniel M. Harrell

FaithWords

hardcover, 224 pages, $19.95

978-0-446-55717-7

January 2011

Michael Phillips pens an adventurous tale of amateur harpist Angel Marie Buchan and her encounter with the townspeople of a Scottish village full of dark secrets.

A widow, 40-year-old Marie fulfills her dream to visit the land of the Celts. Traveling from her home in Canada, she finds herself drawn to the fishing village of Port Scarnose and extends her stay when her harp captures the interest of Gwendolyn, a savant with a degenerative disease, and the curate, Iain Barclay. Marie becomes entangled in the folklore around Gwendolyn's birth, and learns that both the curate and the duke were in love with Gwendolyn's mother, who died in childbirth.

Countless books have been written about the evidence for the resurrection. However, few skillfully and fairly defend both sides of the case as British barrister (attorney) Foster does in The Jesus Inquest: The Case for and against the Resurrection of the Christ.

A tutor at the University of Oxford, Charles Foster employs characters X and Y, who represent the author’s own internal debate. While X presents the non-Christian view, Y defends the Christian view. Leaving no source untouched, Foster not only combs through the Gospels and Acts, but also delves into Gnostic texts, ancient Roman and Jewish historical documents and even the Koran.

The soon-to-come January issue of Christian Retailing features an unlikely trio of titles in Book News. The three titles that rose to the top of the month’s offerings all included the prefix un-.

Brian Zahnd’s Unconditional? (Charisma House/Strang Book Group) is the subject of our lead story, examining what it means to follow Jesus’ radical call to a life of forgiveness.

In Unplanned (Tyndale House Publishers), former Planned Parenthood Director Abby Johnson tells how participating in an abortion led her to adopt a fully pro-life stance.

And in Unshaken (Zondervan), Dan Woolley of Compassion International tells the story of how he survived being trapped for 65 hours in the ruins of Hotel Montana following Haiti’s devastating January earthquake.

In suspense writer Gutteridge’s Possession, former police detective Vance Graegan leaves his work and the city behind for a fresh start with his family. His past, though, won’t let him go. In his new home, the movers won’t deliver their things unless paid an exorbitant hidden fee. A seemingly simple scam turns complicated when Vance discovers two dead bodies.

The more he learns, the more threats he receives, until finally his wife and young son are kidnapped. Accused of the murders and suffering from untreated post-traumatic stress disorder, Vance must save his family before his jealous and bitter former partner takes everything.

Faith is an important theme in the book; Vance’s little boy has a strong relationship with God. In their most desperate moment, the family reaches out in prayer, and the hand of God saves them.

With a quick pace and unexpected turns, Possession keeps the reader’s attention to the end, though the climax seems to drag a bit. Detail Gutteridge withholds until later in the story keeps the pages turning. Though intense, none of the action is gory or gratuitous—the story is appropriate for younger thrill-seekers.

—Allison Hyer

Possession

Rene Gutteridge 

Tyndale House Publishers

softcover, 400 pages, $12.99

978-1-414-32434-0

January 2011

Set against the historical background of an incident in the author's family, book one in Dale Cramer’s “The Daughters of Caleb Bender” series shows the simplicity, spirit and dedication of his Amish forbears.

A prequel to Levi’s Will, a 2006 Christy Award winner, Paradise Valley begins in Ohio, where the Amish are imprisoned for refusing to allow their children to attend public school, even though it is now the law in 1922. Caleb Bender defends the right to school his children according to his religious convictions, uttering the words, “Your honor, I am not a citizen of this world.”