Early this morning, I had the privilege of reading the new thriller A Cross to Kill. And, no, it's not an "Alex Cross" novel by James Patterson! (FYI: I've read many Patterson books!) Written by Andrew Huff, A Cross to Kill is the first book in A Shepherd Suspense Novel trilogy from Kregel Publications.

The novel centers on John Cross, a small-town pastor who used to be a CIA assassin. He has mostly put his past behind him until terrorists attempt to murder news reporter Christine Lewis "live" on the air for millions of people to witness around the world. It forces John into the crossfire to rescue Christine and stop the bad guys.

Final Thoughts

My expectations for unknown authors are always up in the air, so I had a fresh state of mind when I stared reading A Cross to Kill, and, unfortunately, I ended up having mixed feelings by the time I read the last page. It’s not that it’s written poorly (because it isn’t) but I’ve read other thrillers with similar generic plots.

The protagonist, John Cross, is an interesting character with many flaws. While he attempts to live his life by the word of God, he’s still haunted by his past sins. He has made a vow not to kill anyone ever again, which is difficult to do when he puts himself in harm’s way to save others from the evils of the world.

Overall, A Cross to Kill is an intriguing beginning to a new series, but I ended up being disappointed. I was expecting a more original story than what I got. Now, I’m not saying this is a grim read, as many readers will probably like it. I have read many (and I mean many) thrillers over the years and I was just wanting something different. Even with the Christian theme, the story feels stale and predictable. Like I already said, other readers might like the book more than me. There’s a sneak peek at the next book, Cross Shadow, and I’m definitely interested in reading it as I like the character John Cross!

About the Author

Andrew Huff is the product director at Igniter Media, one of the largest church media companies in the nation. He has also spent ten years in church ministry as both a youth pastor and creative arts pastor. Andrew currently lives in Plano, Texas. This is his first novel.

Learn more at www.andrewhuffbooks.com.