In “The Associate,” John Grisham wrote about young man who finds himself in a crisis. The man nervously muddles around a bit, then finally hires a lawyer and tells his father. The lawyer calls the feds, Dad writes a few checks, and the problem goes away. Critics and readers panned the book and its unlikeable, self-serving characters and thin plot.
Craig Parshall creates a similar circumstance for young college professor Kevin Hastings in “Trial By Ordeal,” but manages to breathe life into characters and situations that Grisham could not. The result is a cast of intriguing, developing characters journeying through a believable, page-turning plot that keeps the reader guessing until the end.
The milquetoast Hastings, having just been dumped by his girlfriend, decides to sink his life savings into a sure-fire commercial real-estate deal, hoping to “flip” the property for a quick profit. Things only get better when a buyer quickly emerges guaranteeing Kevin a hefty payday. But a minor glitch in the deal starts a downward spiral that includes unemployment, eviction, violent attack, and destitution. It’s not quite Job-like, but it’s close!
There’s a new romance, a group of new Christian friends, an ambitious politician, and a comically brash attorney to keep the plot moving. The villains are a bit two-dimensional, but they serve their purpose and provide just enough menace to evoke concern for our heroes. The plot winds-up quickly in the end, and an epilogue-style final chapter ties-up the loose ends a little too neatly. But it keeps the book under 350 pages – the upper limit for this genre – and the first person narrative makes the summary natural and believable.
Believers will see this as a cautionary tale about business deals and relationships undertaken without God’s guidance and without the counsel of Godly men and women. Nonbelievers will enjoy the rollicking story and the likeable characters, and they will be introduced to the Savior, just as Kevin is.
An outstanding effort by an outstanding Christian author.
(five stars out of five)
