***Jake (Little Big Man) is sharing this review of Jon Cardwell's new fiction book, just released this weekend. For a limited time, you can get a free copy for your Kindle here. Or you can order a hard copy here.
*****
Let me start by saying that this
book was one of the most entertaining things I've read this year. Having
loved Christ and Him Crucified by
Pastor Cardwell, I was very excited to review an advance copy of You
Kill'd My Pahder, Frefare to Die, the author's
successful foray into the realm of fiction.
When reporter James
Albright shows up at a nursing home in Moreno Valley, CA, to
interview retired U.S Navy Master Diver Wilmer Cohen, the story he
gets isn't quite what he was expecting. Truth really is stranger
than fiction, and Albright gets a first class example.
If I had to sum up this
book in three words they would be: Fun, compelling, and bizarre. And I
mean bizarre in the best way.
In case you hadn't already
guessed from the title, You Kill'd My Pahder is
quite different from Cardwell's previous work. It's a side of Cardwell I look forward to seeing more often. Balancing
humor, suspense, great characters, and a plot as twisty as a
pretzel, Cardwell succeeds marvelously with his fiction debut.
One
of the of the greatest strengths of this book is the characters. I
liked them from the get-go. They were real and tangible,
and I was genuinely interested in them throughout the story.
And
Cardwell's writing? It's stellar, indicative of a master wordsmith.
Consider the following:
"It's not what Cohen said, nor was it the way he said it. Yet, somehow, his words hit him as if he were smashed square in the face like the hot leather kiss delivered at the front end of a 200 pound punch."
and
"There's no consideration because there's no care. Men do not care for one another because there's no crying out to God. Men do not cry out to God because they covet and cavort and are captivated by their vanity. They want what they want, and they want it now in order to satisfy their own Godless, God forsaken lusts."
You
Kill'd My Pahder, Frefare to Die is
a fast-paced and well developed story, with a twist at the end that
leaves you wanting more. I strongly recommend you give this book a shot. And
drink a large cup of tea while you're at it.
Wilmer would like that.
~Jake Poff
