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Crown Of Thorns
 
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Crown Of Thorns [Hardcover]

Sigmund Brouwer (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

In this edgy sequel to Out of the Shadows (2002), Brouwer brews an ambitious mix of voodoo, cult Christianity, racial intolerance and romance. Set against the backdrop of present-day Charleston, this is an intriguing novel for the evangelical Christian market. Young Timothy Larrabee delivers "the potion of death" to his abusive grandmother, Agnes, setting in motion a surreal chain of events that culminates nearly five decades later. Through first-person narrative, Nicholas "Nick" Barrett tells of the request by his delightful elderly spinster friends and antique shop proprietors, Glennifer and Elaine Beloise, to investigate the ownership and whereabouts of a mysterious painting once owned by Agnes Larrabee. The artwork turns up in the possession of a street-savvy urchin nicknamed "Angel," courtesy of her Grammie Zora, a voodoo queen. Meanwhile, in third-person narrative, Retha Herndon agonizes over escaping the rigid prison of her cult community so she may find medical treatment for her seriously ill toddler. There are so many characters, subplots and narrative perspectives that readers may have to work diligently to keep track of who is who, although Brouwer usually succeeds in keeping the story lines from getting too tangled. As in Out of the Shadows, his major misstep is inserting passages of didactic instruction and sermonizing. Despite this flaw, Brouwer's novel offers strong writing and is one of the better options for CBA readers this fall.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Book Description

Nick Barrett is in Charleston awaiting news of his inheritance when he agrees to investigate the ownership of a famous painting. He finds himself reluctantly drawn into the lives of a spunky, streetwise girl and a woman who is trying to rescue her sick child from the ruthless leader of a cult. As Nick uncovers secrets from the past, he discovers the healing love of God through the giving of himself.
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Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
5 star:
 (1)
4 star:
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3 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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3.0 out of 5 stars Not my favorite, but not crossed off the list either., May 9 2004
By 
Wolfe Moffat (Franklinville, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Crown Of Thorns (Hardcover)
Nick Barrett returns to investigate a cult! Imagine investigating a cult, all the while hearing stories about a voodoo lady named Grammie Zora. HMM! Now, while this was a top notch mystery, some of the details involved weren't exactly my cup of tea. I enjoyed it, for the most part, but some places I sat there saying, "Oh good grief!" Now, although this stuff may happen, I guess that doesn't mean I have to like reading about it. So, Sigmund Brouwer is still on my list of authors to read, but this one just didn't sit with me like others would. There were just parts of it that ruined part of the book. BUT, in saying that, I do indeed want to read "The Lies of Saints", so Brouwer is still in my good graces. We'll see if he redeems himself.
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4.0 out of 5 stars Race and religion play out in the south, Jan 31 2003
This review is from: Crown Of Thorns (Hardcover)
Nick Barrett is doing a favor for some friends tracking down an old painting brought to Charleston, South Carolina, by early settlers. Instead of a friendly antiques deal, he finds himself involved with a religious cult, a group of racists who haveto revised a terrible punishment from the days of slavery, and hints of ancient voodoo--and a mystery that the police thought solved decades before.

Author Sigmund Brouwer writes convincingly of a south still caught up in the evils of its past--and evil men who use the Bible for their own goals, subverting its most fundamental rules. Like the south, Barrett is conflicted--in Barrett's case between hatred for his brother and the charity he shares with Angel and Retha. Brouwer's arguments about religion sometimes pull the reader out of the story. It's okay for Barrett to have faith, but he really doesn't have to share the reasons why he's abandoned the scepticism of his youth--twice--since it doesn't advance the story.

CROWN OF THORNS's strength is fast-moving action as Barrett and the young women who seem to infiltrate his life are plunged from one danger into another. Author Sigmund Brouwer delivers an engaging and page turning style that draws the reader in and delivers.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Few are Doing it Better, Jan 21 2003
By 
Eric Wilson "novelist" (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Crown Of Thorns (Hardcover)
Check out some of the hotter male mystery writers and you'll run across the names of James Lee Burke (Jolie Blon's Bounce) and Harlan Coben (Gone for Good). These guys are NY Times bestsellers. After reading Brouwer's Nick Barrett mysteries, I believe he has reached the same level of writing. He deserves a wide audience for this masterful tale.

The story quickly introduces us to two damsels in distress--except neither woman is weak or cowardly. In fact, Angel and Retha are two memorable and likeable characters. Both are trying to protect children in their care; both are threatened by violent, outside forces.

Enter Nick Barrett. Barrett is a three-dimensional man, born of questionable parentage and raised in an atmosphere of subtle bigotry and pride. He is trying to stay afloat emotionally. As he finds himself involved in the lives of Angel and Retha, he must face his fears, his doubts, and his faith.

Voodoo doctors, cult members, and bitter high society players all join in the action as the mysteries unfold. The city of Charleston is a character in the tale. As the climax nears, the plot twists turn tighter, the surprises mount, and--for this reader--the emotional impact swelled.

Like the two aforementioned bestselling writers, Brouwer mixes his gritty story with heart and warmth. Not even the half-dozen punctuation and spelling errors could keep me from sinking myself into Brouwer's fictional world. When I turned the final page, I closed my eyes and said aloud, "That is one darrrrn good book!" And I meant it.

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