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Water turns to blood. Flies and gnats attack the innocent. Marc and Gillian Thayer’s vacation resort becomes a grisly murder scene, with a killer using the ten plagues of Egypt as his playbook for revenge.When their friend turns up dead, Marc and Gillian put their vacation on hold, enlist the help of a retired homicide detective, and take a closer look at the bizarre plagues as they escalate in intensity. Meanwhile, a stranger is after the Thayers’ newly adopted baby. Will they uncover the truth behind the bitter agenda before the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn son?

Paperback

First published January 15, 2013

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765 people want to read

About the author

Adam Blumer

14 books312 followers
Adam Blumer fixes other people’s books to pay the bills. He writes his own to explore creepy lighthouses and crime scenes. He is the author of four clean Christian thrillers: Fatal Illusions, The Tenth Plague, Kill Order, and the upcoming Termination Zone. He also wrote the upcoming novella Death the Halls, to be released in a Christmas suspense collection in October. A print journalism major in college, he works full-time from home as a book editor after serving in editorial roles for more than twenty-five years. He lives in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with his wife, Kim, and his daughters, Laura and Julia. When he’s not working on his next thriller, he’s hiking in the woods or learning new chords on his guitar.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
Profile Image for Charity.
69 reviews3 followers
February 12, 2013
Great book! I'm biased because he's my uncle :) but he is a great author. You should read this book!
1 review2 followers
Want to Read
January 18, 2013
The Tenth Plague is the best kind of suspense novel. You’ll start by reading slowly as you get to know the actors and pick up details of the conflict. Then your pace will increase (sorry, other things on today’s to-do list) because you can’t wait to see what happens next. Before you know it, you’re slowing down again because you don’t want it to end. You reluctantly say goodbye, hoping Adam’s working on a sequel. Have no fear of foul language or sensual images. They’re not here. But authentic, God-dependent characters are, with both familiar struggles and more exotic dangers, and we get to share in those perils from a safe distance. Not only absorbing and interesting, The Tenth Plague is edifying, too—all you want and more from a thriller.
Profile Image for Kara.
818 reviews
July 18, 2019
Loved that this was a long book and it gets your attention from the beginning, despite the violence that occurs it really is a clean read and lots of intrigue. I had a difficult time liking Sammy, he kept sneaking off and making his mom worry. I was eager to know how Cyrus connected to the people at the resort. The authors does a brilliant job of taking several different traumatic events and connecting them like that. I was impressed with how well Gillian and Marc handle all the unknowns. I think Riley was my favorite character, he was such a great guy who enhances the story nicely. The bugs were so gross but WELL written! Definitely want to read more books by Blumer!
Profile Image for Victor Gentile.
2,035 reviews67 followers
July 16, 2016
Adam Blumer in his new book, “The Tenth Plague” Book Two in the Thayer Mystery series published by Kirkdale Press takes us into the life of Marc and Gillian Thayer.

From the Back Cover: Water turns to blood. Flies and gnats attack the innocent.

Marc and Gillian Thayer’s vacation resort becomes a grisly murder scene, with a killer using the ten plagues of Egypt as his playbook for revenge.

When their friend turns up dead, Marc and Gillian put their vacation on hold, enlist the help of a retired homicide detective, and take a closer look at the bizarre plagues as they escalate in intensity. Meanwhile, a stranger is after the Thayers’ newly adopted baby. Will they uncover the truth behind the bitter agenda before the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn son?

Marc and Gillian Thayer have accepted an invitation to spend the weekend at a luxury resort. Shortly after their arrival bizarre events began to materialize. The plagues of Egypt as described in the biblical account from Exodus begin to reoccur, transforming the resort into chaos. Not only that an elusive killer appears to be on the loose somewhere in or around the resort property. His motives are unsettling and his methods to murder are maniacal. If you are in the mood for some crime solving, lots of danger, really diabolical villains, and plenty of fun trying to figure out the criminal mastermind then you have come to the right place. “The Tenth Plague” is a thriller, no doubt about it. Just when you think you might know where the story is heading Mr. Blumer tosses in another turn which you take at high-speed on two wheels. Mr. Blumer makes his Marc and Gillian so real that you feel that you are there with them at the resort and you root for them to succeed. Mr. Blumer knows how to tell a story that keeps you flipping the pages and guessing as to who the bad guy really is. This is a wild ride read. I am so looking forward to the next offering from this highly talented author.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Kirkdale Press. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Profile Image for Diane.
3 reviews1 follower
March 7, 2013
The plot and characterizations create a great forward momentum, providing just enough intrigue to make one say, "Just one more chapter," without mapping too much. The author spread out all the diverse and seemingly random threads, and then skillfully wove them together with clever foreshadowing and teasing clues, in an engaging, Christie-esque fashion. The author also addresses numerous spiritual issues such as biblical forgiveness and reconciliation, showing the reader what it looks like to apply scripture to real-life problems. The interesting historical tid bits provided throughout the story indicate that the author was careful in research.

The only thing I found a tad distracting was the repeated use of brand names, such as Kleenex, Mountain Dew, Blackberry, Advil and the like. If this were a movie, I suppose they'd call it consumerism. I can only guess this was just a means to help the reader identify more closely to the humanity of the characters, since I seriously doubt there was any remuneration from these companies. ;)

My taste in fiction has been mainly confined to Austen and sundry classics. This is the first suspense novel I've ever read, and it grabbed me not far into the book -- I finished it in one day! Thanks, Adam, for a really enjoyable read!
2 reviews1 follower
January 7, 2013
If you've read Adam's first book, Fatal Illusions, and enjoyed it, you'll love this book.
While it's not a mystery (since we know who the villain is from the beginning), there certainly are mysterious elements in the book that keep you guessing. The intertwining of characters, their lives, and plot points is wonderful.
Adam's inclusion of two real occurrences that shape the characters in the book make it that much more believable.
Before Fatal Illusions, I had wondered how you mix suspense with Christian in a book, but Adam does it wonderfully. While not overly preachy, the book is full of gospel truth as the characters depend on the grace of God.
The only negative thing I would say is that by the end I feel sorry for Marc and Gillian--between both books SO many things happen to them. I just want them to go on a vacation somewhere in the middle of the Pacific. :)
(Don't want to repeat myself, so please also read my review on Fatal Illusions.)
Profile Image for Charis.
112 reviews
May 15, 2014
While The Tenth Plague started slowly, with some writing craft errors (which I probably only noticed because I've been reading writing craft books lately), I was soon captured by the story. Blumer does a good job keeping the reader guessing and the suspense escalating, so that by the time I got close to the end, I was reading faster and faster so I could find out what was going to happen before bedtime. While I thought that the victim of the tenth plague would be either , the manner in which Blumer revealed the target was surprising. Trying to figure out what sort of religion Cyrus followed and what happened to his son also kept me reading. Having worked with autistic children, and done some reading about autism, I was impressed with the realism with which Blumer portrayed Sammy. I really felt like I was in an autistic child's head in Sammy's POV scenes. Some adult content, but handled carefully. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Miriam Schneider.
26 reviews1 follower
January 7, 2013
Reading this book caused me to realize that lately I have not been reading well written books. The description in this book brings the reader into the story and allows the reader to sense what the characters sense. I must admit that I even shuddered at one point at how descriptive one scene was--I had no problem imagining what the character was experiencing in the book at that moment.

There are many good life lessons woven throughout the story that do not come across as too preachy. There isn't any inappropriate description, topic, or language. The plot and characters are easy to follow, and the pace only continues to pick up momentum up until the end, leaving you disappointed that the story is over once you reach the end. Not that the story is left hanging, just the sadness over a good book being finished.
Profile Image for Shelby.
12 reviews
February 27, 2013
This is billed as a Christian fiction/mystery. I've read other Christian fiction and enjoyed it. This book was far from enjoyable. The key to getting a point across is not to repeatedly slap the reader in the face with it. Let the characters show strong moral compass and include some references to prayer or Christianity. Blumer seemed to have written a decent story, then went back and tried to insert something, anything Christian related into EVERY paragraph. It just takes away from the flow and enjoyment of what might have been an otherwise OK story. I received a free copy of this book from Library Thing in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Susan Csoke.
542 reviews15 followers
June 23, 2016
Marc and Gillian Thayer are the proud , elated, parents of their adopted newborn son. They also, are the owners of a vacation resort where a horrendous murder takes place. The story accelerates when the life of their son is threatened. A chilling tale that will send shivers up your spine. THANK YOU GOODREADS FIRST READS FOR THIS FREE BOOK!!!!!
9 reviews
February 18, 2013
Great read! As someone that works with special needs students, I am impressed with how Adam developed the character of Sammy. He obviously did a good amount of research. I highly recommend this book for those that enjoy a thrilling read.
Profile Image for Lynette Karg.
321 reviews5 followers
August 3, 2013
Not quite as believe able as first novel. IMO he does not do as good a job with character development since he recycled some main characters from the first work.
8 reviews
October 22, 2017
Blumer sets this tale of an ordinary couple who suddenly finds themselves involved in a murder investigation in a frenzy of activity that includes a forgotten mining tragedy, adoption, an autistic child, a Bible conference causing conflict over discussion of a new Bible translation, murder by a deranged man obsessed by the plagues of Egypt and dealing with old unforgiven personal wounds that come to light. Overall the book was fast-paced with many twists and turns weaving a spell-binding narrative that will keep you turning pages. There were a couple of bits that were distracting for me regarding the Bible-Koran translation; though these were minimal and not near enough for me to not enjoy the book. The story itself and the way Blumer weaves it all together makes for a great read that you won't want to put down!
Profile Image for J.L. Rallios.
Author 2 books15 followers
October 5, 2018
This was a suspenseful, dark Christian story, in which Marc and Gillian, a young Christian couple, go to a resort deep in the woods where a religious homicidal maniac is let loose and recreating the plagues in Exodus. It was pretty good with great Christian themes, but I found that it resembled The Fala Illusion in "flavor," too much. There was a lot of little annoying parts, such as Gillian, knowing there's a madman loose nearby. leaves the window open at night and then proceeds to... no, I won't give away anymore spoilers. It was an entertaining worthwhile read, overall.
1,062 reviews12 followers
October 7, 2019
Suspence on steroids

The Tenth Plague is a sequel to Fatal Illusions & is a continuation of Marc Thayer and his wife as they work though an age-old problem regarding past sins, forgiveness, grace & mercy. Hard suspence reigns as a demented mind spreads pestilence as if he were God visiting plagues on the Egyptians. If suspence/mystery is your genre, this book is for you. Adam Blumer knows how to blend Bible truth into a sinister premise without being preachy.
Profile Image for Gretchen Garrison.
Author 3 books33 followers
July 24, 2019
How Adam Blumer managed to connect the biblical plagues into modern day times was simply brilliant. This is one that will definitely keep you up late reading. I will definitely be reading more books by this author - so glad that I discovered him.
486 reviews19 followers
December 8, 2021
Love this story! It's never easy when bad decisions from our past come back to haunt us. Thankfully, God is full of love, mercy, forgiveness, and second chances. There is nothing so broken that God cannot heal.
Profile Image for Diane Dixon.
461 reviews
January 24, 2023
Wow Simply Wow!

This was one nail biting page turning book. Such a good plot with great characters that you felt like you knew. To say it was suspenseful is an understatement. When everything come together at the end it all made sense. Adam Blumer is a very talented Author and I have really enjoyed this two book series. I would read absolutely anything he writes.
299 reviews
February 28, 2023
This is the second in the series by Adam Blumer and the second book I have read by him. I enjoyed reading it and the story kepy moving. How a person could by so revengeful is amazing, but it happens. I look forward to reading another novel by him. I would recommend to adults that enjoy suspense.
Profile Image for Hunter Q Lee.
502 reviews3 followers
August 2, 2023
Wow!

What else can I say. Wow! When I started reading this book, I was confused as to where it was going. I just kept reading, and I am glad I did. I got caught up in it. It is a great book.
657 reviews7 followers
November 12, 2023
Clean Suspense

I really enjoyed this book but gave it 4* instead of 5 because there were quite a few mistakes that hadn't been corrected.
Strong characters,mystery and suspense filled the story. Sin forgiven and justice for sin not repented. Strong love for God and each other.
72 reviews
August 18, 2024
Pretty Good

Good author. His books never disappoint. I always wait for the next series or stand alone.
Good read. Chilling moments included.I
737 reviews
March 19, 2025
Book 2

Another great story from Adam Blumer. Murder and mayhem abound. The past comes back to haunt several people. I highly recommend this series.
Profile Image for Mark.
2,583 reviews57 followers
January 29, 2013
A few years ago, I was shopping with my best friend around the time of my birthday. We were in a Christian bookstore and he told me to pick out a few books and he'd buy them for my birthday. One of those books was Fatal Illusions by Adam Blumer. It was one of the best suspense novels I had ever read, hands down. I have gotten to know the author fairly well through his blog, facebook, etc, and he had asked me to review his new book, and I was happy to do so.

The Tenth Plague has the same main characters as in Fatal Illusions, which I liked, but it is not necessary to read them in order.

Some authors improve with each book, and that is the case here. Fatal Illusions was a really good read, but this book is even better. You can tell when an author has put a lot of thought and research into a book, and it shows in this book. There is a terrific plot that is complicated, yet not so much as to be over the reader's head. There is an evil man who is unleashing the ten plagues from the Old Testament on a Christian retreat center. I had an idea what the book was about before I started reading it, and wondered how Adam was going to do that. Its one thing to come up with a plot like this, but another to portray it in a reasonable way that though fictional, is also possible. He did a fine job of doing so.

The evening I sat down to the read the book, I fully intended to find a stopping place and go to bed. That didn't happen. I was up til 1 am that night finishing the book. This was a truly remarkable book. I love suspense, and it kept me on the edge of my seat and was a thrilling ride. And that thrilling ride was free from bad language and even graphic violence. Adam proves it is possible to write clean suspense that is just as gripping as the best out there on the market, and keep it Christ centered and bad language free. His blog is titled Meaningful Suspense, and that is a great description of his writing. Its great to come across authors like this who are writing to glorify God. And though this is a suspense novel, there is a strong Christian message in the book.

This is only Adam's second book, but it is one to be proud of. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good suspense novel. It has it all: A great plot, a wonderful cast of characters, and a strong, but not preachy, Christian message.
Profile Image for Nana.
652 reviews
July 3, 2013
Pastor Marc and Gillian Thayer have recently adopted an infant son. An old friend's invitation to spend the weekend at a luxury resort sounded like the perfect respite from their daily routine. Marc's friend is at the resort as part of a group of Bible translators. Prior to their arrival protesters had stormed the resort in an effort to disrupt the controversial project. Shortly after their arrival bizarre events began to materialize. The plagues of Egypt as described in the biblical account from Exodus begin to reoccur, transforming the resort into chaos. Blood flows from the resort faucets, and their friend is discovered murdered by an extremely bizarre method. Pastor Thayer moved Gillian and their infant son to an area hotel until these events could be resolved. Gillian's former nightmares of her infant son being kidnapped become more intense as additional sinister and terrifying events develop. An elusive killer appears to be on the loose somewhere in or around the resort property. His motives are unsettling and his methods to murder are maniacal.

This suspense-filled, page turner is the second Christian suspense novel for Adam Blumer. His impressive first novel, Fatal Illusions was brilliant, and The Tenth Plague does not disappoint! His descriptive talents cannot be outdone. Detailing is one of the author's fine points. He creates an extremely bizarre situation that contains an underlying Christian message. Faith, hope, and forgiveness are tantamount in this impressive modern-day recreation of the plagues of Egypt. Adam Blumer has created a nightmare of epic proportions! Don't miss it!

Disclaimer: I received a PDF copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.
Profile Image for Linda.
452 reviews29 followers
January 29, 2013
Adam Blumer's first novel kept me glued to the page and The Tenth Plague is gripping as well. Although Marc & Gillian Thayer, whose story was the focus of Fatal Illusions, are the main characters in this novel as well, this book can be read as a stand-alone and is only loosely connected to the first. Blumer expertly weaves multiple threads together to create a tale rife with suspense and tension. The past and the present collide on more than one level as the Old Testament plagues are visited on a contemporary setting and as individuals deal with issues from their own pasts. More than simply a thrilling read, The Tenth Plague contains solid Biblical themes that will both challenge and encourage the reader.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Adam Blulmer and Kirkdale Press as part of their Blogger Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Profile Image for Barbara Harper.
877 reviews42 followers
January 29, 2013
Adam Blumer writes edge-of-your-seat suspense infused with Christian principles. In The Tenth Plague, Marc and Gillian Thayer visit a Christian-themed resort at the invitation of a friend to rest a while after adopting their new son. But the resort is in an upheaval: a Christian publishing company working on a new parallel Bible is meeting there as well, and protesters are out in droves. Someone rigged the water system to dispense what looks and smells like blood. What seemed an odd prank proves to be a series of events based on the Biblical ten plagues of Egypt. As the plagues escalate and prove fatal, Marc calls on a retired homicide investigator for help.

Meanwhile, Gillian runs into someone from her past who has hurt her deeply, and thoughts and feelings she thought she had buried rush back, and she has to wrestle with truly forgiving that person.

Blumer's characters are realistically portrayed, everyday Christian people trying to discern and apply God's will in their circumstances, and the plot of the book in thoroughly engaging.
Profile Image for Brett Nelson.
Author 8 books81 followers
April 16, 2025
Adam Blumer is a new-to-me-author, and I enjoyed "The Tenth Plague." I thought the concept of a serial killer using the Old Testament plagues (plague of blood, plague of frogs, etc) to kill his victims was an interesting and original idea.

If I had to offer one complaint about the book, it would be that I lost interest at about the 80% mark of the ebook. I normally don't mind longer books (this one clocks in at about 470 pages on the ebook format), but this one just seemed to drag on and on. Since I enjoyed the majority of the book, I'll chalk it up to my faulty attention span at the time of reading.

I look forward to reading more of the author's work, and I highly recommend.
Profile Image for Deb Brammer.
Author 15 books30 followers
August 24, 2014
It took me quite a few chapters to figure out what was going on in this book, but when I did, it made perfect sense. I loved the Sammy character. Though he was a minor character, he stole my heart. This suspense novel has some very unusual twists and will appeal to suspense readers who are looking for something a bit different. As usual, Adam holds all his characters to a high standard of ethical and Christian conduct. I enjoyed this book and recommend it to others.
3 reviews2 followers
February 10, 2013
I loved this book.. From the first page to the last page I had a hard time putting it down.. I think it really showed what evil can happen when we let our emotions make us bitter and revengeful.. I would recommend this book to everyone!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews