Behold the Man

The Jerusalem Chronicles #3

by Bodie Thoene, Brock Thoene

Encounter the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth in this culmination of the Jerusalem Chronicles.

How could Jesus—who preached righteousness before God, and love and mercy toward neighbors—be so hated and pursued? To the Temple officials, he was a threat to the livelihood and authority of the priesthood. To Herod Antipas, he was a threat to his ambition to be the King of the Jews. And to the Roman overlords, he was seen as a dangerous threat; a man who commanded an army of the common people. He could heal wounds, offer miraculous provisions, and even raise from the dead. If Jesus had accepted popular acclaim and become an earthly king, he would have been unstoppable.

Jesus’s last days are explored through three people who interacted with Governor Pilate, for whom Judea will either make or break his career; Pilate’s wife, Claudia, desperately seeking aid for her much loved, crippled son; and Centurion Marcus Longinus, caught in the middle between loyalty to the Empire, love for Claudia, and an ever-increasing belief in Jesus as the Son of God. After encountering Jesus, none of them will ever be the same.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Christian, Biblical Fiction, Fiction, Biblical, Religion

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2014

About the author

BODIE AND BROCK THOENE (pronounced Tay-nee) have written over 45 works of historical fiction. These best sellers have sold more than 10 million copies and won eight ECPA Gold Medallion Awards.

Bodie began her writing career as a teen journalist for her local newspaper. Eventually her byline appeared in prestigious periodicals such as U.S. News and World Report, The American West, and The Saturday Evening Post. She also worked for John Wayne’s Batjac Productions (she’s best known as author of The Fall Guy) and ABC Circle Films as a writer and researcher. John Wayne described her as “a writer with talent that captures the people and the times!” She has degrees in journalism and communications.

Bodie and Brock have four grown children—Rachel, Jake Thoene, Luke Thoene, and Ellie—and five grandchildren. Their sons, Jake and Luke, are carrying on the Thoene family talent as the next generation of writers, and Luke produces the Thoene audiobooks.

Bodie and Brock divide their time between London and Nevada.

Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Thoenes are great historical fiction writers...but this is not their best book. Though good for what it was, I expected better from them.

[Amanda Geaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5 Stars

Behold the Man concludes the Jerusalem Chronicles by Bodie and Brock Thoene. Despite being a long time fan of the Thoene's this series did not meet my expectations. It began well with When Jesus Wept, a dramatic retelling of Christ's friendship with Lazarus and the miracle in which Lazarus is raised to life. Take This Cup, was a drastic departure from the Thoene's usual style of writing and I set the book aside — unfinished. When my book club proposed reading Behold the Man in March, nicely coinciding with Easter, I agreed. Prior to our first meeting I wanted to share my thoughts with you.

Historical fiction, particularly biblical fiction, is my all time favorite genre. Admittedly, my standards for biblical fiction are higher than other genres. This is because in the hands of an unbeliever or un-read church goer, these books have the potential to skew their beliefs about biblical events or persons. I found two particular instances in which the authors manipulated scripture. I understand that this is a work of fiction, however this bothered me because the changes had no bearing on the story. Hence, why not hold to the truth? (Matthew 14:1-21 & Mark 4:10)

With this story I felt like I was reading what was happening, but not feeling it — my heart never fully engaged with the characters. From the outset it was clear Pilate and Claudia's marriage was established for political gain rather than love. This was not uncommon throughout history, however I felt like the Thoenes were pushing their readers to desire Claudia and Marcus to have an affair. Furthermore, I question why Pilate's harsh treatment of Claudia was continuously thrust into the limelight when so little character development was gained from it. To me, depravity and the ambitions of various men overshadowed the more important message of Christ's mission and message.

I've not given up on the Thoenes, I've just determined this series wasn't written for me. Perhaps it will strike others differently and for that reason I am looking forward to our book club discussion.


**I received this book free as a member of the BookLookBloggers 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.”

[Randy Tramp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jesus's last days. Three people's views: Governor Pilate. Claudia, Pilate's wife. Centurion Marcus Longinus.

This is a behind the scenes look at the political climate of Israel while Jesus walked the earth. The Romans occupied the land and were cruel landlords. It was a horrible time for the Jews.

This story brought an understanding of the times in which Jesus lived.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5***
I loved the first two books in the Jerusalem Chronicles. The Thoene's have a knack for bringing their characters to life; or rather, bringing you to the characters' lives.
In Behold the Man Bodie and Brock Thoene again showcase their talents for historical accuracy and vivid storytelling combined into one. I enjoyed how this novel bounced between several third-person perspectives, primarily Claudia and Marcus.
So why not the 4+ stars I usually give the Thoene's?
My problem is with the violence exhibited in this, the conclusion to the Jerusalem Chronicles trilogy. Although violence is going to be a big factor in the story they are telling (Romans, 1st century AD Jewish persecution, crucifixions, etc.), I didn't like the offhand way they wrote about it. I got tired of the abuse inflicted on Claudia-and I hated that she let it happen. For a reason I don't understand, she never reported the abuse to her father. The father who tells her about his concern for her and her son's safety at the beginning of the book. The father who already hates her husband. I also didn't like how Claudia baited Pilot into his angry rampages. No, it's not her fault he beats her. However, yes, I think it's inappropriate to bait your abuser when you have a child to look after.
Also, I was rather stymied why some of the characters had completely different stories/backgrounds than described in the first two novels. It felt like a stand-alone, and would have worked better as a stand-alone; that way, I wouldn't have felt betrayed by the changed characters, changed writing style, and missing mentions of the previous two books' main characters (In Take This Cup, Lazarus was featured as well as a few other characters' whose backgrounds were consistent with the events of the first novel).
Overall, I love the Thoene's. But why, oh why, did they make this so different than the first two? And what is up with Claudia?? If it had just stuck to Marcus' perspective, I would have been thrilled.

Side note: BEST book to finish reading on Easter Sunday!! <3

[Hallie (Hallie Reads)]

This review is also posted on Book by Book.

As can be expected, the Thoenes once again tell a fascinating historical tale that will not leave their readers disappointed. This latest novel, Behold the Man, continues the Jerusalem Chronicles (following When Jesus Wept and Take This Cup) and offers an interesting look at the times surrounding the ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Characters, including Pontius Pilate, his wife Claudia, and Roman centurion Marcus Longinus, lend their points of view to the storyline and bring familiar events to life with intriguing detail and fresh perspective. I highly enjoyed Behold the Man, since I just couldn’t put it down, and would certainly recommend it to fans of historical fiction - especially this time of year, with Easter not too far away. It’s a great, inspiring read.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers, I received a copy of Behold the Man and the opportunity to honestly review it. I was not required to write a positive review, and all 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.”)

[ClaraBelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for school last week! The Thoenes are one of my favorite authors of Christian historical fiction novels as I love their WW2 books(The Zion Covenant and Zion Chronicles, series), but this was my first biblical fiction book of theirs to read! I LOVED AND DEVOURED IT!
Rating:as many stars as there are in the universe!
Plot:It tells the last weeks of the life of Jesus through the eyes of Claudia(Pilate’s wife), Judas Iscariot, and Marcus(the centurion who presided over His crucifixion)! Claudia is intrigued by the stories of exorcism, healing, and teachings by Jesus, and wonders can He heal her broken heart 💔 over a sadistic husband and crippled son? Will war weary Marcus find inner rest too in Him?
What I liked:getting to know Claudia who only has a minute role in jesus’ Trials
Caution:Contains quick but scary sadistic actions by Pilate when he claims Claudia’s love and Claudia pines lustily for Marcus. Marcus’ servant boy is abused abnormally by a Roman general if you get my sad drift... but all is resolved and forgiven at the end…
What I didn’t like: The abuse Claudia suffers and Marcus’s servant’s victimization.

[Sasha (bahareads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Truly this was the Son of God!"

Bodie and Brock Thoene never fail me in their middle east books. Behold the Man is a fitting final piece in The Jerusalem Chronicles, and it is an excellent piece in the other series (A.D. Chronicles) during that time. The writing brings the historical figures of that time to life while also delivering the Bible. We get to see Pilate, Claudia, Jesus and other characters come out of the Bible into our imagination.

I didn't like how the Thoenes kept angling the plot for us to feel like Claudia and Marcus should be together. The character development isn't the best. There isn't much depth to them, and they feel two dimensional. The "climax" of the book felt rushed, and I was let down. Behold the Man isn't their best work, but it's a solid book by them.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book!! My full review is here:
http://faithhopeandhomeschool.com/beh...

[Jaime Jean meneses · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fictionalized retelling of the life of Jesus, with a focus on the Passion, is a nice idea. To that effect, the Thoenes portray life in ancient Rome and, later, in Jerusalem, in a credible manner, although not quite as successfully as in the previous two books of the Jerusalem Chronicles.
Behold the Man, however, turns out to be a disappointment. Characters are two-dimensional - either irritatingly good and suffering such as Claudia, Marcus and Jono, or unbelievably evil, such as Vara and, especially, Pilates, who the reader expects to be a complex, unpredictable ruler. There are major holes in the story: the reason for Herodias' animosity towards John the Baptizer, for example, which is clearly presented in the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, remains unexplained in the book. Longinus, who Christian tradition believes to have pierced Jesus' side with a lance after his death, as narrated in the Gospel of John, never does so - making the informed reader wonder why he was named liked that in the first place. Worst of all, the trial, death and resurrection of Jesus, which should be at the climax of the book, come to a hasty end as if the writers badly needed to meet an editor's deadline. Religious undertones prevail across the story in a form that would hardly be expected at the time considering it took several centuries for the events surrounding Jesus' life to sink in and mature. This makes the story little appealing to the non-believer: a more objective approach would have been far more effective.
If you want to read the screenplay for an old-fashioned biblical movie from the 50's, look no further. If you'd rather read modern historical fiction, try something else.

[Sarah Frobisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this third and final installment of the Jerusalem Series, Bodie and Brock once again write a phenomenal historical novel that readers of all genres will enjoy. The life of Claudia, Pilate's wife is intriguing, and she makes the perfect compassionate counter to Pilate's harsh and selfish ways. The insight of Bodie and Brock to the political and religious climate of the day is fascinating, and the story moves quickly keeping readers guessing as to how it will unfold. While this is the third book in the series, it can also be read as a standalone with no back story from the others.

SUMMARY: Claudia, the forced wife of Pilate and daugther of Tiberius, leads a life of loneliness and lost love. Her only joy comes from her beloved son, Philo, whom Pilate despises due to Philo's handicap. Claudia is often tormented by the love she could have had with Centurion Marcus Longinus, the decorated war hero. When Tiberius sends them all the Jerusalem to rule, something inside of Claudia feels at home. As she discovers the religion of her ancestors there is growing tumult in the land, and the political and religious leaders are on edge. When a new prophet, Jesus of Nazareth, emerges he is the perfect scapegoat they need to prove their power and try to put an end to the unrest.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

How could Jesus—who preached righteousness before God, and love and mercy toward neighbors—be so hated and pursued? To the Temple officials, he was a threat to the livelihood and authority of the priesthood. To Herod Antipas, he was a threat to his ambition to be the King of the Jews. And to the Roman overlords, he was seen as a dangerous threat; a man who commanded an army of the common people. He could heal wounds, offer miraculous provisions, and even raise from the dead. If Jesus had accepted popular acclaim and become an earthly king, he would have been unstoppable.


Jesus’s last days are explored through three people who interacted with him: Governor Pilate, for whom Judea will either make or break his career; Pilate’s wife, Claudia, desperately seeking aid for her much loved, crippled son; and Centurion Marcus Longinus, caught in the middle between loyalty to the Empire, love for Claudia, and an ever-increasing belief in Jesus as the Son of God. After encountering Jesus, none of them will ever be the same. (less)

[Lois · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading “The Spear” by Louis de Whol, I really wanted more good historical Biblical era fiction. This book was unfortunately a bust. The reading level seemed to be for middle schoolers and even then wasn’t very descriptive or exciting. The characters were one dimensional, especially Pilate. The story only really follows Claudia and her former lover Marcus; we never get to see much of actual characters from the Bible. The fact that Pilate was abusive and that Marcus still cared for Claudia was overdone considering there was no resolution to Claudia’s plight.

The only good things about the book were: it was fairly clean (but a little violent), the action scenes were well written, and the foreshadowing of the thirty pieces of silver was intriguing.

[Trine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must admit that I was disappointed by this book as an ending to the Jerusalem Chronicles. I liked the first two books "And Jesus Wept" and "Behold This Cup", especially because of the way they were seperate stories but had the same persons appear around Jesus, just like it must have been in real life. But having said that, this book didn't deliver. I expected some of the loose ends from the previous books to be picked up and tied. Instead I got more loose ends and missed opportunities. It is almost as if the authors had planned a fourth book in the Chronicles. A book about the resurrection and the early church, but they just never got around to write it. I give it three stars, but 2.5 is closer to my feelings about it.

[Avis Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Behold the Man” is the 3rd book of the Jerusalem Chronicles. This book by authors Bodie and Brock takes you into the last says of Jesus. You’ll read about Pilate, his wife Claudia who is seeking aid for their much loved crippled son; and Centurion Marcus Longinus whose caught in the middle between loyalty to the Empire, love for Claudia, and an ever increasing belief in Jesus as the Son of God. After encountering Jesus, their lives will never be the same.
This story brings the scriptures to life with true-to-life characterizations and settings of distant times, people and events. It’s hard to put down as it’s set against political and religious turmoil of the times and reimagines the friendship between Jesus and Lazarus.
Hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.

[Sharon Cate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I normally love everything that the Thoenes write. This series and in particular this book does not live up to their usual standards. The character of Pilate is one dimensional and does not reflect the true dilema that he faced standing face to face with Jesus. Too much of the plot revolved around Pilate's wife, Claudia, and her love for Marcus, a Roman centurion. Readers find themselves in the awkward position of hoping that Claudias and Marcus resume their earlier affair. This is an odd slant for Christian historial fiction especially when the Theones have the talent to create such inspiring characters.

[Allan67 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book that I read to Diana. We can't do much anymore after her stroke, so I read to her to spend time together. Diana has always loved to have someone to read to her - and I like to do just that.

The theme of this book was Pilate and his wife, Claudia. For some reason, I had always thought of Pilate as a pretty good fellow, but a victim of his circumstances. In this book, he is represented as a not so good person, with a not so good relationship with his wife, maybe a little cowardly, maybe a little of a failure, who was sent to Israel as a last chance to redeem himself to Caesar. Who knows what the true Pilate really was like, but this is interesting entertainment - Maybe worth more than four stars, but not a five star book, thus four stars.

[Krystal · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book talks more about Pontius Pilate than it does about Jesus, you barely read anything at all about Jesus which was very disappointing, I picked up the book to read more about our Saviour and His life than I did about the abuse Pontius Pilate did to his wife because of her love affair with one of his employees.

This book is 99% about the loveless marriage of Pontius Pilate and his wife and her love affair with one of Pilate's men. There is less than a paragraph in total of Jesus speaking in the entire book, and it doesn't go into anything about His life or teachings.

I was very disappointed by this book.

[Joy Lokey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story from the perspective of Pilot's wife Claudia, and his right hand man Marcus. She was the Caesar's illegitimate daughter. Marcus was Pilot's childhood best friend. She and Marcus had been in love when her father forced a marriage to Pilot. He was a cruel and jealous husband, an unloving father, and unworthy, spiteful ruler. Enter the Messiah in their midst when the world was ripe for a new King. As this tangled love triangle implodes, asthe central story line, they behold miracles, and watch as He transforms lives before their eyes. A timely read for me as I finished up right before Easter. Good authorage team.

[Jo M · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - first half was better

The first half was really gripping, but the second half suddenly became really choppy and disjointed, and it became harder to track the passage of time and story plots. A shame, cause I was enjoying the direction things were going.

Content:
Language: n/a
Sexual: it's a Thoene book, so things will get gritty. The fmc is regularly physically (and implied sexually) abused by her husband, implied out of wedlock child, and in a brutal paragraph, it's implied that a young boy is beaten and raped by a general
Violence: above, plus descriptors of Roman violence, implied abortion, and brief but descriptive passages on Jesus's torture during Good Friday

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would recommend the book, though I didn't feel it was as strong as the first two books in the trilogy. There didn't seem to be a single main character that the story revolved around. Instead it focused on Pilate, his wife, her former love and his former best friend, their son and a slave. Instead the plot focused on a central theme, that anyone who meets Jesus is changed. The writing was still evocative and atmospheric. And, though I knew the ending going into the story, the story held my attention.

[SusanwithaGoodBook · Rating 3 out of 5]

This installment focuses on Claudia, wife of Pontius Pilate. Her story is a melodrama of long-lost love and a loveless, abusive marriage. Her son plays a prominent role with an injured leg, unable to walk, his story and hers take a lot of time to unfold, but they kept my interest fairly well. They don’t encounter Jesus until the last few chapters, though, and their story is totally fictionalized outside of the scriptural record, but it was an interesting idea to ponder what might have or could have happened.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of the last days of Jesus are told through the eyes of Claudia, the wife of Pilate and Marcus Longinus, the Roman Centurion who secretly love each other. Pilate is a hard man and makes life difficult for them. Claudia's son, Philo is crippled and is brought to Jesus for healing. This increases her faith in Jesus while Pilate becomes more bitter. Eventually Jesus enemies arrest Him and have Him crucified.

[Deborah Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful. Read l three books to get the whole story

I loved this series. I love the story of the obscure charters around Jesus life. John said if all the stories of what Jesus did during his lifesaver written down the world could not contain them all. Although this is fiction the fact that these characters lived and were touched by outboard is true and the way theses stories are woven have a wonderful transporting ability to them. Wonderful

[Ankita · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book so grand that no words can explain the depth of the emotions, plot, characters, and what not! Here I am, attempting to present to the readers, the best effort in my capability, the promising things about this book.The story begins with the key players of the Roman history at the time when there was much commotion among jews and Romans. Tiberius Caesar, the emperor of Rome, has an illegitimate daughter named Claudia. She is in love with a commoner named Marcus Longinus, who later gains the post of Centurion in the army of Caesar. However, when Caesar gains the knowledge of this love affair between Claudia and Marcus, he forces her into marrying a greedy, arrogant and disdainful man named Pontius Pilate. Claudia gives birth to a son, Philo, who is incapable of walking on his own. Throughout his life, Pilate feels disappointed by this condition of his son. The marriage of Pilate and Claudia is not a happy one; he tortures her physically, emotionally, and mentally in any chance that he gets. Claudia, tormented by her deep affection for Marcus and being stuck in an unhappy love marriage, has dedicated her life to the welfare of her son. However, things take a dramatic turn when Caesar appoints Pilate a governor and Marcus Longinus a Primus Pilus of Judea. You see, Judea is struggling in maintaining peace between Jews and Romans, and many governors have failed in doing so. This means that Pilate needs to be on his toes at all the time.

Until the end of several chapters of the beginning, I thought the plot of this book was about the pain that Claudia and Marcus were suffering due to their lost love; however, the plot took a drastic turn towards the rise and the tragic crucifixion of Jesus. In the last few chapters, I was finding it difficult to hold back my tears while reading about the torture and unfair sentencing of Jesus. The passionate writing of the author narrates the betrayal of Judas and capture of the merciful God’s son in a manner that it arises the deeply buried resentment of the reader to the surface. My heart broke every time the author described the extreme pain that the heartless, blind with arrogance and power crazed conspirators put him through. These people were scared that there would be a shift of power from them to a just person, and that led them to lost the last shred of humanity.

The authors have kept his vision of the book very clear. I believe, the authors wished to paint the Roman history and the journey of Jesus in a delightful manner, and they succeeded in their attempt. They have kept the preachings of the Jesus to exhibit only the fact that he was preaching the people to keep the peace, love even one’s enemies, etc.– not treason that he was charged with. Although all of his preachings are worth admiration, I am in love with the one mentioned below:

Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you…Do to others as you would have them do to you… The good person brings good things out of what is stored in his heart. The evil person brings evil things out of what is stored in his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart he speaks.

I felt a divine peace rising inside me whenever I read his preachings. That’s why when I read about the evil conspiracy of Herodias to kill John, the cousin of Jesus, my heart filled with bitterness against her. This is not the first time that I read about this disgusting plot of hers — I read it in Wicked Women of the Bible, as well — however, the sharp sting of the pain that I felt was not reduced by my familiarity of her devilish act.

When I finished this book, I felt enlightened and noticed the stupidity of our ways, today. We are so far away from the reality of the life. No wonder, we feel dissatisfied all the time. The simple preachings mentioned in the book are not out of the world, in fact, they are known to each one of us; yet, we decide to look away.

Back to the review, the characters are described marvelously. By the time, the authors are done with them, I, as a reader, felt as if I had known each one of them forever. My favorite character is Marcus because he is brave, loving, kind, and understanding. He speaks his mind irrespective of the circumstances, and I admire this trait of his character. The virtue and kindness of Claudia, too, touched my soul.

There are so many emotions in the book. Once I picked up this book, I knew I would adore it. The pain of losing your beloved, rage towards the person who makes his/her life miserable, helplessness in front of one’s superior, witnessing a wrongful execution of an innocent, and the out of the world feeling of a slave on beeing free are all very beautifully knitted in this one book. The extreme of arrogance, devoid of any logic, made my heart ache. I felt pity for these people who were so drunk with power that they could not witness the truth even when it touched their own lives.

I cannot rate this book anything less than 5 out of 5 stars.I feel blessed and truly fortunate that I came across this book. I would recommend it to the readers who, like me, find Roman history fascinating, and also, to those, who love knowing about the time when Jesus blessed the world by his existence.

P.S. BookLook Bloggers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the first book of the series but this one and the previous book were much weaker. This one, in particular, ends rather abruptly when so much more could have been said about the resurrection. Interesting how the people you know from the biblical narrative are fleshed out but actually pretty short on purpose.

[Cass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling Retelling of the Greatest Story Ever Told

Book three of the Jerusalem Chronicles, climaxes the story of the life of Jesus Christ. For those who are familiar with the Biblical account, this book shimmers with light piercing the darkness of Evil's final effort to unseat God from the Lord's eternal throne. Truly, Jesus is alive and He is King of Kings and Lord of lord's.

[Terry Bunch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Consistent with its previous 2 installments Behold the Man delivers a fictional approach to the historical biblical narrative of the last days of Jesus and characters who played a role in his story. The second book outshines this one as it did the first. Creative. Thoughtful. Wish there would have been a more complete intertwining of all 3.

[Sandra Tatum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beloved story retold

Loved this book as I have the other books I have read by these authors. It was as if you were right there with Claudia and Marcus as they deal with their love for each other, Pilate and his flaws, and meeting Jesus. I highly recommend this book and books written by these authors

[Sherry Menager · Rating 5 out of 5]

well worth ten stars

The Thoene’s have once again written a page turner. Such an excellent historically written story. They have woven truth into a fictional story which has made history come alive. It will you have your heart and soul.l loved this book and recommend it to everyone.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Bodie and Brock have done it again... brought scripture to life in this book! Without taking away from what has been written in the Bible, they have brought us what could have been between the lines. Fast paced and fact based, they point the reader to the scriptural conclusion.