American mission worker Tobin Matthews becomes a local hero and celebrity in the Sulu Republic when he inadvertently foils a gang of human traffickers. But the heroism cannot mask his desperate soul, which wrestles with a broken marriage and a crippling set of doubts. As he sinks to a new low, his brazen ex-lover arrives in Sulu with her own agenda. The Asian beauty quickly becomes the greatest temptation of his life, and he must decide how far he is willing to go to have her.
Which Half David is a modern twist on the centuries old tale of King David. Set against the lush backdrop of the fictitious Southeast Asian island nation of Sulu, it is the story of one man’s dramatic fall from grace, and his struggle to come to grips with both halves of who he really is.
Mark is a proud Western PA native but has lived most of the last twenty years in Vietnam, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia. His overseas experiences have redefined everything including his palate, his outlook on life, and naturally his writing.
He has written ten novels, including his brand new Forgotten Child Trilogy.
His interests cast a wide net - from politics to literature - to culture and language - to history and religion - making his writing infused with the unexpected as he seeks to tell authentic and engaging stories about people from all walks of life. His writing is straightforward and accessible to all, especially those who enjoy writing injected with doses of culture, history, adventure, and delightful humor. You never know what you might get when you pick up a Sasse novel.
Besides novel-writing, Sasse is a prolific dramatist, having written and produced more than a dozen full-length dramatic productions. He especially is fond of the short play format and has twice won the Best Script award at the Short & Sweet Theatre Festival Penang. His plays and short musicals have also been produced in New York City, Kuala Lumpur and Sydney. His play "The Last Bastion" was awarded the Greywood Arts Winter Residency 2018 in Ireland. Performances of his scripts also won Gold and Bronze medals at the Southeast Asian Forensics Competition 2014.
His professional background is as diverse as his writing. He holds Master's degrees from California State University Dominquez Hills and Azusa Pacific University in Humanities and TESOL respectively. His undergraduate degree was in English, which helped him develop his passion for creative writing. He has extensive experience in teaching English, history, and drama.
On top of all of this, he loves to cook everything from gourmet pizzas, to Mexican, to various Asian dishes. Flavor is the key of both his cooking and his writing. He very much hopes you enjoy the taste.
Published Novels and Short Stories of Mark W. Sasse
2021 A Diamond for Her: Myths and Tales of the Winasook Iron Horses 2020 Moses the Singer 2019 The Forgotten Child (Book 3) 2018 The African Connection (Forgotten Child Trilogy Book 2) 2017 A Man too Old for a Place too Far (Forgotten Child Trilogy Book 1) 2016 Which Half David: A Modern-day King David Story 2015 A Love Story for a Nation (coming in July) - Kindle & Paperback 2014 If Love is a Crime: A Christmas Story - Kindle only 2014 The Reach of the Banyan Tree - Kindle & Paperback 2013 The Recluse Storyteller - Kindle & Paperback 2012 Beauty Rising - Kindle & Paperback
Which Half David: A Modern-day King David Story by Author Mark Sasse
Needless to say, I am a huge fan of Author Mark Sasse. “Which Half David: A Modern-day King David Story ” is his fifth fictional novel and I have read and reviewed all of them. This one is as extraordinary as the others and it captured my attention from the first page to the last.
Tobin Matthews is a missionary working in the Sulu Republic with his wife Jane. They have been married for eight years and there is trouble brewing in their relationship. Along with the stresses that Tobin faces in his missionary work, his life is quickly becoming unravelled. When working in a Bataki village, an unprecedented massacre takes place. Upon his return home, he begins a new crusade when he inadvertently witnesses the abduction of several young girls who are about to become part of a sex trade organization as they are hustled into a truck right before his eyes…
When Mr. Hawkins, the head of the missionary organization decides to send help, Tobin’s life is further complicated with the arrival of his ex-lover Kendra Nguyen/Jordan and her husband Bill. Unbeknownst to Mr. Hawkins, Kendra has a personal agenda. Tobin is totally shocked when he first notices Kendra and although he has not seen her in ten years, he is once again immediately drawn to her. Bill and Jane are totally unaware of the past connection between these two college lovers. A series of unpredictable events unfold much to the surprise of the cast of characters in this novel as well as the reading audience. Expect the unexpected in this very unique novel with an unforeseen twist…
Author Mark Sasse has done it again…another masterpiece!
A compelling story of a man who falls off his good-missionary pedestal. Correction: an utterly compelling story. Tobin Matthews and his wife, Jane, live in Sulu, an island (fictitious) in southeast Asia. Revered for his actions when he plays an instrumental part in closing down a dreadful band of human traffickers and for defending the rights of a group of Sulu tribesmen, he is the man of the island, a man who can do no wrong. But when his ex-lover, Kendra, turns up, this saint, this saviour, falls under her evil seductress ways. Far from turning the other cheek, Tobin’s actions rock his marriage, his beliefs and strength of character.
The story is a modern-day version of the biblical King David. A bit lost on me…I’m not religious, or a Christian and haven’t read the Bible. This didn’t matter, as it was still a page-turner as you accompany Tobin in his struggles to fight temptation in his will-he/won’t-he battle. Tobin, despite wobbling off his pedestal, and Kendra (bitch is too nice a word for her) are both very strong characters in their own way, but beautifully balanced by the soft, gentle, patient, perhaps even a little flaky, Jane and Kendra’s almost puppy-dog-like, ineffective, bumbling, slightly wimpish husband. But, pay very special attention to both of these…
And excellent story, written with Sasse’s usual flair, that's intense, passionate and peppered with some I-never-expected-that little surprises.
Not knowing what I was about to read…I will leave it that way for you..I enjoyed it..it kept my interest and brings the message of Grace and Forgiving in a full measure!
Dynamic, charismatic Tobin Matthews is a larger-than-life missionary hero, having served in the back country of the Republic of Sulu, to the indigenous Bataki tribe, for quite a few years. While he is visiting the tribal chief, Gani, a large contingent of local police show up with machine guns, declaring that the newly built church is an unlawful structure and will be torn down, and demanding that Tobin and his Christ leave, or they will begin shooting.
As they open fire, the villagers defend themselves, and end up killing all the officers. Days later, nine members of the tribe are arrested, while Tobin inadvertently stumbles upon, and takes down, a notorious gang of sex traffickers operating in the city below. This makes him a national hero.
The resulting investigations of the two incidents put the mission work in a tailspin, and the Mission Board sends Kendra Nguyen and her husband Bill to assist and sort out the mess. But Kendra has her own agenda, concealing to the Board the failed intimate relationship she had with Tobin in college.
This modern-day retelling of the story of King David has a lot of sexual tension in it, as the two ex-lovers conceal their past from their respective spouses, and while Tobin attempts to fight the shameless advances of the temptress he used to be intimate with. The internal struggle Tobin has to overcome, his failures and redemption, his passionate faith and darkening heart, become the central theme of the book.
Content: Violence: PG - There are a couple violent scenes in the book. The beginning incident between the police and the villagers is quite violent, but is not overly graphic. There are several fights, and a stabbing. Not much more than you would have seen in Beauty and the Beast.
Language: PG - I believe there are just a few curse words in the book. I might even be misremembering.
Drug Content: PG - Drinking occurs to excess in a few places. Drinking alcohol occurs rather often in the book at social levels.
Adult Content: PG-13 - Kendra is a beauty and in every scene wears something too revealing, whether it be a bikini, a tight skirt, or in one instance nothing at all. There are multiple scenes where trysts are plotted, infidelity is an undercurrent throughout. Lack of sexual intimacy in marriage is a recurring theme, and Kendra doesn't seem to have any moral compass.
Christian content: Scripture is quoted and remembered somewhat often, and is recalled at critical times to show that characters lean on their own understanding of God and their faith to make it through tragedy. God acts miraculously a few times, and His hand of guidance and deliverance is evident throughout, even to the thwarting of evil plans.
Final analysis: Missions work is a solid Christian ministry, and this book gave some insight into what mission work looks like in the field. The beautiful mountain waterfalls and rapids, the teeming city below, are real and tangible. The characters are very believable, though some seem unloveable and irredeemable. Supporting characters are especially well-developed, and I found myself liking Bill and Jane much more than Tobin or Kendra. Even Gani, Toggi, and Uhari are well-developed and solid characters. The action and tension throughout the book was gripping, and I found myself dreading the next page but unable to stop turning. Five stars. *I received an electronic copy for an honest review
*The author provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review which follows*
Imagine if you found yourself in a situation where you had to fight to the death in order to protect yourself and survive. Would you be able to take on the challenge? When Tobin Matthews is faced with this exact situation he follows his instincts and survives. The price is high, and he wrestles with his choices much as King David did in the Bible narrative.
Mark Sasse triumphs in the reciting of this spectacular tale of Tobin’s fall from good will. A beloved missionary to the Sulu people, Tobin makes a stand in the defense of the small village. The killing weighs heavy on his mind and acts as the catalyst which sets the rest of the story in motion.
What follows is a story of a man conflicted by his choices and how he must reconcile his deeds with his religious beliefs. Through the author’s careful depiction, the reader steps inside the heart and the mind of Tobin Matthews. Each situation in the story builds off of the last. Tobin soars to fresh heights of depravity which catapult him back to the reality of his deeds. In the end, he is driven to confront the truth about himself and the type of man he has become.
In the beginning, Tobin is portrayed as the guy who does no wrong. He almost seems too good to be true. As the narrative progresses and he is confronted with one decision after another, you start to see his armor crack.
Tobin is not actually a hero. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the right time, and then it was doing something self-destructive – getting drunk. But that is what I most liked about the character. He was human. He didn’t arrive at the right decision all the time. He had a good inside that he didn’t realize he even possessed.
This battle, between the good and bad halves of Tobin Matthews, is what made this story shine. The conflict is real, and anyone who reads this story will recognize facing some of the exact trials in their own lifetimes. It all comes down to choices.
I have been a reader of Mark Sasse’s books for a couple of years now. “Which Half David,” is by far my favorite of all of his novels. I loved the fact that the story took place in Asia. It gave it a different personality from that of the Bible story, without changing the message.
This is one book you will not want to miss!
My Rating:
Character Believability: 5 Flow and Pace: 5 Reader Engagement: 5 Reader Enrichment: 5 Reader Enjoyment: 5 Overall Rate: 5 out of 5 stars
Even though this was a modern day work of fiction, I will still call it biblical fiction. It’s a retelling of the story of King David and its done in quite a unique way.
First of all, the setting is in a fictitious city located in Asia. David is an American who is often challenged and tested by his ex-lover, a beautiful Asian woman who kind of shows up at the wrong moments.
So King David is somewhat of an average joe named Tobin Matthews. He’s a missionary who ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time—or maybe the right place at the right time. Depends on your point of view. Tobin ends up being known as something of a hero in the local area because he manages to stop a group of human traffickers. Right off the bat you get a good look at the kind of man Tobin is. He’s a missionary but he also a good heart beyond his religious beliefs.
Throughout the book, Tobin proves himself to be a man of God but also a simple human being. He struggles, falls, and completely messes up but he also recuperates and finds his way over and over. This makes him relatable and more like David than I assumed he would be. David often struggled and some of the problems he faced were because of his own actions, so there were some distinct comparisons between the two men. There were also some differences. Like Tobin’s lover; she was beautiful and tempting and a bit of a whirlwind. I thought she was a good character and a nice addition to the story. She definitely served as an obstacle and, in a way, a good support for Tobin. I think I saw her as a way for him to grow.
I have read multiple Christian stories about King David’s journey and I think this one is definitely worth a read. It is different from all the others I have read because it takes place in such a vastly different setting—that fact alone makes it very interesting right from the start.
This wasn’t always a page-turner for me but I made it through the book relatively fast once I started it. I think any Christian or anyone who enjoys biblical fiction will find something good to say about this book. If King David is one of your favorite people in the Bible, then you definitely want to grab this book today.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Tobin Matthews is an American Missionary. He goes to the Sulu republic and becomes a bit of a local hero when he stops a group of human traffickers. But all is not easy for him. He has a failing marriage and he is very insecure. If things could not be any worse, his ex-lover shows up with her Husband. She is a beautiful Asian woman with an agenda of her own, and Tobin is caught in her spell once again. Will he risk everything to be with her again?
Tobin is definitely conflicted, he has many problems, most of which he creates himself. Yet he is still likable, even though he is flawed. He lets his emotions control his actions, which makes for a very intense read. The plot is original, full of psychological drama, suspense, twists, turns and surprises. Add an exotic location and I was hooked from the first page. I highly recommend Which Half David to those who love a great read.
Like King David in the Bible, missionary Tobin is beloved man who seems to be totally good. However, when faced with temptation, he falls into adultery and murder. A story of good, evil, and redemption.