The Departed

by Kathryn Mackel

Unexplained voices. Desperate apparitions. A dangerous coven of witches. Welcome toThe Other Side.


Joshua Lazarus and his wife, Maggie, are reeling from the overnight success of his new television show, starring Joshua as a medium--passing messages to the audience from their dearly departed. It's all a sham, of course--but when strange voices begin to haunt him without relief, and ghosts seemingly cry out to him for help, he realizes he's involved with forces he never believed existed. As Joshua and Maggie try to make sense of the visitations, a closer, more visible force is preparing to attack.


Between the killer who hunts Joshua and the pervasive occult presence in Raven, Massachusetts, no one close to him is safe. On the brink of being consumed alive, Maggie and Joshua must fight for their lives--and their souls.

Genres: Christian, Fiction, Mystery

321 pages, Paperback

First published March 8, 2005

About the author

As a screenwriter (writing as Kathy Mackel), Kathryn Mackel has worked for Disney, Fox, and Showtime. She’s famous with the kids for the Disney movie Can of Worms. She was the credited screenwriter for Frank Peretti's Hangman's Curse (with Stan Foster) and part of the story team for Left Behind: The Movie.

Reviews

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is the first christian chiller i've ever liked.

the dark forces at work were a blend of demons and people, alike. this was a plus. i strongly dislike demons being reduced to bogeymen and the people who do their bidding reduced to puppets. people make decisions, so people are culpable of the wrong-doing. it's an important point and it's a pet peeve of mine when i see it being glossed over. in this book, it wasn't.

now, in this story a washed up magician finds something to believe in. sadly, what he has found is an evil being. enter, a second evil being whose followers would love to bathe the earth in fire. but wait, because there's a very lethal father bent on revenge against the magician who unwittingly caused the death of his teenage daughter... it sucks when the thing you believe in brings you nothing but trouble, yes?

but hold on, because this is a christian chiller, right? where's jesus? he's in the heart of the magician's wife - but at this point he is no longer a magician, he is a medium. his wife, maggie, is a born-again christian and struggles to love her husband and reject his profession, in tandem.

the pacing of the action was terrific. i was never bored. it reminded me of the power of prayer and how important it is to have a support system of folks who share my faith...

3 happy stars.

[Angie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought I would be reading a spooky story about paranormal activities. Instead, it was an evangelical 'praise the Lord' book. Not my cup of tea and I would not recommend it.

[Della Tingle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this Christian Chiller very much! However, the backdrop was the occult, which I did not enjoy very much. I did learn a neat trick: General Electric Power Company is a mnemonic device for Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. 😃❤️👍

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dit was toch wel een redelijk spannend, mysterieus boek. Waar occulte tov geloof staan. Ik had wel redelijk snel door waar het verhaal naar toe ging, dit was vrij subtiel gedaan maar nam toch af en toe een spannende wending.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

i believe she has become my new favorite author always a chrisitan way to follow to come to a decision.

[Jackie Rogers]

Whether you are a God believer or not, you will like this novel. Is about the occult and those who are Christian. Lots of action and deception exposed by Him who is Truth.

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took a bit for the story to unravel, but once it did it was a fantastic experience. The storyline is captivating and the characters are relatable and easy to understand.

[Melissa (Always Behind) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joshua Lazarus spent many years working as a poor excuse for a magician. Just as he's about ready to throw in the towel on his life, an overheard conversation transforms him into a nationally-known medium. His live television show, coupled with his magnetic personality and fabulous looks, catapults him to success. Joshua's wife, Maggie, takes a back seat so that Joshua can appear unattached to his mostly female fans. Although his communication with the dead is a well-researched and planned hoax, the audience's conviction that Joshua can talk to their deceased loved ones provides them with comfort.

Maggie begins to volunteer at Safe House, a Christian gathering place for young people. Although she doesn't believe in God, Maggie doesn't really have a place to fit in with Joshua's entourage, so Safe House seems as good a place as any to hang out. As God draws Maggie closer, Joshua is being pulled away by forces he doesn't know or understand. He begins to have visions of ghosts crying out to him for help. Is there hope for Maggie and Joshua to survive the occult influence in their lives?

This novel is labeled a Christian Chiller, which aptly describes its tone. It's not for readers who enjoy pleasant stories where everything works out neatly in the end. But for Christian readers curious about the occult and its effect on the living, this story delivers an eerie journey. The relationship between Maggie and Joshua is fascinating, because it shows how a marriage can survive when one person turns to God and the other is leading a life contrary to those beliefs. Maggie never stops praying for Joshua, never wavers from her own convictions, but still manages to honor her marriage.

The Departed explores many of the arguments about the occult and gently explains the Bible's stance on different issues, such as talking to the dead. The characters are detailed and extremely realistic, and the plot is one of the most original I have read in Christian fiction. Kathryn Mackel's first book, The Surrogate, is equally creepy and engrossing; she is an author to watch. Her next, Outriders, delves into the fantasy genre.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story starts out with a young girl name Tanya, who is pregnant and her mother wants her to get an abortion. The young girl does not want to but in the end her mother wins out and she gets the abortion. This part of the story ends tragically. Meanwhile, the main character of the book, Joshua, Lazarus and Maggie his wife become overnight success in a new television show called The Other Side. Joshua with the help of his sister Geneva have cooked up a scam that has Joshua passing messages from his audience to their dearly departed. Unbeknownst to Joshua Tanya shows up to his show and not knowing what her problem is about give her bad information that ends up with a murder/suicide. Not to give away any more the story, Kathryn Mackel has created many other characters that represent the good verses evil. This is a great read and yes this book takes the Christian reader into areas most Christian writers do not, but that is what makes this book and author just a little different and exciting.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

it was a quick read but I wouldn't recommend ir

[Zsofia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was glad when I turned my last page..

[Evi De rechter · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was easy to read, but I didn't like it. The story could've been great, but instead it's just plain boring. Especially the ending was a big anti climax for me.