The Wise Man

by Michele Chynoweth

"A riveting, ripped-from-the-headlines suspense ... on one of the most important issues of our lifetime." The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Finn Mitchell has grown up in the shadow of his father, US President Leif Mitchell, but is now ready to step into the limelight in his own right. After successfully vying with his half-brother to become the newest member of the U.S. Supreme Court, Finn is poised to hear a landmark abortion issue case that could completely reverse Roe v. Wade. In addition to his judicial prowess, Finn accumulates wealth beyond most men's wildest dreams, women who fawn over his handsome good looks and charming ways, and a secret empire involving a virtual reality tourism attraction on his private island that is about to explode. Finn's desire for more is daunting, yet he discovers you can't always get everything you want-even if you are one of the wisest, wealthiest, most attractive, successful men on earth. He finally realizes you can't fill the God-shaped hole in your soul with all the riches of the universe. But is it too late? An epic contemporary suspense based on the Bible's story of Solomon, The Wise Man will bring to light the question, "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?"

410 pages, Hardcover

Published May 13, 2022

About the author

Michele Chynoweth is an award-winning inspirational fiction author who believes that the stories in the Bible's Old Testament are full of wonderful messages from God - but that they're usually hard to read - so she retells them in a contemporary way so today's readers can relate, get God's message and be entertained by their suspense, drama and romance. She is a former news reporter and advertising agency owner, graduate of the University of Notre Dame, and lives with her family in her native Maryland.

Reviews

[Claire O'Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping

This book will grab you and as you turn each page you realize how easily even each man or woman can be drawn into Dantes Inferno over the span of years. How easily it is to make concessions, justification for our sins and finally the Lord will bring one understanding. Just not the way we all want. A gripping tale based upon the life of Solomon.

[Frances Altman]

A message that coincides with possible happenings in our time. Makes a reader think .

[Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michele Chynoweth’s new book is titled The Wise Man. Chynoweth balances that rare ability to remain true to her innate form, perhaps personally as well as professionally, while also retaining a sense of audience objectivity crucial for wide-ranging entertainment. It’s interesting too that the book is so unapologetic about its timeless source material. It is essentially a pop culture-sized version of unabashed, Biblical themes and characterizations. But whereas adaptations of Biblical source material could cater to only a specific choir, Chynoweth makes the values and traditions endorsed in the text feel universal. It’s a welcome relief from traditional Christian fiction, which while perfectly solid in its own right often can threaten to overwhelm the uninitiated. But by communicating the themes and symbolism so tactfully, Chynoweth both compliments their origins and timelessness, as much as she is able to simultaneously tell just a solid, interesting narrative. This is reflected in writing like the following excerpt from the book’s opening passage. “This is all my fault. Finn Mitchell stared in shock as he approached the devastation all around him. Palm trees that once stood regally below his mansion windows were burned down into black stumps,” Chynoweth writes. “Finn could hear the sirens in the distance as firefighters, rescue teams, and police continued to multiply. Those who’d arrived first on the scene had been fighting the fire for hours and had managed to turn it into a smoldering flame. But the damage was done. It’s like they’re putting a tiny bandage on a gaping, hemorrhaging wound. He looked out over the once lush landscape of the island. Now the area looked like a war zone. He gazed out over the smoking ruins of the once towering white marble church which he’d named the Sanctuary—the largest and most magnificent church in the world. His church, the one he had commissioned to have built and had himself dedicated one year ago today, now lay in charred ruins—the roof caved, the marble columns singed with soot, the stained-glass windows shattered, the golden statues inside melted.”

The images are vivid, detailed, and sometimes even unsettling. As an author independent of source material, Chynoweth has a distinctive way with words. She lingers on details in a way that is never ham-fisted or corny. Everything about the read pulls you in closer, even the flaws. Regardless of how strong of a writer someone is, you know you’re dealing with capability when even the seams - regarded on their own terms - are themselves compelling in nature. “Inhaling the acrid smell of thick, black smoke and watching the last of the flames climb around the church’s spires, Finn’s head clouded for a minute. His memories suddenly drifted back to when he was in fifth grade and he had gone camping for the first time with the Boy Scouts from his hometown of Potomac, Maryland, a posh residential town near Washington, DC, known as one of the richest neighborhoods in the world,” Chynoweth writes in this vein. “…Part of him just wanted to give up and die. But deep down in his soul, he knew that wasn’t an option. This was all his fault, and only he could try to make things right—if it wasn’t too late.”

[Melissa Main · Rating 5 out of 5]

Repentance and forgiveness

Written from a Catholic perspective, “The Wise Man” tells the modern-day story of Solomon. Solomon’s wisdom and endless fascination with women is told in a way that reflects Solomon’s great virtues and vices. Finley Mitchell is the modern-day Solomon, and like Solomon, his sins cause problems for those around him.
Chynoweth makes very realistic modern-day parallels to Solomon’s wisdom and his sins.

Sins are mentioned in this book, but they are not shown in explicit detail. The main character is no saint. He’s very complex.

I loved the pro-life stance in this book and the ending. I don’t want to give away the ending, but it’s one that will speak to many people and make them think about their actions and their goals in life.

This book has won awards, and the author is a talented writer.

[Carole Sellman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wise Man

Michele Chenoweth has made a name for herself with her creative way of modernizing Biblical stories. Each of her books just keeps getting better. In The Wise Man Ms. Chenoweth brings today's world to the forefront and reminds us how easy it is to stray from God's teachings. All the wisdom we need is written in The Bible if we read and follow it. But our world is filled with choices to lead us astray. The electronics we use day and night are fast becoming gods to some. Many if us are still halfway hiding in our homes after COVID. Ms. Chenoweth has woven bits and pieces of these everyday struggles we go through, along with an old testament story, and a hotbed legal case into a book you will pick up and not want to put down.

[John Connelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Wise Book To Read

The author of this book has abundant imagination. The depth of the characters is amazing. The story is strong and surprising.
The descriptive language used takes you into the story. You see what the characters see, you feel what the characters feel. You know the characters. They are diverse and the complexity keeps your mind alert.
Problems and solutions are not simple, never knowing what will happen on the next page.
A story of the rise and frailty of man, the struggle of ego and self will, and finding the Higher Power and His will.
Because of this book, I will return to church after a lapse due to Covid.

[Rita Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best result from reading this book...

Is the one the author wrote... My desire to read the scriptures regarding King Solomon has increased. I'm going to find all of them. I highly recommend the previous to this one as well. The Bible is an account that holds no punches - showing the foibles and sins of the people that God, in His mercy, chaos to relationship. Praise Him! Thank you, Michele, for a prayer- and thought-inspiring book!

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! The surprising ways the Bible story was retold to match our modern lifestyles really kept me turning the pages! I love this author’s writing style. She gives enough detail to allow the reader to transport themselves into the scene, but not too much detail that you begin to become bored. I would recommend this book as a Summer 2022 must read! Enjoy!

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michele Chynoweth tackled some tough issues in The Wise Man: greed, corruption, infidelity, abortion, and brainwashing. Woven through these issues are threads of hope, love, and dedication, along with forgiveness and faith in God. This is an interesting book about good versus evil.

[Anthea Piscarik]

A larger-than-life cautionary tale of how intoxicating and seductive power can be once we have a taste of it. But at the core, there's a pro-life message in celebration of the sanctity of life.

[Randy Tramp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read. I couldn’t put the book down. Moving and interesting the entire way through. Lessons learned.