Deadline

Ollie Chandler #1

by Randy Alcorn

The first book in the Ollie Chandler series, this rerelease of the Randy Alcorn bestseller is a heart-pounding murder mystery When tragedy strikes those closest to him, Jake Woods must draw upon all his resources to uncover the truth about the suspicious accident. Soon he finds himself swept up in a murder investigation that is both complex and dangerous. Unaware of the threat to his own life, Jake is drawn in deeper and deeper as he desperately searches for the answers to the immediate mystery at hand and—ultimately—the deeper meaning of his own existence. Deadline is a dramatic and vivid novel of substance, filled with hope and perspective for every reader who longs to feel purpose in life.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Audiobook

450 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 1994

About the author

Randy Alcorn is the founder of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM), a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching biblical truth and drawing attention to the needy and how to help them. EPM exists to meet the needs of the unreached, unfed, unborn, uneducated, unreconciled and unsupported people around the world.

"My ministry focus is communicating the strategic importance of using our earthly time, money, possessions and opportunities to invest in need-meeting ministries that count for eternity," Alcorn says. "I do that by trying to analyze, teach and apply the implications of Christian truth."

Before starting EPM in 1990, Alcorn co-pastored for thirteen years Good Shepherd Community Church outside Gresham, Oregon. He has ministered in many countries, including China, and is a popular teacher and conference speaker. Randy has taught on the part-time faculties of Western Seminary and Multnomah University, both in Portland, Oregon.

Randy is a best-selling author of 50 books including Heaven, The Treasure Principle and the 2002 Gold Medallion winner, Safely Home. He has written numerous articles for magazines such as Discipleship Journal, Moody, Leadership, New Man, and The Christian Reader. He produces the quarterly issues-oriented magazine Eternal Perspectives, and has been a guest on more than 650 radio and television programs including Focus on the Family, Family Life Today, The Bible Answer Man, Revive Our Hearts, Truths that Transform and Faith Under Fire.

Alcorn resides in Gresham, Oregon with his wife, Nanci. The Alcorns have two married daughters, Karina and Angela.

Randy and Nanci are the proud grandparents of five grandsons. Randy enjoys hanging out with his family, biking, tennis, research and reading.

Taken from the Eternal Perspective Ministries website, http://www.epm.org

Reviews

[Celeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my third time reading this book, and it was just as impactful to my faith as the first time I read it. It amazes me that this book was written over 20 years ago, because it feels like it could have been written last week. The hot button issues dividing America are largely the same today as those debated within this book. I found Alcorn’s handling of the topics to be respectful in all instances while still making evident his conservative leanings. While hate was mentioned in the story and shown in the lives of some characters, it was evident that the author was not promoting or in any way supporting said hatred. The beliefs of Christians are supposed to come from a place of love, even when we firmly disagree, and that was shown well here.

The novel starts with three best friends in a horrible accident that claims the lives of two of them. One of the friends goes to heaven, one to hell, and one remains on earth, trying to pick up the pieces of his shattered life. My favorite element of the book by far is one character’s experiences in heaven. Alcorn played a huge role in shaping my view of heaven when I first read this book in high school. His theories all feel very theologically sound to me based on the Scriptures we have regarding heaven; they are simply more fleshed out. While we obviously can’t know for certain what heaven will be like until we get there, I think Alcorn’s version is the closest I’ve come across in fiction. I have highlighted so heavily in the heaven scenes that almost entire pages are yellow. This is actually a book I sometimes flip back through simply to read the highlighted parts, which is something I rarely do with any book.

I do have to say that this book is not for everyone. It can come across as very preachy (the author is a preacher, after all), and is unapologetically ultraconservative. The plot also feels like it was almost an afterthought, and is merely a platform for Alcorn to express his beliefs on various issues and present his views of heaven and hell. As I went into this book knowing and expecting it to feel like deep Sunday school literature with a plot, I was in no way bothered by this. I know that there are many who would be rubbed the wrong way by this book, but I absolutely love it. It’s a story I’ve gone back to when life was rough, and I found a lot of comfort in it after the death of a loved one and during my husband’s cancer treatments. I can’t wait to see how close Alcorn’s descriptions of heaven are to the real thing!

[Becki · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could give this book less than one star, I would. It was so long and tedious, I thought I was never going to get through it. It most definitely could have been cut in half and still retained the important parts of the story.

Also, the author has some strong views, most of which I do not disagree with, but he seems to have written the story around them instead of letting them fall naturally into place. The whole story seems to be contrived to get his theology across. Yes, I get it: the media is biased, abortion is bad, organ donation is not all that we've been led to believe. But this is supposed to be a story, not a news report, which is how it comes across.

[Brian K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alcorn hit another one out of the park!

In this thriller you follow the investigative skills of a journalist as he tries to uncover who killed his two best friends. Friends who were as different as night and day. Friends who had secrets that Jake, the main character, knew nothing of. Even after serving in Vietnam with both of his friends and being best men at one anothers weddings, and raising children all in the same small town they grew up together in.

Follow the mystery and intrigue as Jake is up against the biggest Deadline of his journalistic career, the one where all eternity is at stake. Jake is being watched, counseled and prayed for on both sides of eternities door. He is struggling to understand all that has happened or will happen, but in the end he meets the Editor of all Life and recieves a just reward.

Thanks again Randy Alcorn for your writings that include so much scripture and theology. I love being able to better understand things of Heaven through fictional characters.

[Elizabeth Dragina · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMW this was so encouraging and entertaining. 💖

Highly recommended.

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

A neighbor gave this book and the second one to me to read. It's been a little hard to get into. It's similiar to the Frank Pereti books.

Ok I give up I just can't finish this one. Seemed very contrived and while I didn't disagree necessarily with the points he was trying to make, there's only so much preaching one can handle while reading fiction.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been years since I read this book from Alcorn (who coincidentally happens to be a pastor in my home town), but I remember it with great fondness as an excellent page turner with good, solid theology behind the action. The sequel "Dominion" is also excellent.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

When journalist Jake Woods loses his two best friends in a car accident, he works to uncover the truth about what happened the night and finds it was no accident. What he finds goes beyond a simple murder into a all-out war against Christian beliefs through mainstream media and the price that is put on a human life. Will Jake be able to solve the mystery before the final deadline?

This book had a lot of potential. The characters are well-developed and likable. The action is intense at the end. However, it is simply too long and a little too preachy. I am a conservative Christian, but I found many parts to be persuasive arguments more than fiction, which is great if I'm reading a blog but annoying if I'm reading fiction. Because Jake is a writer, his character is expected to think about things a little more than the average male character, but his thoughts went on and on to the point of exhaustion. Fewer ramblings and more action would have made this book a much more enjoyable read.

However, one aspect of this book saved it for me. The journey to heaven. I loved Finney, and while I have grown up in church and have heard about heaven all my life, I feel I have a new perspective on it after reading this book. The parts of the book set in heaven were thought-provoking and inspiring.

Overall, fans of Christian fiction who want a little more food for thought than adventure will enjoy this book. I am interested to check out the other books in the series, but I'll probably check to see how long they are first.

I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.

[Grampy · Rating 4 out of 5]

First in a series of three by Randy Alcorn, "Dominion" and "Deception" being the other two, I highly recommend reading all three. Randy is a writer of Christian literature, but for those of you who may be turned off by the label "Christian literature", this series of three books will entertain you as suspenseful thrillers on their own merit. The Christian aspect is present, but subtle, and will not interfere with your enjoyment of three good thrillers. Randy does not write his fiction with an "in your face" presentation of his Christianity, but simply incorporates it as a real-life component in the lives of many people, several of whom happen to play a role in these books. Brought together by tragic circumstances, the two main characters are a police detective and a newspaper columnist. At first they circle each other like a pair of dogs trying to determine which should be the dominant one, but that soon evolves into a strong friendship by which they are able to deal with some major crises. Murder, gang violence, drugs, drive-by shootings, etc, are the real focuses (foci?) of these three companion volumes, and those issues are well researched and well presented by Randy Alcorn. I strongly recommend all three books to fans of detective thrillers, as well as people who enjoy Christian fiction.

[Stacy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gimme more action and less persuasion. It's not that I don't believe you could do both, but I found myself wanting to skip ahead so I could see 'whodunit'. In my own opinion, this book just had too many split personalities. I enjoyed the concept of a liberal journalist coming to terms with his one-sided writing, his hypocrisy and even morality! I wish more would! But is this a book about converting the liberals, or is it a book about coming to terms with death, or maybe solving a murder, or exploring what Heaven's like, or making sense of your mistakes in life or sex before marriage, or the perils of organized crime, etc. etc. It was just too much. Because the pages were so big (all 424 of them) and the print so small, I struggled through every changing passage. I couldn't stomach the heaven scenes (and I'm a Christian believer.) I skipped them just so I could get to the 'good stuff' only it never panned out for me. It really could have been good, and I hate to be this negative. But disappointment served on 10 different platters leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Just my opinion.

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I read any of Randy Alcorn novels. I read many of the reviews by other Goodreads readers and was amazed of how many gave bad reviews and how many gave great reviews. I was not disappointed. It was a great book covering heaven, abortion clinics, liberalism, and fundamentalism. I highly recommend this novel to Christians and those who think they are Christians and are not.

[Lovely Day · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

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

All the way back in 2008, my mom bought me this book for Christmas. I'd asked her for it because I had bought the sequel at a garage sale, but didn't know it was a sequel until I either looked it up online or opened it, and none of the local libraries I used at the time had a copy. If I'd known about the inter-library loan service, I would have gotten it that way instead. Still, I remember enjoying it all those years ago.

Fast forward to the past year or so, and I saw another copy at a local thrift store. While the cover was different, I recognized the title and author right away; I work at a library, so, I know that pretty much all bestsellers have various editions, with different cover art, bonus content, and such. It sat on my shelf for a few months, but, as part of my weekly goal of reading six books from my own collection, I decided to open it up...

...and I was floored. This was a powerful, eye-opening story, especially for me. What had the biggest personal impact was the passages detailing the emotional impact of abortion on both men and women. I've never had to deal with that issue myself--in fact, I don't know if I personally know anyone who has gotten one, even among my friends who aren't of the faith--but, when the guys talked about how terminating their significant others' pregnancies because they felt a baby would inconvenience them led to devastating emotional consequences, that hit me hard. While nobody liked being inconvenienced, I have a lower tolerance for it than most; as a kid, I was constantly frustrated that my family situation--not only no father to speak of, but a severely disabled older sister who had to be taken care of like an infant--prevented me from doing what all my friends seemed to do, such as go on family vacations. Though that sibling went home to heaven over sixteen years ago, that mentality is still present; I've said more than once that I don't want to enter into a relationship or become a parent because I'm afraid of not being able to do the things I enjoy, such as attend garage sales or read hundreds of books in a year's time. After reading this book, I realize that it isn't all about me, and having to give up my favorite hobbies may be painful, but it's worth it in the end; loving your neighbor is all about putting others before yourself. This book has inspired me to make a change on that front.

[Niklāvs Zahars · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had much higher hopes for this book, but some things were not as I wanted or thought would fit the book. I liked Alcorn’s writting style, but I these are the things I didn’t like:
1)There were too many coincidances that I thought were cringey.
2)The investigation plot was very bad and it felt more like a Chistian book then having the balance of mystery and investigation as I was hoping for.
3) There was too much focus on the abortion topic and too political.
4) The heaven parts were too difficult to understand and not relevant to the story. I would have loved some connection between the life on earth or somehow the two different worlds connecting.
5) Too many unecesarry details. The book was thicker than it should be.

But overall, it was an interesting book and definitely opens up different discussions. I would still want to read the other two books in the series( Dominion and Deception) just to see if they also disappoint me lol.

[Caleb Gerber. (Right makes Might) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Randy Alcorn manages to combine a murder mystery with deeper philosophical questions. An intriguing read that dives into the abortion debate and explores organized crime and morality, Deadline has great characters , chilling premises, and the answers to fundamental questions. The book is generally well written, though at times a bit confusing. Alcorn also incorporates supernatural elements, including vivid descriptions of both heaven and hell. One of the main characters is dead, and seeing the story unfold from heaven, which I'm not really used to. It's overall an enthralling read.

[Lucy Fifield · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the first in the Ollie Chandler series. I didn't know this when I started, so I read #2 first (Dominion) and then read this one. I liked Deadline much better than I liked Dominion. (see my other review) Deadline still had the uncomfortable heaven scenes, but skip those and you'll not miss anything :). I was enthralled with Ollie Chandler and his love of donuts. I found the gang and drug stuff very believable and SO interesting. Great book!

[Vera Godley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The primary character, Jake, works for a large city newspaper as a liberal columnist. Jake is involved in a automobile accident that takes the lives of his two best friends who have been his friends since childhood. Soon after the accident when Jake awakens to realize he is the sole survivor, the mystery begins. Being the journalist he is, he digs, probes, and leaves no stone unturned. He soon realizes that there is more involved that a simple accident.

Moving into unchartered waters for himself, Jake soon finds himself facing moral dilemmas. His belief in life and its meaning in general are challenged. He meets up with police detective Ollie Chandler in the investigation who plays a definitive role. (Note: Randy Acorn's next three books in this trilogy are "Ollie Chandler" mysteries.) Included in the story are actual events that are well-researched and interwoven into this fictional story.

A major part of the story involves verbal interchange of the deceased from the accident and others in heaven over how events are unfolding. What they are seeing and feeling. Frankly, "heaven" scenes are not my cup of tea and I could have enjoyed the book more without them. I see a purpose in Alcorn's utilizing this mode of story telling, but I would have enjoyed the book more without it.

There is plenty of mystery, suspense, and action in the book to entertain and capture one's attention. Randy Acorn is a favorite author of mine and I look forward to more of his books. Deadline is a re-release from a 1994 first publish.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of Deadline from Blogging for Books on behalf of the publisher, Multnomah and the author to facilitate this honest review. No requirement for a positive review was required.

[Han · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5
sommige dialogen waren langdradig en beetje saai

[Ruth Owens · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think Randy Alcorn had a great idea for this book, but the execution just wasn't what it should have been. This book is supposed to be about a man trying to find his friends' killer, but it isn't really. It's more about Alcorn's views on abortion, biased news, and how public schools are run, with a background story of Jake's search for the murderer. While I agree with everything he said about these topics, I would have read a book about them if I wanted to. If he really wants people to hear what he has to say, he should write a book about them and not pretend that it's about something else.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the best book I've ever read in my life. I laughed and I cried and I missed my mom.

[Marjolein 't Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made me so much more excited for heaven and the new earth!

I do wonder how theologically sound the ideas in this book are, especially the idea of a 'personal guardian angel'. The Bible does talk about angels protecting believers, but not about one specific angel for each believer.

Also, there is quite a strong emphasis on the debate between the political left and right in the US and topics like abortion and the 'objectivity' of journalism are touched upon. I did not relate as much to these issues, but it was still interesting to read about.

But overall I loved reading this book and quite some passages really touched my heart.

[Cherie Miller]

This was a re-read; I think it’s been over a decade since I last read it. It’s definitely aged a lot, but it still kept me up late and even brought tears at times.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the Christian foundation. I love the ideas of what heaven will be like. But, I found it tedious. I had to force myself to finish it. Could have been half as long.

[Sarita · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think that if I read this book in stead of listening to the audiobook, I would have given it a higher rating. There was a lot of sound effects which was a bit distracting from the story.

*I listened to the audiobook on Scribd.*

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a horrible, tragic accident and yet Jake can't let it go. How did he survive? The mysterious circumstances encourage him to look further, so he works with Ollie Chandler to find the truth. Will Jake survive long enough?

When an accident leaves you but takes others, it can leave you depressed and feeling broken.That happened to Jake one night, but there are some odd things, some things that don't seem to fit. Was it really simply an accident, or was there more to it? Unable to answer the questions alone, Jake Woods gets help from Ollie Chandler. After all, Jake is a journalist and Ollie is the detective. Together they set out to find the answers Jake so desperately searches for. Is someone hunting Jake now? Is his life on the line? This mystery is filled with twists and turns sure to keep readers turning the pages all the way to the end!

Wow! I love a book that involves me in the story, that encourages me to solve the mystery. This one did that. I was completely drawn in and couldn't wait to find the answers to my questions. I recommend this book to lovers of mystery and suspense. It will not disappoint you. If you have any difficulty getting into the story, give it a few pages. It is totally worth it! I received my free review copy from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.

[Lou · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not quite sure about what to say about this book. There are things I enjoyed and liked about this book, but others were disappointing. First, I was (still am) confused about the series. It’s supposed to be about Ollie Chandler, but in this first book he wasn’t the main character, the story was more focused on Jake, so I don’t know if the rest of the books in this series are going to be like this. Second, even though I’m a Christian, this book was too preachy for me. But I appreciate the themes of abortion and salvation throughout the plot. There were some predictable scenes, and I wasn’t surprised with those ‘twists’ in the story. However, there were some things I definitely didn’t see coming.
Overall, I would say it’s a good book, a bit slow in some parts, but fast paced in others.






I won this book through GoodReads and I thank to publishers for providing me this copy. My review isn't influenced by this fact.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this from Audible several years ago, and recently re-listened to it. I really liked it. This is an explicitly Christian book, and not in any way, shape or form subtle about it. That said, I think the bluntness of it makes it work. This is the story of a man finding Christ, and the mystery/action are just details of that story.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is more than likely the best book I have ever read. I am a reader and this book "knocked my socks off".

The book is a murder mystery with a spiritual side. Looking forward to reading more Randy Alcorn books.

[Melissa (Semi Hiatus Until After the Holidays) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really good Christian novel about heaven and hell. Way too many causes/issues brought up that made me exhausted. The parts about heaven--A+ The rest too long.

[Elizabeth Prata · Rating 2 out of 5]

First published in 1994 and re-released in 2009, I'd bought this book on sale for my Kindle.

Deadline starts well with a fast-paced scenes setting the foundation of three men's life-long friendship, all of whom figure prominently in the book, though reporter Jake Woods is the central character. The other two characters are Doc (Gregory) and Finney. As we learn of each man's background, Alcorn also does well describing the scenes where Woods served in Viet Nam, getting inside the head of a soldier and a man. All three characters have been friends since grade school, and now all of them are near 50, established in their careers, married (or in Jake's case, divorced) and have children. Along the way Finney has become a born-again Christian, while Doc (Gregory) has evolved into an atheist. Jake is on the fence. Alcorn does well showing the difficulty in maintaining friendships with people who do not share Christ as a unifying thread.

A car accident occurs, and Jake continues throughout the book aiding his police friend Ollie Chandler in investigating it as Jake discovered that it was no accident. Along the way Jake travels a path of gradual spiritual awakening.

Using Jake's interview and columnist skills as a pulpit, Alcorn exposits and expounds and preaches endlessly. As Jake the reporter gathers information for his column and interviews Planned Parenthood abortionists or NOW women, his interviews go on for pages and pages, exposition that exists only to preach at the choir and do not push the story forward. These are laden throughout the book and repeatedly explore journalistic bias against conservatives, abortion, AIDS (it was 1994), homosexuality, and teen sex. These scenes slow the book and make reading a chore, even though I agree with all of the positions Alcorn lays out. Even the choir gets tired of being preached to and sometimes just wants a good yarn.

The book could have been cut by 200 pages and been fine. Not recommended.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

The blurb of this book promises a murder mystery and search for the "deeper meaning of existence". It mostly switches between two friends - one is on Earth, involved in an investigation into a suspicious accident and the other friend is in heaven. I enjoyed both of these storylines and found the descriptions of heaven very thought provoking but I was surprised to get halfway through the book and find it then seemed to switch genres again to straightforwardly arguing for conservative political and traditional Christian views. It's fair to write a book on abortion, media bias and sex education but this almost seemed sly to draw readers in with a whole different fictional story and then spend the second half of the book preaching such politics when there was no mention of this on the blurb. The main character is a journalist which allows the author to have pages of political opinions breaking up the story. It wouldn't put me off reading it again and I found it kind of interesting to see all the genres mixed but also slightly jarring to not be prepared for all of them.