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Definitely Different From Anything I've Read

When a day trip out of Las Vegas with his wife takes a turn for the worse, Jack is sure he has the ability to get them home. But he has driven into something far beyond reason.

Rescue comes in the form of a desert hermit, but hope fades as the couple comes to realize that the nomad has no intention of letting them leave. A chance encounter with a kidnapped runaway and her crazed abductor leads them all farther into the wilderness--and closer to the cold brutality that isolation brings.

At the edge of his sanity, Jack begins to learn that playing by another's rules may be the only way to survive.


In a voice that is as hypnotizing as a desert mirage, debut novelist Samuel Parker entices you down a treacherous road, where the forces of good and evil are as crushing as the Mojave heat. 

Where to Purchase

Meet the Author:
Samuel Parker was born in the Michigan boondocks but was raised on a never-ending road trip through the US. Besides writing, he is a process junkie and the ex-guitarist for several metal bands you've never heard of. He lives in West Michigan with his wife and twin sons.
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My Take:
All the raving reviews and the back cover blurb made me really want to read this novel. I enjoy thrillers, suspense, mystery. I can honestly say, this book is probably the most different book I have ever read.
It begins with two characters, a runaway girl, and a couple. Both in Vegas, for different reasons. The girl is just tired of her mundane boring life and is looking for adventure. She is headed to California. The couple is on vacation. Seeking a bit of a thrill for a day, yet tired of the Vegas strip, they take a car trip out into the desert, only to end up stranded on a road to nowhere. 
The characters are developed enough. A wife who pretty much always does her husband's bidding, compliant, letting him have the glory, be in charge, while feeling lost and lonely and undesired in the relationship. A husband who wants to be something he is not; who is overconfident, yet insecure, hence his somewhat macho attitude; who desires freedom... but from what; and whose life is based on his routine and security of his work, his self-made person. 
Then throw in a few other characters. A sadistic man, who preys on vulnerable girls or people, giving them hope, then killing them. His character is fueled on by a man named Seth... real or imaginary is for you to determine. Then there is Boots, a good guy? Sometimes it's hard to tell. He has a strange way of handling things. 
To me, this book was typical of a behind the scenes, sort of spiritual warfare. A battle between good and evil which plays out in the lives of the characters, as well as, between Boots and Seth. It's a bit twisted and creepy weird at times. I am not sure I would call it Christian per say. It isn't extremely clear on God, or what part he plays in this book. The author kind of leaves it to the audience's imagination.
Even though it was interesting enough to keep me reading, there were times I wondered why I was reading this.... I am having a hard time deciding if this is a 3 or 4 star book. I guess somewhere in between. Some will like it more than others. I haven't quite decided if I would read another book by this author in the future or not.  I would recommend this book for adults only, possibly older teens
This book was provided to me free courtesy of Revell to read. I was not asked to post a positive review and all opinions are my own. 

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