Keith Sinteris and his wife Malena (the brains of the operation) hire three skilled accomplices (Stony, Bartolo and Duane) to kidnap three hostages from a monastery along with the sacred tabernacle containing consecrated “bread”. Despite all her plans, Malena had no way of knowing how bad the hostage-taking could go.

Detective Jessica Harding and FBI Agent Rob Dexter are on the case. Strong-willed and resourceful, Jessica puts the FBI agent in his place from the moment the two were introduced. Intrigued, Rob can’t get her out of his mind. With so few leads, the odds are stacked against the two “good guys,” yet they continue to fight as immense ransom demands continue to haunt the Catholic Church.

This is a well-told story that involves a mysterious home on an island that has a distinctive secret. The author uses scenes like the fantastic cave hideout, the arduous task of hiding the loot, and a magnificent storm to increase interest.

There are several unique aspects to this suspenseful novel over others in the thriller adventure genre. On the one hand, the two women are the strongest characters, both leaders and quick thinkers, but on opposite sides. The island of Stony Point certainly conveys the inherent goodness of the people, but it also shows the great efforts that desperate and driven people will pursue. I also thought it was interesting that this is actually the second novel involving the main character as a hostage, a father Martin, who was in Regis’s first novel, The Oculi Incident.

Congratulations to author Regis Schilken for this excellent novel!

Author: Regis Schilken
Publisher: Bridgeway Books
ISBN Number: 1-933538-13-9
Pages: 220

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