Day of Reckoning (The Baxter Series #2) [Paperback]

Kathy Herman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2, 2002

One man's hatred sets off a community crisis in a chilling page-turning read that is also startlingly inspirational. Textile magnate G. R. Logan lays off a thirty-year employee who dies weeks later, and the man's son means to make Logan pay. In her second novel in the dramatic Baxter series, Kathy Herman unleashes a kidnapper's unresolved anger and explores the honest depths of a believer's anger at God. Sinister messages threaten the lives of two teenage girls while the citizens of Baxter struggle to cope with the evil that plagues this once-peaceful town. How will they react when they learn who's responsible? Can anything break their cycle of bitterness?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kathy Herman is a best-selling author and award-winning poet, who has contributed feature stories and articles to publications such as Bookstore Journal. A former staff member of the Christian Booksellers Association, she has also worked at Better Books Christian Center, specializing in children's products and conducting related seminars in the U.S. and Canada. She and her husband, Paul, have three grown children and five grandchildren and live in Tyler, Texas.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Multnomah Books (April 2, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576738965
• ISBN-13: 978-1576738962
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #251,900 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kathy Herman is no stranger to the Christian publishing industry. Before becoming a bestselling author and award-winning poet, Kathy worked on staff at the Christian Booksellers Association for five years. She gained eleven years of bookstore experience as a children's products specialist and drew on that expertise to conduct related seminars in the U.S. and Canada.

Kathy quickly rose to the rank of bestselling author when her first novel, TESTED BY FIRE, became a CBA bestseller shortly after its release. Since then, five more of her novels have claimed the title of bestseller: ALL THINGS HIDDEN, THE REAL ENEMY, THE LAST WORD, THE RIGHT CALL,and FALSE PRETENSES.

Her contemporary, fast-paced novels weave inspirational messages into the storyline so effectively that a college professor in Houston utilized her books as required reading to educate students on the value of teaching through fiction. Kathy's books have also been widely used in book club discussion and Bible study groups.

Kathy and her husband Paul live in East Texas and have three grown children, five "nearly perfect" grandchildren, and an adorable cat named Samantha. Her hobbies include world travel, deep sea fishing, and bird watching--and an ongoing fascination with hummingbirds.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Will stick in your mind for a long time..., September 26, 2003

By 

Soozie4Him (Chicago suburbs) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Day of Reckoning (The Baxter Series #2) (Paperback)

I read this book right after finishing the first Baxter Series book "Tested By Fire". I liked this one better - I thought it was more compelling, harder to put down, and was written even better than the first one. However, I'd like to add a little warning - if you are a "sensitive reader", you might want to skip this one. It's an incredible book, but there is more violence and a few shocking scenes that you might not want to read if you don't like that kind of thing. I'm not saying that it's inappropriate for a Christian novel, it's just very different from most books of its kind that I've read.

The topic of the story is bitterness and the evil that can grow out of grudges that are nurtured and allowed to fester and take over one's life. There's a lesson here for all of us.

I can't wait to read the next in the series, Vital Signs. Thank you, Kathy Herman, for a great series! I'm very picky when it comes to fiction, and I love your books!

Please check out my other reviews!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Second time at bat a HOMERUN, April 12, 2002

By 

Bookmark - See all my reviews

This review is from: Day of Reckoning (The Baxter Series #2) (Paperback)

I enjoyed her first book, TESTED BY FIRE, but this second effort captivated me on a deeper level. The twist and turns Kathy Herman used to bring her contemporary inspirational plot to a surprising conclusion will put this novel in any bestseller class. I'm hooked for the entire series! BTW the regulars at Monty's Dinner add a warm touch to the explosive headlines in the Baxter Daily News. I think readers will remember this book for a long time---it's POWERFUL.

5.0 out of 5 stars A real page turner, June 6, 2010

By 

K. Waide "Child of God" (PA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Day of Reckoning (The Baxter Series #2) (Paperback)

This is the second book in the Baxter series by Kathy Herman. I could NOT put this book down, the story was extremely riveting. I give this book 5 stars.

The events in this book are instigated by an event that took place 5 years prior. According to the back cover of the book, "Many felt betrayed by fourth-generation textile magnate G.R. Logan's sudden decision to close the plant and move the operation to Costa Rica in order to hire a cheaper workforce. The unemployment that followed triggered hard times for this close-knit community. And somebody means to make Logan pay."

That "somebody" is obvious from early in the book, this is no whodunit story. The perpetrator in this story kidnaps G.R. Logan's daughter and her best friend, and nobody but the reader is aware of who did it. The FBI is again involved and tries to piece together who kidnapped the girls and why, using poems he leaves around town or sends to various people. He does this for two reasons: to make G.R. Logan squirm and to the notoriety he seems to be getting a high off of.

In this book we see the dangers of letting anger and resentment stew inside. Whether the anger comes out or is left within it is an ugly thing, which is what the author is trying to show with all the horrific acts that the perpetrator commits. In Kathy Herman's first book of the series we see the importance of God's forgiveness in our lives. In Day of Reckoning we see our need to forgive. Extremely Biblical lesson as if we do not forgive others God will not forgive us. It is important to realize we can't let anger and bitterness take hold, no matter how bad the wrong is that was committed against us. The perpetrator in this book takes his anger to the extreme, but even those who keep it inside have it eating away at them. I was a little shocked at what Ms. Herman allowed her main bad character to do when it came to the ghastliness of his acts. And to add to the creepiness of it, we see him going about his daily life with no one the wiser and then return to his home to terrorize the girls some more.

Here is part of a character's testimony that really stuck out to me in this book. "I want everyone who's listening to understand: If you're living with bitterness, a giant is growing inside you. If you don't slay it, it can get big enough to kill your joy, your purpose, your hopes, your dreams... and maybe even someone you love." Ms. Herman does a great job showing the importance of forgiveness and not giving way to bitterness. This is definitely not your happy go lucky, every thing will turn out all right book. Though, we see how God will use all things to His purpose, even though the characters can't see it right away, just like in real life. Definitely some twists I wasn't expecting.