The Death and Life of Gabriel Phillips: A Novel (Faithwords) [Paperback]

Stephen Baldwin (Author), Mark Tabb (Author)

Book Description

Series: Faithwords | Publication Date: November 5, 2008

When Officer Andy Myers met Loraine Phillips, he had no interest in her son. And he certainly never dreamed he'd respond to a call, finding that same boy in a pool of blood. Even more alarming was the father standing watch over his son's body. Myers had never seen a man respond to death-particularly the death of a child-in such a way. When the father is charged with murder and sentenced to death, he chooses not to fight but embrace it as God's will. Myers becomes consumed with curiosity for these strange beliefs. What follows is the story of the bond these two men share as they come to terms with the tragedy and the difficult choices each one must make. (2006)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In recent years, Baldwin (The Unusual Suspect) has put his acting career on the back burner in order to develop his Christian ministry. Not surprisingly, his foray into fiction writing is part detective movie and part sermon. Religious fiction sometimes sacrifices plot development to preach a message, and Baldwin, unfortunately, is unable to avoid this temptation. The lead character, Det. Andy Myers, responds to a call and finds a boy he knows who appears to have been brutally murdered. The boy's father, an ex-con and recent born-again Christian, does not seem to be fazed by his son's death, believing him to now be in a better place with God. Myers is appalled by the father's lack of emotion and goes on a crusade to make sure he is convicted of his son's murder. Myers is the most three-dimensional character in the book and is developed with some skill. But he is surrounded by a number of unbelievable figures who obfuscate an uneven plot that ultimately does not satisfy. (Nov. 5)
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Review

Since finding Christ after the September 11 attacks, Baldwin's nurtured a unique kind of religious conviction, one that's equal parts scripture and Mountain Dew Code Red. He talks about it, and why you should find it, too, in his new book, THE UNUSUAL SUSPECT. Pull up a pew. (Esquire Sean Gibson )

Intentionally or accidentally, Baldwin has braided together what young Americans seem to crave today; fame, cool, and answers. Answers from a man who called himself the son of God, and another one who calls himself Stevie B. (Salon.com Lauren Sandler )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 301 pages
• Publisher: FaithWords (November 5, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446196991
• ISBN-13: 978-0446196994
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.9 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,346,724 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unexpected, November 19, 2008

By 

Sally "SmilingSally" (Tampa, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Death and Life of Gabriel Phillips: A Novel (Faithwords) (Paperback)

This is an unusual read for several reasons! First, the author is a celebrity. Having seen Stephen Baldwin on NBC's Celebrity Apprentice, I was quite excited to have the opportunity to read his first work of fiction. Written in conjunction with Mark Tabb, this murder mystery with a twist is an enjoyable book. Secondly, this purported Christian fiction contains profanity--quite a bit of it--which is why the following disclaimer was sent out:
The statement from FaithWords is:
Normally, it is not the policy of FaithWords to include foul language in our fiction titles. The Death and Life of Gabriel Phillips has dialogue which reflects the heart of the main character. His transformation and ultimate conversion to Christ throughout the book is key to the story and the author's intention was to make that transformation clear. We apologize if this inclusion offends our readers. We are committed to publishing fiction that depicts the power of Christ's love in even the darkest life and situation. Harry Helm, Associate Publisher, FaithWords
Thirdly, my observation is that the profanity and adult themes contained in the novel are not attributable to only the main character. Other characters speak with profanity too, and some of the adult themes are spread amongst them throughout the story.

Fourthly, although this is not a book of humor, I laughed out loud when I read the Santa scene. I can't tell more without revealing secrets, but it's funny. I bet you'll laugh too at the Santa part.

The characters are believable. The story is believable. And, (sigh) the dialogue is believable. I must say that it's a good story, and I enjoyed it.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW!!!!!, November 7, 2008

By 

Stacey (Las Vegas, NV USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Death and Life of Gabriel Phillips: A Novel (Faithwords) (Paperback)

Stephen Baldwin and Mark Tabb have touched the heart with "The Death and Life of Gabriel Phillips." This is a beautifully written, heart-wrenching dramatic tale of the death of one too young and the man, his father no less, who is accused of the deed.

Like Anne Rice's "Interview With A Vampire," I became lost in the storyteller's tale, forgetting that the storyteller was sitting with an interviewer. This book has a solid story, engaging characters and writing that draws the reader intellectually and emotionally. With regard to the controversy of language use, I can see why the writers believed it was necessary. Its use did not diminish the impact that the story had on me. In fact, it may actually have brought scenes more alive out of shock value.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific debut stands out from other Christian fiction, November 21, 2008

By 

Christina Lockstein "Christy's Book Blog" (Oconto Falls, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Death and Life of Gabriel Phillips: A Novel (Faithwords) (Paperback)

The Death and Life of Gabriel Phillips by Stephen Baldwin and Mark Tabb is an unusual Christian fiction book. Police officer Andy Meyers responds to a call to find a dead boy, Gabriel, whose father is reacting strangely. Meyers had been sleeping with the boy's mother and bonding with the child, so he feels a deep-seated need for justice for the boy's death. The father doesn't react like Meyers would expect with tears and hysteria. Instead, he's calm and talks about how Gabriel has gone home to be with the Lord. This infuriates Meyers who sets out to prove that the father killed Gabriel because he was angry about the affair. The plot is delightfully twisted and convoluted, especially because the narrator is Meyers' son, who he abandoned as soon as he discovered his wife was pregnant. Despite the complicated plot, Baldwin and Tabb keeps things running smoothly from the death to a trial and finally an execution. There has been some concern about the strong language used in the book. While I admit, it is stronger than most Christian fiction on the market, it's nowhere near as strong as plenty of secular fiction, and it's always used appropriately to the character and never for titillation. The only character who is a Christian is Gabriel's father, so the occasional cuss word helps create the character and scene. It works. The authors keep the reader guessing as to exactly what happened to Gabriel, as well as what Andy is going to do next. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope that Baldwin continues writing!