Customer Reviews

The Empty Coffin (Sam and Vera Sloan Mystery Series, Book 1)

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I went onto Amazon to order the next in the series, which doesn't exist. Having just finished a Davis Bunn book, which made no sense whatsoever, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I pretty much enjoyed "Empty Coffin". I liked Sam, Ape generated some sympathy, the bad guys were really scary, etc. There was never a question about "who done it", so there wasn't alot of mystery but it was a good, interesting "cop" book. I do agree with one reviewer about Sam's wife. Her nagging and lack of understanding about the demands of her husband's job was as annoying as her decision to help her husband do his job - which I'm sure is against police regulations. I haven't found many faith-based authors whose fiction I've liked (Jan Karon being the exception), but I do like Wise more than most and don't think he deserved such a low rating for "Empty Coffin".

While admiring Bishop Robert L. Wise for approaching the mystery genre via the Christian faith, one still can't forgive Wise for bringing us a rather dull and empty book. THE EMPTY COFFIN sets the stage for an interesting murder, but it gets sidetracked so many ways, including Raymond Bench's accidental murder? of a liquor store manager. Add Vera Sloan's incessant nagging, whining and seemingly a lack of understanding of her husband's job and you have a novel that goes nowhere fast.

Sam Sloan's interrogation of Ape is so redundant, it seems like Wise is simply padding. Sloan's daughter comes across as a miscreant Pollyanna. You know who the killer is so fast that there's little suspense in getting him to admit it. Slow, with some ghastly editorial errors, THE EMPTY COFFIN is the first in a new series. Hopefully, Wise will get wise and start thinking about his reader's interests---mystery. The Christian element is fine, but just write more interesting works.

Sam and Vera are our main characters. They are supposed to be Christians, but when they go to interrogate suspects they both LIE to achieve their goals. It was a depressing read, in fact I couldn't finish it.