Three (Hardcover)

by Ted Dekker (Author) "THE OFFICE HAD NO WINDOWS, only electric lanterns to light the hundreds of spines standing in their cherry wood bookcases..." (more)
Key Phrases: Riddle Killer, Long Beach, Kevin Parson (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Dekker delivers another page-turner with this psychological Christian thriller about Kevin Parson, a 28-year-old seminary student who suddenly becomes the target of an evil nemesis called Slater. Obsessed both with Kevin's downfall and the number 3, Slater initiates a game in which Kevin must answer riddles to avoid Slater's destructive, potentially murderous retribution. Slater particularly wants Kevin to publicly confess a secret sin, and Kevin is at a loss as to what that sin might be. Once Dekker establishes this premise, he masterfully takes readers on a ride full of plot twists and turns. Not only does he spin a compelling tale of cat and mouse, but he also creates a narrative world in which it's possible that no one is quite who he or she seems. Dekker gradually discloses his protagonist's nightmarish childhood and delivers an almost perfect blend of suspense, mystery and horror. Dekker's prose is strong, putting him in a league above many other evangelical Christian writers and showing improvement over his previous work. Aside from following certain Christian fiction guidelines such as making his gorgeous 20-something characters entirely virginal, Dekker eschews most of the conventions of evangelical fiction. His spiritual message is subtle and devoid of the theologically and politically conservative agenda present in other novels.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Dekker's Three is a thriller featuring Kevin, a seminary student fascinated with the problem of evil. Though he had a troubled childhood, Kevin seems fairly virtuous himself, or at least harmless. He begins receiving calls from someone called Slater, who demands answers to riddles about Kevin's past that Kevin is at a loss to answer. Dekker's pacing is relentless, and the ongoing consideration of evil is intriguing, though the mystery isn't much. John Mort
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson; First Thus edition (June 5, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0849943728
• ISBN-13: 978-0849943720
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (237 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #374,103 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gripping psychological thriller, October 26, 2003

By	Michael Erisman (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

There are few books which really surprise me. This one did. I am writing this review nearly a full day after finishing it, and I still can't quite get over the way it ended. Of course I will not clue you in on how it ends, nor should you find out. This is one to experience for yourself.

The book starts with the lead character, Kevin Parsons, driving away from a day in seminary school and a discussion with his professor on human nature, sin and our ability for good an evil. Kevin receives a call on his cell phone telling him he has three minutes to solve a riddle or his car will blow up. This starts an escalating chain of events involving the FBI, local police and Kevin trying to stop a terrorist insisting on making Kevin confess his sin to the public or people will get killed. The problem is that Kevin has no idea what he is supposed to confess.

The book takes place over a period of just a few days. The action is non-stop, and the clues don't make any sense. Both a psychological thriller, one of the best I have read, and a look at the duality of human nature.

I highly recommend this book. It has a solid message and is so well written you will be shocked at the ending.

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'll Give You 3 Guesses..., May 14, 2003

By	Eric Wilson "novelist" (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

1) What thriller will snag you by the throat this summer?

I suggest it will be "Thr3e." This book starts with a literal bang and only lets up long enough for you to catch your breath before the next harrowing twist. The story follows Kevin, a seminary student, who wrestles with the concepts of good and evil. Before he can face his inner self, he finds himself taunted by a ruthless killer who gives him three minutes to confess his sin. What sin? Kevin soon realizes that this game is deadly and very real. He must face his own dark secrets if he is to have a hope of surviving.

2) What author will rock your reading world this summer?

Easy. Ted Dekker is the obvious answer. In this latest of his, he surpasses his other books for sheer narrative force. With a seemingly simple idea, he takes you on a rollercoaster that will leave your head spinning by the end. This high-speed thrill-ride left me smiling in begrudging amusement at his clever plot twists. Each time I thought I knew where the story was headed, it took another turn. If you think the ride begins to slow down, then hold on...It's about to whip you through another loop. Along the way, Dekker paints a grim and realistic portrayal of a disturbed young man and his repressive past.

3) What storyline gains philosophical power with each twist of the plot?

This novel is one of those rarities, a book that thrills while also causing you to examine deeply your views of good and evil, right and wrong, and the effects of morality on us all. For a book that delivers everything a good thriller should, and more, you have to pick up this book. I read it in two sittings, and I'm buying copies for my friends.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond Belief, September 2, 2003

By	Paul A. Rose Jr. "Reader, Writer, Actor, Prod... (Cape Coral, FL USA) - See all my reviews

You know that part of the book - every avid reader knows it - the page where things really kick off and you can't stop reading cause you just HAVE to know what happens next? In this latest thriller from Ted Dekker that happens on page 12. Yeah, you read that right, page 12, and there's still hundreds of pages to go.

Other reviews comment that they flew through this novel in just a few days, etc. I read it in no less than 4 hours. Almost all in one sitting.
(I had to take a break to go to church).

Imagine a world where ABSOLUTELY nothing is what it seems. A world where even craft-masters M. Night Shyamalan and Alfred Hitchcock couldn't predict what's around the next bend. Kevin is a Seminary student with a big problem - he's being stalked by a madman who knows too much - more than even Kevin, at times. As he is forced to deal with the past he fought so hard to escape, Kevin wonders the whole time if he can truly find freedom, even with the help of an old friend and an FBI agent running from demons of her own.

Even if you think you know, you still have NO idea.

One of the things I really liked about Three was its multiple layers. It was so well-written that, even though the answer to the whole story was presented at the beginning, it was not obvious until it smacked you in the face at the end.

Pick this one up today - assuming you have a few hours free...

And don't miss Ted's next book, Volume 1 of Trilogy, BLACK, out in January 2004.