Tiger in the Shadows: a novel [Paperback]

Debra Wilson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 25, 2004

Intent on destroying the underground church and seizing secret technologies, a Chinese spy known as the Beijing Tiger discovers the perfect bait when American Stephanie Peng travels to China to free her imprisoned grandfather. Guaranteed fiction! (20050201)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this well-intentioned suspense novel for the inspirational market, Wilson succeeds in showing the abuses and restrictions imposed on Christians in China, but is less adept at crafting believable, compelling fiction. Stefanie Peng has made a promise to her Nanai (grandmother) that she will leave their comfortable home in Glen Ellyn, Ill., and travel to China to attempt to locate her grandfather, imprisoned there for many years for his beliefs. Troy Hardigan, a (refreshingly!) homely friend who has a keen romantic interest in Stefanie, senses trouble and follows her to China, presumably to help. Things quickly unravel, and Stefanie finds herself on the run from the nefarious Beijing Tiger, a spy who, improbably, is involved in stamping out the "cult" of Christianity while also engaging in international espionage. Wilson pairs scenes from the persecuted church with scenes from the lives of Troy and Stefanie, as the two story lines converge. She relies heavily on genre devices and information on the state of Christianity in China to move the plot along, not always smoothly. The deletion of extra scenes, superfluous plot threads and unnecessary characters would have resulted in a focused, cleaner read. Characters tend to be one-dimensional, and some scenes are unconvincing, including a contrivance in which the Beijing Tiger's door is left unlatched. However, with its themes of forgiveness and steadfast faith, this novel should appeal to CBA readers who are interested in broadening their knowledge of religious persecution in China.
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Review

Tiger in the Shadows is a gripping account of a Chinese government conspiracy to annihilate the Chinese church (Shirley Updyke WRGN Network )

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Kregel Publications (July 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0825441080
• ISBN-13: 978-0825441080
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,804,617 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Page turning excitement, June 15, 2004

By 

Joseph M. Dyer (fort wayne, IN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tiger in the Shadows: a novel (Paperback)

The opening of the book tells the reader that excitement is coming and will not stop till the end of the book. Tigers in the Shadows reads like a cross between a Tom Clancy novel and a "Left Behind" book, and Mrs. Wilson had also been able to weave a romance into it. The chapters end with a tug on you that makes you read the next one, and the next one, and the next one. You'll find yourself up late into the night, trying to put it down and unable to. This book is a fun read for anyone who likes action, mystery, romance, or general fiction.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an engrossing read from cover to cover, February 4, 2005

By 

book.of.the.moment "reviewer" (Maine, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tiger in the Shadows: a novel (Paperback)

I just finished reading this book a few minutes ago..my mind is still tossing and turning with the story. Wilson brillianty weaves mystery, espionage, culture, education and romance into one story that I personally was unable to put down.

The book centers around Stefani, and American Chinese-Hispanic young woman living in the US. Stefani's family is a close knit one, consisting of her parents, her sisters, her grandmother and two very close family friends. When the story begins, we are introduced to Stefani, whose life is a mess; having just ended a relationship with a cheating fiance. Soon we learn that Stefani's family is divided, that the Chinese Revolution forced her grandmother and father to flee to the states, leaving her grandfather behind and imprisoned.

When Stefani learns that her grandmother has been diagnosed with cancer and is unwilling to undergo treatment, Stefani makes a bargain with her: her grandmother agrees to participate in the treatments and Stefani agrees to go to China and rescue her grandfather.

From here we follow Stefani to China where things are never as they seem. We are escorted into a brilliant world of betrayal, lies, faith, love and espionage. It is a combination of concepts that few authors could pull off, however, Wilson did an astounding job.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Christian Book Previews, August 2, 2004

By 

Christian Book Previews "Christian Book Previews" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Tiger in the Shadows: a novel (Paperback)

Tiger in the Shadows by Debbie Wilson brings together spies, romance, and the persecuted church. Her world rocked by her fiancé's infidelity and her grandmother's cancer, Stefanie Peng travels to China in an attempt to free her grandfather, imprisoned for decades as an underground pastor. She doesn't know that she's walking into a trap set by a jealous college friend and Kong Qili, a master Chinese spy known as the Beijing Tiger. Stefanie holds the key to both her physicist father and aging grandfather, who Kong believes knows the whereabouts of the Brother, an elusive evangelist.

Troy Hardigan has been a family friend of the Pengs for eleven years, but none of them know that behind the smooth-talking salesman and jokester is a cunning CIA agent. Stefanie's broken engagement brings him relief, but he doubts she'll ever see the man she used to call "Uncle Troy" as anything more than a big brother. When he hears she's in China working as a teacher under Kong Qili, he knows she's in trouble and immediately heads for China. But can he rescue her from the jaws of the Tiger without blowing his cover and compromising US security?

Wilson expertly weaves vivid characters and thrilling plot, leaving the reader both breathless and moved. China and its persecuted Christians become real as their stories mesh with Troy and Stefanie's. For dramatic international intrigue, faith so strong that even death cannot threaten it, and a deep and gentle love story, pick Tiger in the Shadows. -- Katie Hart, Christian Book Previews.com