Customer Reviews

Tribulation House (Thorndike Christian Mystery)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

News flash! Jesus returns on October 17th, at 5:51am, so says Reverend Daniel Glory of The Last Church of God's Imminent Will.
In an announcement to the planners of Tribulation House, a state of the art evangelistic outreach, the Reverend sets his church members on a path of no return speeding toward Jesus' return. Most notably, member Mark Hogan splits his focus in the last days between his Christian desire to reach out to others through Tribulation House and scheming to acquire a boat, the 2008 Bayliner 192. His justifies his worldly desire for the boat he's always wanted with the opportunity to minister to lost souls while cruising on the local lakes. Mark is certain that this is exactly what Jesus would do. That is, until Mark inadvertently kills Reverend Glory.

Through out the book, inept mob enforcers, Ross Cleaver and Bill Lamb, engage in nefarious activities aimed at separating The Last Church of God's Imminent Will from their land so their mobster boss can profit, while detectives Charlie Pasch and Tom Griggs close in on them. The paths of all these characters come together in a hilarious search for Reverend Glory's killer.

This is the first book by Chris Well that I have read and after reading I would definitely seek out his prior novels. His humor, satire at its best, fills the pages of Tribulation House. His characters are real, quirky, and often laugh out loud funny. I especially enjoyed the interaction between the gangsters, Ross Cleaver and Bill Lamb. They were so visual through Well's stellar dialogue, that I could easily visualize a hit movie with the pair in starring roles.

The story moved along at a fast clip, with short chapters and quick dialogue. The plot was very involved and at times, I had to slow down and put a few pieces together, but it was worth the time to do so.

Gilded in satire, Well takes a punch at religious misunderstandings and end times prophesies. He reveals Biblical truth in an entertaining and easy to read style. If you are fond of humor mixed with a fast paced story, you'll love Tribulation House.

The title of this novel is a bit deceiving--it sounds like some sort of weird horror tale. How far from the truth! This screams comedy from page one. Tribulation House is just a name for the interactive end-times multimedia presentation/witnessing tool the main character's church is putting on. The show is secondary. Mark Hogan's problems (presented in tongue-in-cheek fashion) resulting from the lack of a timely rapture dominate the book.

It's risky taking such serious spiritual matter and turning it into almost a farce. But Well came out the victor after walking such a fine line. The humor makes his points easier to swallow.

I also like how Well uses first person POV for the main character but switches to third for the other POV characters. It was very effective. I've not read a lot of crime fiction (or however one would classify TH), but I love Well's borderline irreverent style and engaging storytelling. A good read.

I've read all three of Chris Well's novels, beginning with "Forgiving Solomon Long" and he just keeps getting better and better at his craft.

It's hard to categorize Well's writing. Right about the time you feel you're reading a hard-boiled detective novel...his character Charlie Pasch begins discussing the merits of comic books. And then, when you feel as if this is a comedy, the bodies begin piling up...kind of.

Between the easy rapport of the officers, both local and FBI, the hardened senior detective and the still kind of wet-behind-the-ears newbie...I really like these stories. "Tribulation House" is like a three in one story...humorous, but with a mystery to solve, and a lot of detective work to catch the criminals.

Mixed in with everything is Charlie's genuine and refreshing faith. The church scenes...well, they are a hoot and I just adore Charlie...even if he does drink his coffee weird. You just have to read it and find out for yourself.

I give "Tribulation House" 4 bookmarks and a bonus tassel for making me laugh, think, and fall in love with my Savior all over again...but I'm thinking of taking them all away because of THE ENDING....Chris, how could you do that to us??

Thank goodness we have more to look forward to from this gifted author!!

Happy Reading!

Deena

If I had to rate this merely as crime fiction, I might deduct a star, because there is no real "thriller" aspect or real mystery as I normally expect in the genre. Really, Tribulation House has nothing for the reader to actually solve. However, this story is more than the label "crime fiction" can encompass.

Chris Well has, again, kept me up reading: snickering at the doltish characters with more vices than virtues, nodding at the bits of truth, shaking my head at the blind spots of humanity, and just enjoying the wackiness that Chris does so well.

In this third novel with carry-over characters--my favorite being Charlie, the comic book, sci-fi loving cop and would-be writer--you can guffaw at Mark Hogan, the super-endtimer, hyperbolic Christian character whose first person narration/confession alternates with the third person perspectives of the rest of the book.

In his own words, Mark tells us how he went from your regular--if not at all profound or selfless or ideal--church leader with the wife and kids, to the Rapture and luxury boat obsessed looney who ends up wrecking his credit and reputation when, as he confesses, he kills the Rev Daniel Glory, who led him to believe the Lord would come to sweep up his faithful on October 17 at 5:51 am. Accidentally, mind you. But for some people, it's only when they lose nearly everything that they can gain something. Chris shows this in comical, perhaps tragicomical, form.

Add in the requisite dumb thugs, the mob boss with schemes up his sleeve, the cops on the chase, the Christian guy running for city council and realizing it's not that easy, a crook's ex-wife working at one of those cryogenics places, all sorts of quirky bits, and you have a trademark Chris Well tale sure to keep you up late reading as well. But as much as you may laugh, there's the simple truths about serving faithfully and attending to the work the Lord gives us to do, rather than looking for easy escapes from duty and integrity in all things. Wisdom and humilty--they go a long way. Without it, you fall a long way, and more than one character learns the hard way that a lack of integrity or wisdom or humility or, simply, self-control can be destructive.

The no-nonsense prose, quite spare in spots as is his stylistic mark, and the short chapters, hyperbole, pop culture references, keen-eyed but sympathetic spotlight on Christians trying to do right and not always making wise decisions, keener eye and less sympathetic klieg lights on the idiocies of modern Christianity, and a fine sense of the ridiculous, and it all works to make TRIBULATION HOUSE a cool read, indeed.

And that's why Mr. Well is an automatic buy for me. Or, considering this vendor, an automatic pre-order for me. I've not been disappointed by any of his books.

TRIBULATION HOUSE is not the end of the series. (And all the novels can stand alone, though reading them in order adds to the pleasure, I think.) The ending of TH makes it clear that unresolved issues will crop up in book four. And I'm ready right now to see what Grigg's and Charlie get up to and discover and learn. I especially hope there will be a wonderful romance for Charlie, as seems to be hinted at in TRIBULATION HOUSE. I love Charlie!

If I had one wish for book four, it would be more mystery and genuine suspense along with the laughs and lessons and kooky crooks and Christians.

Well done, Chris.

Mir

I've pondered now for several days on how to review Chris Well's Tribulation House. It's one of the most unique books I've read, both in scope and in style. About the best generic descriptor I think I can muster is "compassionate satire". Is that a curious mix, or what? Let me take it a piece at a time.

First, the scope.

It's really hard to recap the story in a tidy little package. Mr. Well entertains a variety of social, spiritual and personal issues through a network of loosely, but definitely, connected subplots. I know that sounds rather complicated, like you could get lost in its intricacy. And it is intricate. But you won't get lost. He does such a great job of undergirding the network with solid writing that mapping the characters and their dilemmas--oh yes, they all have dilemmas--flows quite smoothly.

Okay, an example: The first line of the synopsis on the back cover was enough for me to take it to the checkout counter. "It's not the end of the world--which could be a problem..." I mean, how do you not read a book with that kind of introduction? In this subplot, Mark Hogan has bought into his pastor's carefully calculated conclusion that Jesus is coming back in less than two months. On October 17, 2007, to be exact. At 5:51 am, to be even more exact. That's all well and good, but it does present him a quandary. You see, Mark Hogan wants a boat. He's always wanted a boat. Now it's too late...or is it? Of course not. All it takes is a quick loan from his friendly neighborhood Mafia shark to secure him his dream craft. Naturally, he won't have to pay back the loan, for he's about to be raptured--and everybody knows the Mafia is going to be `left behind'. Well, the fact that you're reading this review is proof enough of his pastor's miscalculation. Now Mr. Hogan is faced with an impossible debt, and kneecaps in imminent threat of extinction at the hands of Mob thugs. Oh, the dilemma is resolved, but not how you might expect.

Other characters include Charlie Pasch, a police detective who stumbles through areas of service at his church until he finds his niche in the most unexpected way; Tom Griggs, Charlie's detective partner, who is estranged from his father, and whose story ends up harboring the final and most poignant twist in the entire book; Hank Barton, another church member running for a vacant city council seat, with all the campaigning trials and tribulations you might expect (and some you might not); Ross Cleaver and Bill Lamb, a bumbling pair of Mob thugs who have their own issues--well, it just goes on.

Second, the style.

After reading Tribulation House, I envisioned Mr. Well's tongue so firmly planted in his cheek that I feared he may never be able to enjoy solid food again. The number of times I found myself laughing out loud is surpassed only by the number of times I found myself nodding my head and smiling. The satirical element elicited the former response, the compassion the latter. Gifted storytelling!

Mr. Well employs a clipped style of narration that may catch you a little off guard at first, but you'll get used to it. It's very effective in delivering quick punches of plot, and you'll appreciate it in that context. In my estimation, though, it may be a bit overused; that is, applied in passages that require no such rhetorical device to push them along. But, again, the story is well worth any minor stylistic distraction you may encounter. Indeed, it may not bother you at all.

If chuckling at yourself doesn't come easy, you may have a more difficult time with Tribulation House. It will stomp on your toes, like any good satire. But keep reading. As the story unfolds, you'll discover Mr. Well's stomping shoes to be so generously padded with compassion, the pain becomes quite bearable.

If you're a Christian who can laugh at yourself, make this the next book on your reading list. If you aren't, make this the next book on your reading list; you'll surely be one by the time you've finished.

Tribulation House was just plain `really, really good'. Bravo to Mr. Well!

Mark Hogan has killed his pastor Reverend Daniel Glory - at least he thinks he has......

Mark Hogan has it all - great job, great family, great church and a position on the church board the only thing missing is a boat. He dreams, he searches boat lots and decides he has to have a 2008 Bayliner 192. When Reverend Daniel Glory announces that the tribulation will happen on October 17th at 5:51 am and has even written a book "107 Reasons Jesus is Coming Back in 2007". Mark puts everything else in his life on hold as he knows this is it he has to have that boat even it means borrowing the money from the mob. But what does it matter if the rapture is coming he won't have to pay it back because he will be gone. But than Reverend Glory was wrong Jesus didn't come back!

Now Mark is running for his life knowing the mob must be after him wanting their money, and the police must be after him after that argument with Reverend Glory and hitting him in the head. All because Mark blamed Reverend Glory for making him believe that the rapture was coming, this caused him to borrow money from the mob to buy that boat.... His wife who knows nothing, has stopped calling to see if he's coming to the hospital to see his son who wrecked the brand new truck that he had to have to haul the brand new boat and can't pay for it either.....

The mob's muscle Cleaver and Lamb have their hands full with orders from crime boss Massey to get Reverend Glory to move his church so he can have the land and leaning on candidates for the special election of City Council and keeping tabs on Cleaver's ex wife.

It all falls into the hands of two detectives Charlie Pasch and Tom Griggs to solve the murder and stop the rash of crimes but are they somehow all connected?

You'll find yourself at times laughing out loud at the antics between Cleaver and Lamb and the conversations between Charlie and Tom. And you'll have only sympathy for poor Charlie as he struggles to fit in at his church.

The author Chris Well has done a great job with this page turner, his third suspense novel a definite 4 on the wow scale and a 5 on God moves scale that keeps you guessing till the very last page as to what will happen next and an ending that is totally unexpected.

At times it seems there are too many characters but it all comes together as each one really has a part to play in this really good novel.

Knowing this is the second novel with detectives Charlie and Tom makes this reviewer wonder what will be the next great suspense for these two detectives?

I first became acquainted with Chris Well's novels when I picked up his debut release, Forgiving Solomon Long, in a store. It was a crime novel with a Christian message. I thought, this ought to be interesting. I love writers that think outside the box. Who would've ever dreamed you could combine Godfathers with Christ? I read that debut novel and have been hooked ever since.

Sometime back I started hearing about his 2007 release Tribulation House. I knew this would be a novel I didn't want to miss. Do not let the title fool you. This is no LaHaye/Jenkins end-times tale. Far from it. This is a tale about the choices we make and their consequences.

Mark Hogan has a problem. He has everything anyone could ever want. A great job. A great family. A position of some esteem at his local church. The only thing missing is a boat. Mark doesn't want just any boat. Oh, no. He wants the more-expensive-than-some-cars kind of boat. The kind most of us would need to make a living with to justify the purchase of this kind of boat. Add to that the fact that his pastor, Reverend Daniel Glory, has just made public his assertion that Jesus is returning on a certain date, at a certain time and Mark's anxiety over not having this boat ramps up in spades.

As the time of Christ's return draws closer, the disciples of Reverend Glory begin to loose their focus. All over town people put a halt on their everyday lives believing the hour is upon them. Mark decides he must have a boat. So he does what any man would do in his shoes. He borrows the money to make the purchase. Why not? Jesus is returning. He won't have to pay it back. Right?

Thing is, if Mark had known his Bible he'd have realized that even Jesus doesn't know the hour of his return. The day after Christ was to have returned, Mark finds himself owning a lot of cash. Did I forget to mention he borrowed the funds from the mob? Needless to say, they aren't interested in Mark's theology.

Chris Well has given as all a cautionary tell. One that tells us to look for Christ's return. It could be at anytime. However, don't drop the ball on your life. One is born again to live for Christ, not shut down and wait for his return. He does this with great wit. Written in both First and Third Person I thought I'd be confused. However, Chris's mastery of his craft allows for a seamless transition. I got so wrapped up in this tale of quirky characters and messed up world views that I'd literally forget I was reading a novel. I rarely do that. When a author can pull that off, they are well worth paying attention to. We read fiction to be placed in another world, to escape our lives for a while. Chris Well has done that with Tribulation House. I can not recommend this book highly enough. Buy it! You'll love it!

REVIEWER'S NOTE: This review corrects some typos found in one I wrote under an old profile titled "Chris Well Strikes Again".

Chris Well is truly a creative writer. In his hands words, grammar and punctuation take on artistic and unusual configurations. Unless you are a phobic regarding proper book-stylings, this is a good thing.

Unique blends of POV are woven throughout. Well obviously knows writing rules and then he transcends them.

Not only is Tribulation House a wild and crazy read like you might imagine from the premise. It is touching and spiritually and emotionally challenging. Well is similar in style to Ray Blackston and newcomer, Geoffrey Wood, using humorous situations to penetrate and weave a story that will stick with the reader.

I'm giving Tribulation House 4.5 stars.

What would happen if someone was preparing for the rapture, but it didn't come as predicted? How would they react when it didn't happen? What would they do about the poor decisions made just prior to the anticipated date? Tribulation House takes a humorous look at the life of Mark Hogan who believes the rapture will occur on a set day, but it doesn't happen. Well takes us inside Hogan's mind, through his decision making process, and what led him to his confession to the murder of the Reverend Daniel Glory. Well does an excellent job of writing the first person confession, while at the same time working seemingly unrelated third person subplots into Hogan's life. The way all the different story lines come together is truly remarkable and incredibly enjoyable to read. While Tribulation House is just as hilarious as Well's previous two books, it has a serious point that takes a very deep look into the self centeredness of the human heart and nudges us to reevaluate our spiritual focus and goals. With the continuation of the lives of Detectives Griggs and Pasch, we get the opportunities to see both of them working through their very human struggles. I'd been looking forward to Tribulation House for several months, and was not disappointed. Now I will eagerly await the next book in the series.

Despite having Chris Well's previous novels on my bookshelf, I'm ashamed to say this is the first one I have read. It certainly won't be the last.

Tribulation House took me totally by surprise. Categorized as suspense, I didn't expect a laugh out loud novel, but that is precisely what I discovered.

Memorable characters include a bumbling cop, two mismatched mobster heavy men, and Mark Hogan, who is looking to fulfil his dreams before the Rapture occurs.

Unfortunately, things don't quite go according to plan for Mark. As the appointed time for Jesus' arrival draws closer, Mark realises his boat buying dream might not become a reality. With his options running out, Mark turns to the mobster heavy men for the needed cash. Once Jesus returns, all will be fine. Mark will have enjoyed his boat for a few days, would then be swept away in the Rapture, thus leaving behind his money worries.

Perfect plan.

Well, it would have been if Jesus had bothered to show up when predicted. But he didn't.

Mark soon finds money isn't his only problem.

This book gripped me from start to--well, nearly finish. I was a little surprised to find a seemingly unrelated plotline develop late in the book. This rogue plotline eventually tied in on the last few pages to leave readers hooked for a continuation.

Tribulation House not only entertains, it also packs a morality punch.