Customer Reviews

Up Pops the Devil

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Preacher is just a babe in Christ when he is released from prison. He strives to live the straight and narrow Christian walk. The Devil (Boss) and his assistant, Sean, have other plans to bring Preacher back into the fold by any means necessary. They target the women in Preacher's past to help accomplish this goal in Angela Benson's newest novel, Up Pops the Devil.

Upon release from prison, Preacher is anxious to reunite with his fiancée and the mother of his two sons, Tanya. Tanya is used to living the good life based on the money that Preacher made running drugs. She cannot fathom living a life less glamorous than she has in the past. As Preacher makes true to his claim of change, Tanya has plans of her own to thwart them.

Loretta, Preacher's younger sister kept the business running while he was in prison. Her plans were for him to take the business back upon his release. Preacher's conversion to Christianity put a damper on her plans, but she persisted in keeping the business going, so when Preacher decided to leave this "Christian nonsense" behind, he still had a business to run.

Serena is Preacher's ex-girlfriend. Although it had been years since they were an item, their past relationship could mean the end of a meaningful friendship Preacher has with Barnard, Serena's husband. Serena's problem in forgiving herself for past actions takes a toil on her marriage and puts a friendship in jeopardy.

Reading this book brought a couple of scriptures to mind that were relevant to the story. One is "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart." Preacher got his name because he was always carrying around his grandmother's bible. Before she died, she raised Preacher and his sister in the church and the bible was the one thing of hers that Preacher was able to keep and thus keep his upbringing in his heart. Also, I thought of the scripture that says "when I would do good, evil is on every hand." Preacher tried to do right; live according to God's word, but the devil and his agent were there to twist and turn things around so that Preacher and all those close to him would suffer.

I loved how Ms Benson built up the suspense in this novel. I could see all the layers of each individual's life come apart. I eagerly anticipated the cookout scene when all the characters came together. All the tension at that gathering was just the groundwork for even more suspense. I think Up Pops the Devil will appeal to both Christian fiction and urban fiction readers.

Jeanette
APOOO BookClub
Motown Review Bookclub

Wilford "Preacher" Winters has served two years in prison and is now back in society. Preacher has given up his illegal worldly past and now is focused on serving the Lord. He also wants to marry his live-in girlfriend Tanya so that they can be a good example for their two young sons. But Preacher soon finds out that this is easier said than done. Tanya has expensive tastes and is not willing to give it up. Preacher's sister Loretta is the silent partner in his drug empire, and she doesn't believe her brother's jailhouse conversion. Loretta has kept the business going while Preacher was locked up, and she will try to do everything possible to put him back in charge. Preacher's former girlfriend Serena is now married to his friend and mentor, but she has a secret that will shatter all of their lives. Will Preacher be able to live the straight and narrow, or will he succumb to the allure of the streets?

Up Pops The Devil is an innovative novel by Angela Benson. Benson brings us a classic tale of a ex-con that is trying to turn over a new leaf. You will root for Preacher as he tries to grow in his walk with Christ. This story shows that sometimes when a person is making a change in their life there will be people that will try to pull you in a different direction. Benson showed great creativity with how she showed how the devil is always busy in trying to get and destroy souls. Up Pops The Devil is thought-provoking and insightful. Angela Benson has brought us an excellent novel that deals with faith, temptation, and redemption.

Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert
of Urban Reviews

Preacher, a new Christian fresh from two years in prison, reenters life with hopes and dreams and crashes into the reality of his past. All of the consequences have been waiting for him, curled up like dormant rattlesnakes, and once he attempts to pick up pieces the rattles begin. A glimpse into a Hades gives further tension as spiritual puppetry is revealed.

These characters are ones that I grew to care about and I hoped for Preacher as he faced serpents all around. Sensitive or conservative souls may want to use caution. The characters behave like sinners saved by grace who need a lot of forgiveness. Solid storytelling and writing skills make the novel an escapist read that ends up challenging and teaching.

In 1931 director Edward Sutherland wrote a movie with the same title "Up Pops the Devil" about a man who quit his job to become a novelist & his wife is not trying to hear that. Fast forward seventy-seven years to 2008 author Angela Benson writes a book titled the same and the women in Wilford "Preacher" Winters life is drawing a deaf ear to his repentance. After serving prison time Preacher decides to give up his life and give his heart to the Lord. Semi-same premise but delivered in 2 different styles. The play I believe was a comedy but this book is far from comedic. This novel is about God's unconditional love but we will get to the later on in the review.

Ms. Benson characters jump right off the page and into your world. The situations are so real and on point several times I found myself pausing and thinking of my own testimony in which God's love brought me through. This review I pray does "Up Pops the Devil" justice because this book is a MUST read for every believer and non-believer. We forget that the devil gets very upset when he loses to our Father. We forget that Lucifer will stop at nothing to get us back on his team. Most importantly we forget where the real power comes from.

Up Pops the Devil, is a realistic story of God's love and our choices.
Make sure you are making the right choice and be sure the battlefield in your mind is guided by the Light and not darkness.
Missy
Reader's Paradise

Wilford "Preacher" Winters becomes a Christian in prison and he's determined to live his life for the Lord. He trys to make this very clear to Loretta, his sister who was also his partner in crime before his incarceration, and, Tanya, his materialistic, money-loving fiancé who is also the mother of his two sons, but his sincere words fall on deaf ears. When Preacher's no longer behind bars these two women are used by Satan - they do everything they can think of to convince Preacher to abandon the Christian lifestyle and return to his old life where Satan guided his every decision.
Serena and Barnard Jenkins are a married Christian couple who seem to have the perfect, loving relationship but appearances can be deceiving. Serena is holding onto a secret that has her angry, unforgiving and tormented by guilt and it could destroy her marriage.
Natalie Jenkins, Barnard's sister, believes she's finally found the right man. Is Danté the one God wants her to spend the rest of her life with, does He have someone else in mind or has He called her to be single?
Before the story begins there is a quote from the Bible - Ephesians 6:12 (NIV): For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Angela Benson does a superb job of showing how the Devil is always at work, using whoever he can to destroy the lives of Christians or at least hurt them enough that they stop walking in Christian love. And the meetings Sean Jones has with his boss (the Devil) - these skillfully written conversations will help every Christian reader to understand how important it is to keep his/her spiritual eyes open!
Up Pops The Devil is an entertaining, thought-provoking, insightful read. I will buy more books by this author and I will never forget this one!

Wilford Winters gained the nickname "Preacher" because of the Bible he carried with him since his youth. The Bible was a reminder of the loving grandmother who had provided a home for him and his sister Loretta. But, when she died, the siblings were caught in the system of foster care and they hardened. As adults, the two entered the drug business determined never to "be without" again. The law caught up with Preacher though, and behind bars, he finally began to read the words inside the Bible. Benson's story begins when two years later a converted Preacher awaits his release. Bolstered by his faith and the support of friend Barnard who is part of a Faith Community Church Prison Ministry, Preacher is certain he's equipped to face the world as a free man now ready to serve the Lord.

Preacher is naïve though. The women in his life aren't about to let his new walk as a Christian be an easy one. Preacher's rebirth as a Christian means he is no longer interested in helping run the family drug business and that doesn't sit well with sister Loretta. And, without the drug money there is no way Preacher can support Tanya, who is the mother of his children in her opulent lifestyle. Engaging interludes depict "The Boss" Satan, pressuring his henchman who is working hard to ensnare Preacher and turn him away from his newfound Christianity. Written with wry humor, these episodes remind that Satan is always on the job and his favorite methods to entrap are lies, secrets, guilt and shame.

In "Up Pops the Devil" Benson successfully interweaves the lives of complex characters wrestling with difficult life issues. Christian characters Barnard, Natalie and Serena battle human failings even as they strive to provide Preacher with support in his new life. In Preacher Winters, Benson creates a character whose inner struggles are familiar as he attempts to stay strong in his new walk as a Christian. We feel his disappointment when he falls to temptation and root for him to stay faithful when his life seems to be falling apart. A relatable read, "Up Pops the Devil" brims with spiritual wisdom and insight while introducing a memorable character in Preacher Winters.

Wilford `Preacher' Winters experienced a spiritual conversion while spending two years in prison for drug trafficking. Before prison, he made a living wreaking havoc in the lives of users and their families, and profiting from their despair. Barnard Jenkins, his parole officer and `Brother in Christ,' is keenly aware of the challenges that face Preacher-such as his girlfriend, Tanya. As mother of his two children, she demands a lot of money and attention to keep up her high-maintenance lifestyle. And she doesn't believe this conversion is real-and will do anything to get her man back.

Barnard doesn't know that Preacher's sister Loretta has kept their narcotics distribution business going, even expanding-AND about the devastating secret his wife keeps from him involving Preacher and a relationship that ended badly. Unknowingly, Bernard's life has deeply intertwined with Preachers. Preacher must continue practicing this new way of life with authenticity, knowing his loved ones do not believe it to be true. Through these struggles he learns that God forgives, supplies and saves those who ask for redemption.

However at hell, d.b.a. 3sixes, the Big Boss is furious at losing Preacher, one of their best souls, to the enemy, and has summoned successful executive Sean Jones. Even though he manages a caseload of 1,000 souls with a closing ration of 80%, he is on the hot seat enduring the fiery wrath of the Devil. All Sean had to do was stir up conflict and confusion in Preacher's life, drop negative thoughts into the minds of his prison mates to kill him before this conversion happened. The boss wants Preacher back with no collateral damage, otherwise Sean is facing eternity in Third Hades, a dark dreary place filled with screams and wailings

This book, and her other award-winning novels, deal with life choices and the promise of unconditional love God offers. As I read this book I could feel the characters' struggles because I had similar ones. To relive my conversion again through Preacher's story was magnificent. I would absolutely recommend this book to everyone.

Armchair Interviews says: Angela Benson, Associate Professor of Educational Technology at the University of Alabama is considered on the brightest voices in Christian fiction.

UP POPS THE DEVIL starts out with a scene where Sean Jones, a closer at the 3Sixes level of hell, is being chastised by the Boss. Sean has failed to close the deal bringing in one of their best men. In fact, the Boss has made it clear, return this man to the fold and bring in a few others as well or Sean will find himself a permanent member of the dreaded Third Hades.

Wilford "Preacher" Winters has been in prison for two years. Coming to terms with his role in the drug scene, the crime was one he takes full responsibility for even though he was set up to take the fall. While in prison he found God and became a changed man, determined to live right despite the hard road he knows he is about to encounter. He is surrounded by people he knows care for him and have a vested interested in seeing him succeed in his relationship with God. He is being released from prison on probation in a program sponsored by Faith Community Church to rehabilitate former prisoners and make them productive members of society.

Outside the bars of prison and facing his new life in Christ, Preacher is confronted by the enemy on many levels. First, he has a secret that may ruin his friendship with Barnard Jenkins, who has been instrumental in showing him the way to God. The secret is one he shares with Barnard's wife whom he wants to give an opportunity to come clean first. Then, there are his living arrangements. How will he be able to stay in the same home with the mother of his children in hopes of building a family and still remain close to God? And lastly, his sister is still in the business and desperately wants Preacher back as her partner and she will do anything to get him back.

As these temptations press on Preacher, he feels how hard it is to be a Christian and live in the world. He also learns that as a result of the choices he's made, the collateral damage may include those closest to him. Will his faith be enough to sustain him? Will his new friends still be able to see the `new' Preacher?

Angela Benson writes a commanding and enthralling story on the power of salvation and how temptation works to unravel it. She shows readers how faith, forgiveness and redemption can a restore a person to a right relationship with God, their friends and themselves. The characters are well-developed and reveal many of the problems new and older Christians encounter frequently in their daily walk with God. Benson's writing is fluid and demonstrates her ability to incorporate biblical principle in everyday living.

Reviewed by Brenda Lisbon
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

I am not sure about this book....I get the message and I can appreciate that to the fullest. Faith can take a person a long way I do believe that and I couldn't help wishing that I had that much faith in my heart to carry me through the rest of my journey in life. The book was up and down as far as a story if it wasn't for the truly deep devotions to GOD through out the book I wouldn't have liked it @ all.....GW

It is far from unusual to read a wonderfully inspiring novel by Angela Benson. Her books are never too preachy. Angela Benson's books are just about life's realities. UP POPS THE DEVIL is about a man named Preacher. Preacher has been serving time in prison. While in prison, his whole way of life went through a tremendous change. When he is released to go home, he is a Christian. I really adored this book because it is about making a good change in a really screwed up life. However, becoming a good person does not always equal immediate happiness and comfort. If anything, changing from a worldly person to a Godly person can make your whole life turn an ugly topsy turvy: old friends might not believe in you anymore, siblings might feel disappointed that you are no longer the person who takes dangerous risks. Old girlfriends might feel their new life is threatened by the past they shared with you. All sorts of dynamics can happen for the newly, changed person wanting to live on the good side of the law and never on the bad side again.

This is why I liked the book. Angela Benson does not write about life like it is a fairy tale. Life is not a simple game of Follow The Leader. Adults do not tend to slip behind you and follow your lead immediately. Preacher discovered life is more like playing a war game. In his life, there was sword play and dirty power playing with no signs of victory. He was like a soldier expecting to win the war fast and travel home to cheers of welcome and victory. Boy, was he fooled by the likes of Sean and The Boss.

Preacher became my favorite character. He is the guy trying to live the good life while his past keeps popping up and hitting him squarely in the head. All of the characters: Loretta, Tanya, Serena, Maylene, Natalie, Andre, Dante and Barnard are full blown, three dimensional characters who make this book more than exciting. No matter our faith or lack of faith, this book is for any person interested in relationships. I definitely can learn from Barnard's words to Preacher. "But don't beat yourself up about it. Learn from it. And remember it when something similar happens to someone else. Be better to them than I've been to you."