The Voice: A Novel (Faithwords) [Paperback]

Bill Myers (Author)

Book Description

Series: Faithwords | Publication Date: April 28, 2008

Charlie Madison is a burned out Special Forces Agent and his world is about to be turned upside down. When his 13-year-old niece barges into his reclusive life, Charlie must come out of retirement to rescue her parents and a computer Program that has recorded the actual Voice of God--the implications of which have shaken the world's religions to their core. Together, with the help of the attractive and mysterious Lisa Harmon, Charlie and his niece circle the globe, tracking down the religious radicals who have kidnapped his sister and brother-in-law. But, there is far more at stake than the safety of the parents or even religion. If the Voice of God created reality, It can destroy it. If controlled, It would become a weapon of mass destruction making all others obsolete. Soon the trio not only fights against various religious powers, but major governments as well . . . until the Program is discovered and played back with unimaginable results.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An unlikely premise propels Myers's latest novel, which is long on car chases and shoot- 'em-up action and short on execution, especially since the first 50 pages leave readers confused rather than intrigued. Emotionally withdrawn former Special Forces Op agent Charlie Madison's deaf adolescent niece, Jazmin Lutzer, shows up in his California music store with a pack of gunmen at her heels. He's immediately catapulted into mysterious events that will span the globe, which involve FBI agent Lisa Harmon, an Islamic terrorist cell, the Mossad, and some Catholic priests. Key to the plotline is "the Program," a means of using sound vibrations to capture the "voiceprint" of God from ancient rocks, but its presence-and absence-may threaten various religious beliefs. In the wrong hands, it could also destroy the world. Myers, the author of more than 80 books, is also a screenwriter, which may explain the action-fueled plot and dialogue-heavy pages. Jazmin's point of view is unsuccessful, some phrases seem odd ("With a rage greater than any diarrhea..."), and the contrived ending raises questions (if so many people have been healed by the voice, why is Jazmin still deaf?). Faith fiction aficionados may find the concept interesting, but its rendering lacks subtlety or depth.
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From Booklist

Charlie Madison, a former Special Forces operative, is thrown for a loop when his 13-year-old niece bursts into his music store, claiming her parents have been kidnapped by people who are looking for a computer program they wrote. He’s even more astonished to learn what the program does: it translates seemingly ordinary speech patterns into the voice of God. With his niece in tow, and aided by a beautiful FBI agent, Charlie tries to track down the kidnappers and find the program. This is a very accomplished novel and a very thought-provoking one, too. Myers, who has been a best-selling author of inspirational fiction for years, seems ready to break out to a larger audience. He uses the traditional thriller framework to tell a story that is, ultimately, about faith and religious exploration, but he tells it in a manner that will draw in fans of The Da Vinci Code as well as readers of Christian fiction. The novel is that rare thing, a piece of religious fiction that will appeal to general readers, regardless of their beliefs. --David Pitt

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Product Details

• Paperback: 294 pages
• Publisher: FaithWords (April 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446697990
• ISBN-13: 978-0446697996
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,202,740 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hi.
Thanks for checking up on me. Probably best to go over to my web site: www.Billmyers.com for biography information. And if you're really bored, there's my fan site over on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/pages/Bill-Myers/44983396181 Oh, and one last thing. If you're a student and your class reads one of my books, I'll do a 'meet the author' 30 min question and answer session by speakerphone with your class from my office here in California. If you're a reader's group, the same thing goes...in which case I'd recommend ELI to really get the discussion juices flowing - at least until THE GOD HATER comes out in 2010. Thanks for stopping by!
bill
www.Billmyers.com
and
www.facebook.com/pages/Bill-Myers/44983396181

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Christian Thriller That'll Make You Think!, April 12, 2008

By 

C. A. Hopkins (The gorgeous Rockies) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Voice: A Novel (Faithwords) (Paperback)

The Voice by Bill Myers is exactly the type of novel that makes one wish they belonged to a book club - it is jam-packed with all sorts of jumping off points to spark excellent discussions. Regardless of your faith, or lack thereof, this book is bound to strike a resonant chord within. It's a work of fiction, but that needn't stop one from pondering and wanting to probe further into some of the ideas put forth. I love a book that can really make me think, and this one accomplishes that goal admirably.

Charlie Madison is ex Special Forces - a man who found religion, prompting him to retire from his life of government-sanctioned violence. Unfortunately, there were many who were not willing to let him go `peacefully into that good night,' and he pays the ultimate price when his family is murdered. He becomes only a shell of his former self, and all but drops out of the human race when he is rudely yanked back into reality when his niece, whom he hasn't seen in years, comes dashing into his music shop, being chased by men with guns. Making a split-second decision, Charlie Madison's life is forever changed.

Charlie's sister and brother-in-law have been kidnapped by religious extremists who are after a computer program they wrote that interprets what is believed to be the recorded word of God. Searching for Jazmin's parents and racing against the many different groups of religious radicals and government entities bent on using and/or destroying them and their program, Charlie and his niece travel the globe with danger dogging their every move. The search for the answers as to what is right and what is wrong and whether or not the end justifies the means brings Charlie's spiritual quest full circle - but will the knowledge bring with it the means for survival, especially once a contract is placed on their heads?

I read The Voice yesterday, and this morning was drawn to the following scripture: I Corinthians 3:11-15. Coincidence? I like to think not. <smile>

Carol Ann Hopkins 4/12/2008

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Takes Time to Get Interesting, May 23, 2008

By 

emerson "have at em" (usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Voice: A Novel (Faithwords) (Paperback)

THE VOICE is an interesting thriiler that provides both inspiration and suspense. There is just plain too much action at the start; so much so that for the first 40 pages or so the reader has a hard time understanding what is going on. (This lack of comprehension mirrors that of the hero so maybe that was an intentional device by the author ??) The reader and protagonist are confused about what is going on.

However, once the story line evens out it is a fascinating read.
The basic premise is that God's voice has been captured with modern technology and has a benefit that brings the potential for huge economic benefit to the possessor (perhaps not surprising considering whose voice it is). Dark industrial political and religious powers strive for control of this power.

Yes you have to suspend a lot of disbelief and the concept runs the danger sort of reducing God to a distant magicial genie like entity . . . and you'd likely be better off spiritually reading the Epistles to Ephesians and Colossians I'm sure . . but for entertainment value its a good buy.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fist Fights or Spiritual Punch?, May 31, 2008

By 

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

This review is from: The Voice: A Novel (Faithwords) (Paperback)

For years, Bill Myers has given us thought-provoking thrillers that blend biblical ideas with fast-paced action. From "Blood of Heaven" and "Threshold," to his "Forbidden Doors" YA series, to "Eli," he has entertained us with consistent and strong storytelling skill. I'll admit, though, that I fell off the Myers bandwagon a few books back. Was it the marketing? The ideas behind the stories themselves? After hearing great feedback on "The Voice," I had to check this one out for myself.

"The Voice" is vintage Myers. He takes a cool concept (the idea that someone has figured out a Program by which to "capture" the universe-defining Voice of God) and throws in a few desperate criminals and unlikely heroes. Soon, the deaf daughter of the Program's designers is on the run with her ex-Special Forces uncle, and they alone have the opportunity to thwart multiple nations who want the Voice for their own various purposes. Some see the Voice as a potential weapon. Some want to hide the truths it unveils. And so on.

This sounds fun and over-the-top...and it is. It also sounds like a great chance to explore spiritual ideas about God's existence and His creative power...and it is that, as well. Myers has a way of breaking complicated ideas down into manageable bites. Because of this, perhaps, I felt like I was reading a YA novel at times, a book geared for an audience looking for a car chase every fifty pages (which you will find here) or a fist-fight every other fifty (also to be found). While these provide cheap thrills, that's all they are. I was much more interested in the details of Mt. Sinai, of the Rome connection, and of the Mossad's angle from a theological viewpoint.

This is a page-turner, no doubt about it. I was wowed once again by Myers' ideas and translation of those to the page, but I was hoping for a little more depth, along the lines of his "The Face of God." Still, for summer entertainment with a spiritual punch, Myers continues to deliver.