Crown of Thorns (Nick Barrett Mystery Series #2) (Hardcover)

by Sigmund Brouwer (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In this edgy sequel to Out of the Shadows (2002), Brouwer brews an ambitious mix of voodoo, cult Christianity, racial intolerance and romance. Set against the backdrop of present-day Charleston, this is an intriguing novel for the evangelical Christian market. Young Timothy Larrabee delivers "the potion of death" to his abusive grandmother, Agnes, setting in motion a surreal chain of events that culminates nearly five decades later. Through first-person narrative, Nicholas "Nick" Barrett tells of the request by his delightful elderly spinster friends and antique shop proprietors, Glennifer and Elaine Beloise, to investigate the ownership and whereabouts of a mysterious painting once owned by Agnes Larrabee. The artwork turns up in the possession of a street-savvy urchin nicknamed "Angel," courtesy of her Grammie Zora, a voodoo queen. Meanwhile, in third-person narrative, Retha Herndon agonizes over escaping the rigid prison of her cult community so she may find medical treatment for her seriously ill toddler. There are so many characters, subplots and narrative perspectives that readers may have to work diligently to keep track of who is who, although Brouwer usually succeeds in keeping the story lines from getting too tangled. As in Out of the Shadows, his major misstep is inserting passages of didactic instruction and sermonizing. Despite this flaw, Brouwer's novel offers strong writing and is one of the better options for CBA readers this fall.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
Nick Barrett is in Charleston awaiting news of his inheritance when he agrees to investigate the ownership of a famous painting. He finds himself reluctantly drawn into the lives of a spunky, streetwise girl and a woman who is trying to rescue her sick child from the ruthless leader of a cult. As Nick uncovers secrets from the past, he discovers the healing love of God through the giving of himself.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers; First Edition edition (September 20, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0842330380
• ISBN-13: 978-0842330381
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #401,711 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Few are Doing it Better, January 21, 2003

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

Check out some of the hotter male mystery writers and you'll run across the names of James Lee Burke (Jolie Blon's Bounce) and Harlan Coben (Gone for Good). These guys are NY Times bestsellers. After reading Brouwer's Nick Barrett mysteries, I believe he has reached the same level of writing. He deserves a wide audience for this masterful tale.

The story quickly introduces us to two damsels in distress--except neither woman is weak or cowardly. In fact, Angel and Retha are two memorable and likeable characters. Both are trying to protect children in their care; both are threatened by violent, outside forces.

Enter Nick Barrett. Barrett is a three-dimensional man, born of questionable parentage and raised in an atmosphere of subtle bigotry and pride. He is trying to stay afloat emotionally. As he finds himself involved in the lives of Angel and Retha, he must face his fears, his doubts, and his faith.

Voodoo doctors, cult members, and bitter high society players all join in the action as the mysteries unfold. The city of Charleston is a character in the tale. As the climax nears, the plot twists turn tighter, the surprises mount, and--for this reader--the emotional impact swelled.

Like the two aforementioned bestselling writers, Brouwer mixes his gritty story with heart and warmth. Not even the half-dozen punctuation and spelling errors could keep me from sinking myself into Brouwer's fictional world. When I turned the final page, I closed my eyes and said aloud, "That is one darrrrn good book!" And I meant it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Second Thriller, March 6, 2007

By	Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

It started as a simple favor to friends. Antique dealers Glennifer and Elaine ask Nick Barrett to look into a painting. After disappearing almost fifty years before, it has suddenly shown up in the possession of Angel, a poor girl who claims to have gotten it from her Grammie Zora.

There is another man interested in the painting, and Nick starts trying to find out who that is. But the trail begins to get clouded by the history of the painting. What happened the night it disappeared?

Meanwhile, Retha Herndon is worried about her little boy. The baby is very sick, but the others in her compound think all they should do is pray. But Retha is determined to get her son medical treatment. Will she get him out of the compound in time?

This is the second book in the Nick Barrett mystery series. While the first one was deeply personal, this one finds Nick attempting to help strangers. Yet there are bits and pieces that continue the story from the first book.

This story is strong. The various plot elements weave together. Naturally, this means I saw a few plot points coming early, but they are early plot points, so it's okay. The web continues to weave until we reach an emotional yet suspenseful ending. And it truly helps that we come to love these characters.

The story does stop a couple times for some musings on the nature of God and the universe, but even these are interesting. This is a dark, atmospheric thriller from one of the best in the Christian market.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A compelling read, February 19, 2007

By	Laura Lou "Lou" (Belmont, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This is riveting and fast paced. Christian cults explored and exposed in fictional setting. A great read!