CFBA presents: ADAM, by Ted Dekker

He died once to stop the killer...now he's dying again to save his wife.

FBI behavioral psychologist Daniel Clark has become famous for his well-articulated arguments that religion is one of society’s greatest antagonists. What Daniel doesn’t know is that his obsessive pursuit of a serial killer known only as “Eve” is about to end abruptly with an unexpected death-his own.

Twenty minutes later Daniel is resuscitated, only to be haunted by the loss of memory of the events immediately preceding his death.

Daniel becomes convinced that the only way to stop Eve is to recover those missing minutes during which he alone saw the killer’s face. And the only way to access them is to trigger his brain’s memory dump that occurs at the time of death by simulating his death again…and again. So begins a carefully researched psychological thriller which delves deep into the haunting realities of near-death experiences, demon possession, and the human psche.

"As always with a Ted Dekker thriller, the details of ADAM are stunning, pointing to meticulous research in a raft of areas: police and FBI methods, forensic medicine, psychological profiling-in short, all that accompanies a Federal hunt for a serial killer. But Dekker fully reveals his magic in the latter part of the book, when he subtly introduces his darker and more frightening theme. It's all too creepily convincing. We have to keep telling ourselves that this is fiction. At the same time, we can't help thinking that not only could it happen, but that it will happen if we're not careful."









Ted is the son of missionaries John and Helen Dekker, whose incredible story of life among headhunters in Indonesia has been told in several books. Surrounded by the vivid colors of the jungle and a myriad of cultures, each steeped in their own interpretation of life and faith, Dekker received a first-class education on human nature and behavior. This, he believes, is the foundation of his writing.

After graduating from a multi-cultural high school, he took up permanent residence in the United States to study Religion and Philosophy. After earning his Bachelor's Degree, Dekker entered the corporate world in management for a large healthcare company in California. Dekker was quickly recognized as a talent in the field of marketing and was soon promoted to Director of Marketing. This experience gave him a background which enabled him to eventually form his own company and steadily climb the corporate ladder.

Since 1997, Dekker has written full-time. He states that each time he writes, he finds his understanding of life and love just a little clearer and his expression of that understanding a little more vivid. Dekker's body of work encompassing seven mysteries, three thrillers and ten fantasies includes Heaven's Wager, When Heaven Weeps, Thunder of Heaven, Blessed Child, A Man Called Blessed, Blink, Thr3e, The Circle Trilogy (Black, Red, White), and Obsessed, with two more...Renegade, and Chaos to be released later this year.

MY REVIEW:

To say that this novel is a psychological thriller is an understatement. The human psyche is deeply explored, as well as more about spiritual forces than may at first appear. Abuse, fear, evil, victimization, freedom of choice, religion, triumph over evil, truth over lies, courage, and love all have a part in the whole. But the whole is definitely more than the sum of its parts.

What might happen to someone who is severely abused as a child in the name of religion? Is it possible to escape that evil, or must you succumb to it at some point in your life? Can good triumph over evil? Will it always? How much can one person endure before they break? Are demons real? Can they really overtake someone who gives them access? Don’t we all have the capacity for evil inside ourselves? Dekker explores answers to these questions.

I usually preface my Dekker reviews with the disclaimer that I may be a bit too passionate when it comes to his books. I’m a huge fan and he never ceases to flabbergast me. Adam is no exception. Dekker continues to up the ante and churn out gale-force plots with gargantuan spiritual oomph. Hence my admiration.

Do I have anything negative to say about this story whatsoever? Not remotely. No doubt, thriller lovers everywhere will find merit in this newest offering. If it sounds like I’m still holding something back, well, I am.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention what stole a bit of my fascination from me regarding this book. Recently, I reviewed another excellent thriller by a relative newcomer to the Christian fiction scene, Steven James, called The Pawn. In fact, it had only been a week or two since I read it when I acquired Adam. See, The Pawn was arguably the best thriller (and even the best book of any kind) I’ve ever read, and I couldn’t help but compare the stories since The Pawn was also about a serial killer. It scared me to think that someone could supersede Ted’s place in my heart and knock him gently to #2 just from one book.

But never fear. I can’t be swayed so easily, especially considering Ted’s track record and deep spiritual diving. His writing has always been spot on, but I can see his growing maturity not only in his words, but in his themes. Do not miss this one. I’m sure it will be talked about for quite a while.

The book link