Comes a Horseman

Review by Jenn Wright

Author: Robert Liparulo
Westbow Press, ISBN: 0785261761

Synopsis: A recently widowed FBI agent and his tough-as-nails female partner are on the case of a serial murderer. The case turns ugly, though, when the agents themselves become targets of the killer. The resulting drama unfolds as the pair travels to the Middle East, following apocalyptic leads and shady characters through a network of deceit and megalomania, and, ultimately, to the man suspected to be the Anti-Christ.

To be honest, it is difficult to review this book in the “Pop Culture from a Spiritual Point of View� context of Hollywood Jesus. In this case, a more appropriate approach would be “Spiritual Culture from a Popular Point of View� (a great tagline for a different website). Unfortunately, Comes a Horseman reads like a strange Jenkins-LaHaye-Peretti-Oke hybrid—perhaps a Left Behind in This Present Darkness with a side order of romance. The novel is clearly written to a Christian audience, and will likely not be recognized beyond that scope.

I admit that I was somewhat disappointed in the book—not due to any deficiency in writing talent or plot development or characterization on Liparulo’s part, but because the book tries to be too many things to too many people. For those who enjoy crime thrillers, Liparulo’s general story may be intriguing—two FBI agents investigating a serial murder case, who end up as potential victims. Likewise, the apocalyptic bent of the storyline is engaging and rather on the creepy side. But other elements of the story dull the potential intensity of a crime thriller by detracting from the action with moments of religious introspection and transparent romance.

These literary distractions prevent the reader from thoroughly engaging in the spine-tingling thriller the story could be. Every time the drama takes the reader to the edge of his seat, the suspense is interrupted (and subsequently diminished) by a touchy-feely moment of Christian reflection or unfulfilled romance. The “spiritual� diversions include numerous “insider� references that only Christians would recognize—Christian song lyrics, biblical allusions, theological positions, and questions of sin and evil pervade the larger story arc in a rather obtrusive fashion. Similarly, the romance angle between the tragically-widowed-single-father and his career-addicted-but-oddly-feminine partner is predictable as an overused convention. What I found most disappointing is that the general plot of Horseman is most certainly strong enough to carry itself into the vast array of popular crime fiction; unfortunately, the heavy-handed Christian aspects and the out-of-place romance keep this novel from appealing to an audience beyond the conservative Christian who wants to feel like he’s reading a thriller without the associated guilt of enjoying “worldly� (and more believable) drama.

In short, Comes a Horseman is a well-written, engaging novel, with an unfortunately narrow audience. A bit more thrills (sans cheesy romance) and fewer overtly “Christian� references, and Liparulo would be in contention with the best “worldly� thrill writers of the day. Perhaps we can look forward to a broader focus in coming works.

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