Imposter

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 19 DEC 2005

The prolific inspirational novelist Bunn (The Lazarus Trap) is an able wordsmith, whether penning a historical romance series (Heirs of Acadia) or a sweet seasonal novella (Tidings of Comfort & Joy). But he's at his best in this absorbing faith-based suspense thriller. Federal agent Matt Kelly is the handsome, seemingly emotionless son of an aspiring Senate candidate. When Matt's beloved mother is brutally murdered, he sets out to find her killer. Helping him is the beautiful Consuela "Connie" Morales, who has been demoted to Baltimore Police desk work after refusing the sexual advances of her superior, but who is determined to return to active duty. The plot twists and turns as Matt discovers that the secret to his mother's murder may lie in his father's history as a soldier in Vietnam. Bunn knows how to craft a phrase, and his attention to detail, especially regarding explosives, is doled out in just the right measure. The story is admirably rich in strong women, from the pregnant newspaper reporter, Judy Leigh, to Connie Morales. Faith is treated with a light hand, which may attract new general readers. The plot occasionally gets confusing, and it's never completely clear what has frozen Matt's emotions, although Bunn offers clues. But these are minor quibbles in an engrossing, fast-paced tale that is by turns poignant and goose-bump provoking.