You know, I never thought there was such a thing as a Christian supernatural thriller, but I found one. It’s called “The Hidden,” and it was written by Kathryn Mackel.
Psychiatrist Susan Stone has been burying herself in work to try to overcome the grief surrounding her son’s death, but it’s not working. Memories of him flash through her mind and she fights them off, trying desperately not to remember what happened, what led up to those last moments. When the phone rings to tell her that her father has been in an accident, she leaves everything behind to go see him, somewhat glad to be out of her box, but of course, worried about her father.
He is a rancher, and was thrown from his horse. He’ll need some care, and also some help keeping things afloat with the ranch. His new wife, Jeanette, will be able to care for him, but Susan feels she knows best what to do with the ranch. After all, she grew up there and it’s in her blood.
When a horse goes into foal prematurely, Susan thinks she knows how to handle the situation. But when it goes wrong, her father lashes out at her, and she takes off into the night, recklessly riding the same horse that threw her father. She went to find solitude and peace of mind, but found instead something she never would have dreamed – a young man, chained to a rock wall cliff.
She brings him back to the ranch and they all try to learn more about him, discovering that he has no memory of life before his imprisonment, and has no practical knowledge of the world at all. He doesn’t know his name, and chooses to be called Jacob.
As Susan delves deeper into this young man’s past, she learns that she is actually involved in a fight between good and evil—literally between angels and demons. We catch brief glimpses into the minds of the evil ones as they carry out their plans, and it’s pretty darned creepy, but really well-written.
I’m not much for supernatural thrillers, but I have to say, this one was well-done and kept me riveted to the end.
(This book was published in 2006 by Westbow Press.)
Related Blogs: