Presumed Guilty (2006)

While not quite in the same league as Robert Whitlow, James Scott Bell shows promise in the realm of compelling, well-written Christian fiction.

Dallas Hamilton's seemingly perfect world is shattered when her minister husband is arrested for the murder of an adult film star. Her husband was working with a local politician to combat the world of adult entertaiment. In the course of the investigation, secrets are revealed, including that her husband slept with the victim and had a previous affair. A hard drive full of pornography doesn't help his case and soon a media circus has erupted.

Meanwhile, Dallas' family is also falling apart in other ways. Her son is home from Iraq and appears to suffer from some kind of post combat stress issues. He can't hold down a job and has anger issues with his father. He lashes out at everyone and denies God. Dallas slowly tries to chip away at what's wrong and what happened during his time in combat to change her son.

Bell's story works well enough when it confines itself to the dealings of the legal system and the dilemma may men face in fighting the temptation of adult entertainment. The reflections by Dallas' husband, Ron, in prison on how he's gone down the path to ruin he's followed are compelling, though it doesn't fully explain a decision he makes halfway through the story.

Which is part of my problem with the story. There are a lot of twists and turns, including a vast conspiracy at the center of the story that bogs down the novel's final half. For every believable twist and turn, there was another one that left me scratching my head. And while Dallas, Ron and the son feel like authentic chracters, there are still other characters in the story who come off as too one-note and serve only as ways to advance the plot. And the journey taken by the son, while interesting, is one that is a bit predictable in the end. ( )

http://joyinthemorning.clubmom.com/joy_in_the_morning/2006/05/book_review_pre.ht... ( )

With his thriving congregation and bestseller about pornography in the church, handsome pastor Ron Hamilton is a rising star in the evangelical world. But when the evidence surrounding the murder of an X-rated actress points solely to him, he's presumed guilty by everybody except his wife. Can their marriage survive until justice prevails?

Dallas Hamilton is shocked when her pastor husband is arrested by the police as a suspect in the murder of a woman who was a "star" in the adult film industry. At first she can't believe any of the accusations against him, but as lies begin to be uncovered she is not so sure. Could her husband, who was always a leader in the fight against the porn industry, really be an adulterer and a user of pornography? Dallas is forced to seek her own answers to her questions, and to seek the Lord's guidance on what to do in this trying situation.
Bell has written a top notch suspense novel with plenty of authenticity due to his legal knowledge. The situation reads like something out of today's headlines, but having an inside look at the impact this has on Dallas especially lessens the reader's aptness to pass judgement and can increase compassion for the family members in such cases. Dallas is a realistic, modern women, and the subplot involving her troubled son and abusive ex-husband pile on the drama she is forced to go through. This borders on overkill, but makes for an exciting read. ( )