What an intriguing story through former Secret Service now Private Security Personnel Taylor Pasbury's eyes. The entire novel is told in a recitation with bits of humor as if in a verbal report. As a huge Alias/spy-type fan this story was a great fit in genre for me. It is shocking that I had not found author James David Jordan's work before, and now that I have I plan to read much more. I'm especially excited that as soon as I finish this review, I can start reading the sequel to this novel "Forsaken" which is called "Double Cross". Including some of the nit and gritty, this is a very realistic tale that brings to light the good and bad in people. Strength and forgiveness of ones-self are themes as well as terrorism plots and rescue attempts. This was one of those books where when I had to put it down to tend to something else I was amazed at how far I had already read. A page turner and a tool to delve into realism issues of the reader's own-self is only part of what makes this a great book. Highly recommended. *Thanks to Julie of B&H Books for a copy to review.* ( )

What an intriguing story through former Secret Service now Private Security Personnel Taylor Pasbury's eyes. The entire novel is told in a recitation with bits of humor as if in a verbal report. As a huge Alias/spy-type fan this story was a great fit in genre for me. It is shocking that I had not found author James David Jordan's work before, and now that I have I plan to read much more. I'm especially excited that as soon as I finish this review, I can start reading the sequel to this novel "Forsaken" which is called "Double Cross". Including some of the nit and gritty, this is a very realistic tale that brings to light the good and bad in people. Strength and forgiveness of ones-self are themes as well as terrorism plots and rescue attempts. This was one of those books where when I had to put it down to tend to something else I was amazed at how far I had already read. A page turner and a tool to delve into realism issues of the reader's own-self is only part of what makes this a great book. Highly recommended. *Thanks to Julie of B&H Books for a copy to review.* ( )

A fast paced story that kept me looking forward to what could happen next. I thought it was very well written.

I tend to mentally categorize books as “library” books or “worth buying” books. If a book was average and not awful, I’m willing to read more books by the same author – as long as I check them out from the library and not spend my money. If a book was captivating or unusual, I’m more willing to buy a book written by that author in the future. If I see a book that sounds somewhat interesting, but I’ve never read anything by that author, I check it out from the library first. Then I decide if the author’s other work is worth buying.

Forsaken, by James David Jordan, fell into the latter category for me at first. I’d never heard of the author, but the book’s premise sounded interesting. Taylor Pasbury, a former Secret Service agent, is hired to serve as the head of security for famous evangelist Simon Mason after he receives threats from Muslim extremists. Mason’s daughter is kidnapped, and instead of a ransom, the terrorists demand that Mason publicly renounce his faith in exchange for his daughter’s life.

The book opens when Taylor is a teenager, on a camping trip with her father. From the beginning, unexpected events occur, and the plot’s unpredictability maintains the reader’s suspense to the end. When I thought I knew what would happen next, the characters did something else.

Just as I suspect Jordan hopes readers will do, I put myself in Simon and Taylor’s shoes, asking myself, What exactly would I do in these situations? Would I do the same things they did?

I’ve always wondered, if I were a Christian living in a hostile country that openly persecuted and murdered Christians, would I stand up for my faith? With a gun to my head, would I proclaim Christ or deny Him?

It’s relatively easy to ask these uncomfortable questions while sitting comfortably on one’s couch in the freest country in the world. But Forsaken raises those uncomfortable questions in a context that makes them hard to ignore, in fact forcing readers to examine the strength of their own faith right here at home. It becomes personal. It’s not just faceless, nameless Christians in some other country that you read about in the paper. It’s you, your faith, and your daughter that’s at stake.

Intriguingly, Jordan does this while telling the story from Taylor’s non-Christian point of view, rather than from Simon’s perspective as a Christian. The reader sees how Taylor is transformed by her interactions with Simon as she observes first-hand the excruciating decision he must make.

A good book is one that you’ll read again in the future. A profound book is one that, when you’ve finished reading it, you just sit there and think about it. The events. The characters’ difficulties. The message. You mull over important points, which come to mind even in the days that follow. It stays with you long after you’ve put the book down.

Far more rich and compelling than a now-trite “WWJD” bracelet, Forsaken is a profound book that confronts Christians with the question of whether we daily, boldly make Christ known in the midst of our own adversities, however large or small.

As I quickly discovered, the book summary on the back cover doesn’t do justice to the depth contained in Forsaken. If Forsaken is an indication of what one can expect from James David Jordan, I look forward to buying his other books in the future.

Slightly interesting, but not believable. Though the protagonist is a female I could tell with every sentence that the book had been written by a man; the protagonist was too stereotypical to be believable. The plot was interesting but not riveting; for the most part, it felt unbelievable and stiff. The premise of the book is good in theory but unfortunately did not translate to a worthy read. ( )