Shadow of the Piper by L.P. Hoffman

Release Date: January 1, 2013
Publisher: Hope Springs Media

Rating: 4 out 5 stars.

Synopsis:
Jesse spent years helping the woman who rescued him with her missionary work in the streets of Pittsburgh. He felt a calling in his heart to help the youth find their way back to the path of goodness just as Mavis had helped him. An unexpected visit from a sick, disturbed teenager claiming to know his past pushed Jesse to leave on a journey to find the answers he had always longed to know.

The teenager leads him to a small town in Montana where things truly aren't what they seem. In the age old battle between good and evil, lines were clearly drawn in the town of Hamlin. Jesse found himself in the middle of the battle but will he be able to find the answers to the questions of his past as well as rescue the town's teenagers from the evil lurking within the shadows.

Review:
I received this book from a giveaway at Goodreads.com and honestly couldn't wait to begin reading it. The theme of the book is the ongoing battle between good and evil, God and Satan. Therefore, it's no surprise to see several of the characters in the book with their faith deeply entrenched in the doctrines of their respective sides. The main character, Jesse, finds himself in an awkward situation that tests not only his deeply rooted faith, but the beliefs that he has of himself.

The action in the book begins in the very first chapter and continues to the very last. There are moments where the reader is able to take a breath before it takes off once again. By the time the action builds to the breaking point, the lines within the small town are clearly drawn, each side with their own "warriors" and casualties. Many sub-plots made up the larger plot and kept it moving along. I was glad to see a large number of the sub-plots concluded as the book drew to a close.

A lot of the characters were believable to me. My grandmother raised us in a Penecostal church, so the depiction of the "prayer warriors" was accurate in my view. I have known many a person with such deep faith as Jesse. I truly only had trouble with Cali's character because she was so hurt, so unstable that it made me want to reach out and help her. It was hard to accept that she was beyond help at certain points in the story. As far as the darkness in the book, I haven't met anyone that I could compare the characters to but the news is always full of people doing dark, evil things somewhere in the world. Why couldn't it happen in a small town like Hamlin, Montana?

Overall, the book was really well written and put together in such a way that it was hard to put it down at times. Looking past the Christian influence, the story is also about perseverance in the face of adversity and doing what's right even when no one else is. These lessons are still usable in today's society, in my opinion. If you're looking for a book-long action ride from cover to cover that will make you feel good along the way, I would most assuredly recommend this book.

Shadow of the Piper by L.P. Hoffman is available in both paperback and Kindle forms. It can be purchased from Amazon.com  by clicking the link below.
Shadow of the Piper by L.P. Hoffman