Warren Delivers Another Great Read in Christian Literature Genre
Having been a big Susan May Warren Fan for a while now, I wasn’t surprised to find that her newest novel, Nothing But Trouble, to be as engaging as her previous mysteries. What I was surprised about was the endearing vulnerability of the heroine, PJ Sugar. Normally, Warren’s protagonists are spunky girls who have great aptitude for helping people. PJ, on the other hand, while funny and brave, seems to not have as firm of a grasp of who she is. She is aware, however, of what she supposedly is not: “You’re just not pastor’s wife material,” her boyfriend tells her at the beginning of the story, the last in a long list of those close to her to tell her that she is no good. It only takes a few pages to empathize with PJ, because it is obvious that the scars she carries are similar to one’s own on some level- after all, what woman alive hasn’t been ‘told’ that she isn’t good enough? I was immediately rooting for PJ to succeed, and for her to learn to accept the grace that she claims she has already found in Jesus for herself as well. Warren’s heroine is very much the girl next door, very anti “heroine-who-has-it-all-together”, with an adorable propensity for getting into trouble, a habit that is strongly reminiscent of Anne Shirley of Anne of Green Gables fame, all grown up.
After hopping from city to city after fleeing her hometown under suspicious rumors ten years previously, PJ has finally made it back for her sister’s second wedding, to confront her past: A past that includes an old flame that betrayed her, a critical mother, a difficult nephew, and town still wary of her character. When PJ’s seemingly perfect sister needs her to stay for a few weeks to look after her rambunctious but troubled four-year old son, she agrees, with a mixture of trepidation at opening old wounds and hope at the possibility of redemption. What PJ encounters is a good long hard look at both herself and those who used to be dear to her, and finally discovering the grace that she’s craved all along. With a fun mystery backdrop, a little romance, and a cast full of quirky and entertaining characters, Warren proves yet again that she is the master of the Christian Lit Mystery novel. Those who agree with me about the magnetism of Warren’s latest work will be thrilled to know that another installment of PJ’s antics and adventures is on the way.
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Welcome back!
#1 Melinda on July 14, 2009:
This sounds like a good read, I’m off to the library to get her first book! Thanks for giving insignt on some good Christian reading.
#2 David Murdoch on July 14, 2009:
Even if other people tell us were not good enough, the only judge we really need to appease is Jesus in whose eyes we are loved despite our failings.
God Bless,