Showdown by Ted Dekker, The Christian Stephen King

Marsuvees Black has come to town, baby, and ain't nothing going to be the same in the small desert town of Paradise, Colorado ever again. He's going to set you free, make you see the light, and trip on the "grace juice of God" baby. Once Marsuvees Black gets his grip, all you're going to do is trip, trip, trip...

There's a new law in town, as the saying goes, and it's a black trenchcoat-clad wanderer by the name of Marsuvees Black. Charismatic and smart; either a master of "sleight-of-hand" or something more sinister, Black has come to "set the town of Paradise free". Nature abhors a vacuum, as another saying goes, and where there is a vacuum, something always rushes in to fill the space. In the spiritually empty, jaded, and religion-by-ritual town of Paradise, the vacuum has just been filled.

But the question looming large in everyone's mind is by what? A prophet, fanatic cult-leader, or simple con-man looking to make a quick buck?

Or is it something far, far worse?

Not long after the mysterious Black's arrival, this small, tight-lipped community begins to tear apart at the seams as the lines between fantasy and reality blurs according to Black's mercurial whims. One minute sinner; the next minute saint, but no doubt powerful, Black weaves a tenuous web of magical half-truths and seeming miracles, promising to set the townspeople of Paradise free from the shackles of their guilt and sin in radical, experiential ways. He promises them their dreams, and brings to life their worst nightmares.

Deep, dark secrets are unveiled, private anguishes and tortures made shockingly public, and the temptations and darker inner urges of man are played by Black like keys on his own personal, dark master piano. Jerking like puppets tugged along by a mad puppeteer, the people of Paradise march helplessly to either their doom or salvation, whichever pleases the whims of Marsuvees Black at the moment.

Standing against Black is a boy named Johnny, and a mysterious enclave of monks hidden in a monastery deep in the mountains, their agenda and purposes unclear. In the end Johnny will stand alone, pushed to the edges of a faith that has never quiet believed, and a belief that has never had quite enough faith.

Ted Dekker has woven an intricate, haunting tale about the war between good and evil, and the literary master of "sleight-of-hand" never tips his hand once, keeping the reader guessing until the very end. There is depth in this novel; in the multi-tiered plot-line and in Dekker's connection with the often sad truth of the Christian life here on this Earth; things get complicated, things get dark, and things get messy.

Though he refuses to tie everything off in a nice, perfect little red bow, the truth shines through the pain: the only hope for the hopeless is the holy love and sacrifice of Christ. With th e novel ending in a twist that promises follow up stories, Showdown is a bold new addition to Dekker's resume.

Showdown can be purchased locally at Arrowhead Christian Bookstore in Johnson City, New York. Ted Dekker's website is: http://www.teddekker.com/