Sunday, January 31, 2016

The Ravine by Robert Pascuzzi

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Book Information
Genre: Supernatural mystery and suspense
  • Paperback: 236 pages
  • Publisher: Hope Messenger, LLC (March 19, 2014)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0615982999
  • ISBN-13: 978-0615982991

Synopsis: Are you ready to explore and question your own views on faith, hope, forgiveness and the afterlife? 

On a typical weekday morning in a peaceful suburb of Akron, Ohio, the town awakens to discover that Rachel Turner and her son, Evan have been brutally murdered during the night. A short while later, Danny Turner is found in his car at the bottom of a ravine, after having taken his own life. Any explanation as to why a loving father and husband would suddenly commit a series of such heinous crimes has gone to the grave with the accused.

The mystery only deepens as the details of the murders emerge, and evidence of premeditation as well as Danny’s hidden past are revealed.

Subsequently, Rachel’s closest friend, Carolyn Bianci, sinks into a deep depression, while her husband, Mitch, copes with his despair by attempting to uncover the facts of the crime. Eventually they encounter Joanna Larson, a fascinating woman who possesses extraordinary spiritual gifts. Through Joanna, the truth about the events that took place the night of the murders are unveiled. The answers Mitch and Carloyn get are beyond their human understanding.

Inspired by true events, The Ravine is a story of faith, forgiveness, and most of all, the restoration of hope—even for the most seemingly unredeemable among us.
 

Review: I chose to read this book because I had heard that it was a Christian book, based on a true story, and with themes of forgiveness and hope.  While it does focus on forgiveness and hope, much of the "theology" presented is not supported by the Christian beliefs I have held for most of my life.

Regardless of that issue, I still found this to be a story worth reading. Reading about the events which led up to the horrific crime, and then about the aftermath, where friends and family tried to deal with what happened and to understand why was heartbreaking. When it came to the portion of the story regarding Joanna, however, I found it difficult to accept. Including her in the story is what caused my rating to drop from four to three stars. In my opinion, her character pulled the story toward the occult more than the religious.

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**


Rating: Three stars

About the author
 photo 8127413_zpsquro7eao.jpg Robert Pascuzzi is an entrepreneur, husband and father from the Midwest whose comfortable existence was shattered due to a horrendous crime that impacted him and his family. In the wake of that tragedy, he was led on a spiritual journey that challenged his core beliefs. Compelled to share what he learned, this book was born.

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