Book Review: Cooking the Books

Humor is difficult to write, but this debut novel by Bonnie Calhoun is a wonderful example of how to successfully mix it into a suspenseful story that keeps the pages turning. I've known Bonnie for a few years thanks to my connection with the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance. My exchanges with Bonnie have always been brimming with humor (LOL), so it was no surprise to me when I began reading Cooking the Books and found ripping humor practically on each page. Sometimes I laughed out loud (just ask my wife).

Meanwhile, the humor doesn't empower a suspenseful tale in its own right. The heroine, Sloane Templeton, certainly has her share of troubles—from an angry, abusive, former boyfriend to the pain from her mother's recent death. Her most troubling problem is the fact that someone wants her dead.

To keep the conflict from turning too bleak, Calhoun has sprinkled the story with a cast of hilarious characters, the most fascinating of all is Sloane herself, who is her own worst enemy. She lies, she loses her cool, and she has an eating problem. But she quickly confesses to God that she's not the woman of faith she knows she needs to be. Flawed? Definitely. But in an endearing way. It's nice to see a character struggle through real-world faith issues.

I enjoyed this debut novel. The suspense thread offered enough thrills to keep me wondering what was going to happen, and the humor added to the entertainment value. A nice twist toward the end left me reeling in surprise. Congratulations, Bonnie, on a great debut novel. I look forward to seeing what you've got planned for the days ahead.