Book Review: Third Watch by Bodie and Brock Thoene (A. D. Chronicles #3)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Stories of God's love to warm and encourage

Cons: None

The Bottom Line: 

God's love is focus

Many plots woven through book

Strong final product

Heartache and Hope

When it comes to Christian historical fiction, one writing team stands out from the others. Husband and wife Brock and Bodie Thoene have been vividly bring other times and places to life for almost 20 years now. With this series, they've turned their sights on first century Israel and the Earthly life and ministry of Jesus, called by his Hebrew name of Yeshua here. Each book focuses on the lives of people He touched while exploring the politics of the time.

Third Watch, the third book in the series, follows several different plot threads. Picking up on a plot thread from the first book, Manaen struggles with his sudden blindness. Will his bitterness destroy his new life with Susanna? New characters and stories are introduced as well. In Caesarea Philippi, the rabbi's oldest daughter longs for love as she awaits the Messiah's coming. And flute maker Alexander struggles with dealing with the death of his wife and raising his possessed son alone. Is there any hope from the God his fathers rejected? While all these personal struggles are happening, Yeshua's disciples and other followers debate how and when He will declare Himself as the king of the Jews. And Herod makes another bid to destroy this threat to his throne.

The Thoene's original books focused on political intrigue. While there is some of that here with Herod's story, the main focus is on personal dramas. And they are excellent. I'm sure that anyone familiar with the New Testament recognized one of the stories here from just my one sentence description. I suspected where most of the others were going as well. Even so, I couldn't put the book down. Every story was engaging, and when they'd switch to a different character, I was sorry to leave the ones I'd just read about.

What makes this book work are the characters. They have done an excellent job of making them real. I felt Manaen's pain. I wanted to weep with Alexander. And scenes with the rabbi's daughter made me feel lonely. I was literally crying while I read the climax to the book. And through it all, their portrait of Jesus shines. Here He is a personal friend to all who meet Him. It sheds a new light on the familiar characters and stories of the New Testament, and I love it.

The writing is wonderful. They successfully balance the plots and characters without ever losing me once. With all the books behind them, it should come as no surprise that the writing is smooth and polished. I got lost in their world as the pages flew by.

This book includes Bible references and discussion questions at the end, so it can be used as a personal or group Bible study as well as a novel.

Third Watch is a powerful look at the life of Jesus that will encourage and captivate everyone.