All Things Bright and Strange

by James Markert

A haunting tale of love, loss, and redemption.

"Markert's latest supernatural novel is captivating from the beginning... Readers of Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker will love Markert's newest release." - 4 STARS, RT Book Reviews

In the wake of World War I in the small, Southern town of Bellhaven, South Carolina, the town folk believe they've found a little slice of heaven in a mysterious chapel in the woods. But they soon realize that evil can come in the most beautiful of forms.

The people of Bellhaven have always looked to Ellsworth Newberry for guidance, but after losing his wife and his future as a professional pitcher, he is moments away from testing his mortality once and for all. Until he finally takes notice of the changes in his town . . . and the cardinals that have returned.

Upon the discovery of a small chapel deep in the Bellhaven woods, healing seems to fall upon the townspeople, bringing peace after several years of mourning. But as they visit the "healing floor" more frequently, the people begin to turn on one another, and the unusually tolerant town becomes anything but.

The cracks between the natural and supernatural begin to widen, and tensions rise. Before the town crumbles, Ellsworth must pull himself from the brink of suicide, overcome his demons, and face the truth of who he was born to be by leading the town into the woods to face the evil threatening Bellhaven.

• ISBN10: 071809025X
• ISBN13: 9780718090258
• Publish Date: 30 January 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
• Imprint: HarperPerennial
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

All Things Bright and Strange is an interesting period horror fable set in interwar period in the southern USA. Released 30th Jan 2018 by HarperCollins' Christian imprint Thomas Nelson, it's 336 pages and available in most formats, including large print.

James Markert has a deft touch with plotting and characterization. The dialogue was, admittedly, choppy in places. It wasn't ever egregious enough to yank me out of the story though. What I did find heavy going was the philosophy. There is nothing very subtle about the religious aspects of the book. There are angels (literal angels), a number of religious professionals (priest, rabbi, etc, along with the angels) as well as a large cast of everymen including the protagonist Ellsworth, whose search for meaning and healing for himself and the town drives the story.

The Gothic atmosphere and creeping horror of this book were remarkable. I almost found myself dreading reading because I kept waiting for a jump-scare that never materialized. The author just kept ratcheting up the tension until it was physically uncomfortable to read. (In a good way? I guess?).

I can imagine that some more rigid religiously adherent readers might possibly take exception to the representation of the angelic and demonic characterizations in the book. There is also a feeling of 'all valid roads lead to redemption' with which some readers might take exception.

It is possible to read this book without over-examining and dissecting the religious aspects. I think it compares quite favorably with other fiction with religious overtones (The Exorcist, or Needful Things, for example) and can certainly be read for the story itself. It would make a good reading group selection (and indeed, it includes a number of questions for discussion at the end), and also for horror fans who prefer their books more atmospheric than explicit.

Three and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.