The Bishop

Now this book is not just a normal thriller, it's the fourth book in a series of epicly awesome thrillers by best-selling author Steven James, who is a complete genius.

The Bishop follows the story of the previous novels, The Pawn, The Rook, and The Knight. Is the series about chess? Well, in a way. It's actually about FBI Special Agent Patrick Bowers, in first-person, and some of his very interesting cases. Cases that involve the things that the FBI usually get involved in . . . such as serial killers.

This particular story takes place in and around Washington D.C. The daughter of a congressman was found brutally murdered, which eventually leads to a long string of crimes that have been perfectly orchestrated. The killers are two people, a man and a woman. They go by the names they used when they met in a game online, Astrid and Brad.

Torn by relationship issues and personal matters that threaten to tear his life apart, Pat Bowers is stuck in the middle of this case that seems to go nowhere, except when the killers allow it to go on.

This story takes you in and doesn't let go. Steven James is a grammatical genius and I looked and studied the entire novel looking for just one typo. I finally found it in the last ten chapters or so, and it made me more satisfied that you would guess. James is such an amazing person at storytelling and english-related subjects that he'll have my respect for the rest of my life.

Though, as this is a series about solving crime, the series is sometimes pretty gruesome. I could handle it, but I wouldn't be able to if it were a movie. I'd rate the book PG-13. If there will ever be a movie, I'd rate it R.

James is a Christian and finds small ways to hint at his faith through his novels. My guess is that by the end of the series, Patrick Bowers will find salvation. He needs it.

Armed with a gripping story, an unforgettable cast of characters, and cool futuristic elements (even though it takes place modern-day), The Bishop is a must-read for anyone who can handle the happenings. But please remember what I said about the ratings, and definitely read the series in order, starting with The Pawn.

And actually, The Queen is set to come out Summer 2011. Not nearly as far away as I thought it might be.

~Reuben/Arkatox~

P.S. For those who might possibly be wondering, I returned Bill Myers' Blood of Heaven to the library when The Bishop came in. Myers is just kind of boring. I'm sure it would've gotten better if I'd continued, but I desperately wanted to read The Bishop, since it'd been at least half a year since I read The Knight.