Tag Archives: Terry Brennan

2016 Carol Award Winners!

28 Aug

Congratulations to the winners of the 2016 Carol Awards — excellence in Christian fiction.

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Contemporary:
The Art of Losing Yourself by Katie Ganshert

Historical:
Secrets She Kept by Cathy Gohlke

Historical Romance:
A Worthy Pursuit by Karen Witemeyer

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller:
The Aleppo Code by Terry Brennan

Novella:
A Bride for Bear from The Convenient Bride Collection by Erica Vetsch

Romance:
Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Beth K. Vogt

Romantic Suspense:
No Place to Hide by Lynette Eason

Short Novel:
Covert Justice by Lynn Huggins Blackburn

Speculative:
The Five Times I Met Myself by James L. Rubart

Young Adult:
Dauntless by Dina L. Sleiman

Debut:
The Calling of Ella McFarland by Linda Brooks Davis

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Book Review: The Aleppo Code

23 Nov

UnknownWill the code reveal history’s most powerful weapon for destruction―or humanity’s only hope?

The living members of Tom Bohannon’s band of adventurers gather again in Jerusalem―physically battered, emotionally exhausted, spiritually challenged, and in various stages of shock―to examine a copy of the tenth-century Aleppo Code, the oldest complete text of Jewish scripture. What the clues inside reveal could lead to the reuniting of the Ark of the Covenant with its true source of power, a weapon that could lead to victory for this ragged bunch trying to save the world.

Hunted by the relentless assassins of the Prophet’s Guard and caught in the web of an international conspiracy plotting the conquest of Europe, Bohannon’s team searches the ruins of Ancient Babylon. Their search lands them amid the chaos that engulfs western Iraq, but they must press on to accomplish one of the most pivotal pieces of end-times prophecy. This intrepid group will uncover secrets that require them to risk everything for their faith, their country, and the peace of all mankind.

Unfolding against the backdrop of an Israeli/U.S. strike against Iran and the planned economic overthrow of the European Union by the sinister, secret head of the international Muslim Brotherhood, The Aleppo Code is a heart-pounding race. Brennan takes an epic story on a grand scale and tells it primarily through the eyes of one man who is desperately trying to save the world as he follows God’s purpose for his life.

71AJUS+xJsL._UX250_A Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist and an award-winning author, Terry Brennan‘s career is marked with triumph in both the profit and non-profit business sectors and now again in his growing following as an author of fast-paced action-adventure novels that mix today’s geo-political reality with fascinating twists of fiction.

Brennan’s first two novels – The Sacred Cipher and its sequel, The Brotherhood Conspiracy – have received high praise from readers and reviewers alike, and will soon be followed by the third and final book in the series, The Aleppo Code. The Sacred Cipher is the Silver Award winner for Fiction in the ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year contest for 2009. In April, 2013 Publisher’s Weekly called The Brotherhood Conspiracy “an international mystery thriller with a rapid-fire plot … a feast for the senses … intrigue that teeters on the edge of overdose.”

Prior to launching his career as an author, Brennan’s 22-year, award winning journalism career included:
* Seven years as a sportswriter and editor with The Philadelphia Bulletin, at the time the largest-circulation afternoon newspaper in the nation;
* Leading The Mercury of Pottstown (PA), as its editor, to a Pulitzer Prize in Editorial Writing;
* Serving as Executive Editor of a multi-national newspaper firm – Ingersoll Publications – with 400 newspapers in the USA, England and Ireland.

In 1996 Brennan transferred his successful management career to the non-profit sector and served for 12 years as Vice President of Operations for The Bowery Mission and three other ministries of the New York City-based parent organization, the Christian Herald Association, Inc.

Now Chief Administrative Officer for the non-profit agency Care for the Homeless in New York City, Brennan also won the Valley Forge Award for editorial writing from the Freedoms Foundation.

His two adult sons and their families live in Pennsylvania. Terry and his wife Andrea live in New York City area. Their daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter live in West Chester County and their son resides in Brooklyn.

My Impressions:

The third and final installment of Terry Brennan’s Jerusalem Prophecies series, The Aleppo Code, begins where the other books left off. (You can read my reviews of those books by clicking on the following titles: The Sacred Cipher and The Brotherhood Conspiracy.) The team, led by Tom Bohannon, has experienced devastation and grief in their efforts to discover the Tent of Meeting and the hidden Third Temple. But it seems something more is being asked of the group — a commitment to go where God leads looking towards Him for guidance in the face of doubts and confusion. And what God is leading them to may be a weapon for Israel’s enemies or a powerful tool in the hands of God.

Like the other books in the series, The Aleppo Code relies on Biblical history and legend, archeological finds and mysteries and modern day political conspiracy and intrigue. Brennan does an excellent job bringing all of these things together to create a fast-paced political thriller complete with terrorists, government agents and a few angels along the way. There is a vast cast of characters that I sometimes found daunting to keep straight. In the end, I just went along for the ride, enjoying the twists and turns, explosions and chases. The Aleppo Code has an Indiana Jones feel to it, but has a spiritual foundation not found in the Harrison Ford movies. Although the characters may feel out of control at many times, God’s hand is evident in bringing together His plans and purposes. In light of what is currently going on in the Middle East and Europe, the book is timely. There is much more going on behind the scenes than we could imagine.

For those who like complex political suspense with a well-researched historical foundation, The Aleppo Code is a good choice. But it is definitely not a standalone novel. You really do need to begin at the beginning.

Audience: adults.

To purchase this book, click HERE.

(Thanks to Kregel for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

 

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Book Review: The Brotherhood Conspiracy

26 Jul

443173_w185Tom Bohannon’s discovery of an ancient scroll led him on an international adventure and through mysteries of faith and politics, ending in a place not even he could imagine: the Third Temple of God hidden under Temple Mount in Jerusalem.  But soon after his remarkable discovery, the future of the world changed again.  Tom watched as a chasm tore apart Temple Mount, as new rivers swept through the Kidron Valley and into the streets of Old Jerusalem, their discovery swallowed by an earthquake, crushed under tons of stone and debris.  A biblical prophecy realized.  The final days were upon them.

Wondering how to recover from such a momentous find and such horrendous destruction, Tom’s adventures are not over. No one knows how much time is left in these last days—a year? A hundred years? A thousand? Plagued by murderous dreams, Tom fears members of the Prophet Guard—killers who wear the Coptic cross with a lightning bolt slashing through it—are back and looking for him.  But they are not the only threat to Tom and his team.  Forces behind the Arab Spring have sinister plans.  And underestimating their determination would be a fatal mistake.

Excerpt

5b87810ae7a0b1bcce613210-l-_v234389690_Terry Brennan has had an extensive career in journalism, winning several awards, including the Freedoms Foundation Award for editorial writing. Terry served eleven years as the vice president of operations for The Bowery Mission in New York City and is currently a management consultant.

My Impressions:

The Brotherhood Conspiracy is the continuation of the international suspense/intrigue that Terry Brennan began in his first novel, The Sacred Cipher (read review HERE.) Following his adventure in Jerusalem to uncover the Third Temple, Tom Bohannon is back in New York trying to get his life back to normal. But threats from enemies old and new and the machinations of world governments and terrorist groups pull Tom and his band of colleagues back into the middle of a search that could bring the world even closer to an end.

The Brotherhood Conspiracy brings back characters from the first novel and adds a lot more — characters that include terrorists, world leaders, intelligence agents and academics — all with conflicting motives and plans. The first half of the book spends a lot of time introducing these characters, and I have to say I had trouble keeping up with who was who. And all the characters have an agenda. This complexity was a bit of a problem for me, causing me to not fully engage with the story. All of the groups involved are on a race to find  Israel’s Tent of Meeting. The last half of the book is much more fast-paced. The mixing of historical events with the fictional account gives this novel a real life feel — chilling in light of the  fanaticism and calculation exhibited by the characters. And there is obviously a third book coming up, because there are a lot of loose ends and unanswered questions left hanging.

While I think that the overwhelming amount of plot lines is a negative, the spiritual journey the main characters are on is a big positive. We see Tom, whose faith sustained the group in the first book, suffering a crisis of faith. And we have others turn from skeptics to seekers — mostly because of the faith Tom exhibited in book 1. And Proverbs 19:21 was definitely a verse that kept coming to mind —There are many plans in a person’s mind, but it is the counsel of the Lord which will stand.

So, I guess I have some mixed feelings about The Brotherhood Conspiracy. But I will definitely keep book #3 on my wishlist. I just have to know how all this will end!

(Thanks to Kregel for a copy of this book. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase a copy of The Brotherhood Conspiracy, click on the image below.

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Book Review: The Sacred Cipher

21 Jun

424267_w185History’s greatest secret could be tomorrow’s greatest threat. More historically and biblically accurate than The DaVinci Code and just as adventurous as an Indiana Jones movie, The Sacred Cipher combines action and mystery to draw readers into a world of ancient secrets and international escapades. When an ancient scroll appears in a secret room of the Bowery Mission in New York City, Tom Bohannon is both stunned and intrigued. The enigma of the scroll’s contents will send Bohannon and his team ricocheting around the world, drawing the heat of both Jewish and Muslim militaries, and bringing the Middle East to the brink of nuclear war in this heart-pounding adventure of historical proportions. 

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5b87810ae7a0b1bcce613210.L._V234389690_Terry Brennan has had an extensive career in journalism, winning several awards, including the Freedoms Foundation Award for editorial writing. Terry served eleven years as the vice president of operations for The Bowery Mission in New York City and is currently a management consultant.

My Impressions:

If you like Brown’s The DaVinci Code or are an Indiana Jones fan, you need to try Terry Brennan’s The Sacred Cipher. Full of historical detail and heart-pounding adventure, this novel has a faith message that is neither preachy or watered down. A good suspense novel filled with historical details and present day intrigue, it is also the prequel to The Brotherhood Conspiracy that I will be reviewing in a few weeks.

Tom Bohannon is the director of the Bowery Mission in New York City. During a renovation project, a long hidden office containing a safe full of valuable manuscripts is discovered and pulls Tom, along with other colleagues into an international and historical mystery. As the group works to uncover the meaning of the ancient scroll, a determined band of Muslim extremists set out to retrieve the scroll and stop the research at any cost. When Tom’s group discovers the hidden message and the danger that surrounds them, they head to Jerusalem, resolved to expose the long hidden Third Temple for the world to see. But once in Jerusalem, the group finds themselves the target of others — the Israeli’s and the Muslims determined to protect the Temple Mount. They must use their wits not just to find the ancient treasure, but to survive.

The Sacred Cipher is a plot driven novel, but Brennan has created some great characters. He also has created a meticulously researched mystery that just could happen. I especially liked the inclusion of real life historical figures such as Charles Haddon Spurgeon. What a great surprise to find this revered theologian at the front of a dangerous quest for answers! If you like books, archeology, Biblical prophecy and a fast-paced, suspenseful read, then The Sacred Cipher is for you.

Recommended.

(I purchased The Sacred Cipher for my Kindle. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase this book, click on the image below.

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