The Devil's Game: A Fast-Paced Christian Fiction Suspense Thriller

I love to read a good supernatural thriller. This was a good read and to be honest I was sad when it ended. Looking forward to reading more books by this author.

Not since Stephen King or Frank Peretti have I come across such an exceptional Christian Supernatural Suspense until I picked up Daniel Patterson's The Devil's Game. In fact if you asked Simon Paradis, Harmony's newest resident, he would tell you that you have lived yet until you have met him. Things are going to get a whole lot more interesting for the people in Harmony. What they don't realize is that their very souls are on the line and the last time, Simon came to town, every single person died who chose to stay and see if they could match wits with him.Reverend James Buchman at New Hope Church knows that the man in front of him wearing a long, black coat that is frayed at the edges, long hair and a black goatee with some gray in it, looks much older than he appears even though he can't put his finger on it. Simon Paradis seems to be able to charm his way into volunteering to help out all the people who are part of James church. Little do they really know what his true motives are. Not only is he able to control the thoughts of people he likes to call "weak-minded" but he has a sinister plot in mind if he can only get rid of Reverend Buchman.He knows that subtlety and patience go a long way to bring his plans to fulfillment and all he needs is to convince a few key players in town to do their part to keep Reverend Buchman busy trying to save some people while he begins his deadly game. All he was hoping for was for the Reverend to be willing to lay down his life for his flock or in a twist of fate, simply leave town and Simon will take care of the rest In fact his sinister past has decimated cities in the past, and he is looking to make Harmony his latest target. With Reverend Buchman have enough faith to beat the devil at his own game? Check this one out and see!For fans of Frank Peretti, Ted Dekker and Stephen King, you will definitely want to pick this one up. It's easy to get addicted to it and you can literally inhale this one in a matter of hours. This is a supernatural thriller that pits the devil against the pastor to see who will ultimately win in this spiritual battle for the town of Harmony. This is the first book in the Reverend Buchman Series and at this time is only available for eBook readers. This book is so well written because it engages you from the first chapter and before you know it, you're done. It does have a bit of a cliff hanger ending so you know that the battle continues and Simon is still on the loose. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and LOVE this genre, not to mention it's a Christian suspense thriller! I can't wait for more from Daniel Peterson.

A sinister voice telling the older reverend he didn’t look so good. He had gone to the police , and to end with giving words of forgiveness, As the killer squeezed the life from him. James had been at this church for three months, coming straight from the seminar. New man in this small community looking not young nor old. What was he here for, they soon found out. Going and praying for those door to door, praying as a united front saved many, Hopefully nothing like that comes again.

I have to admit to feeling fairly disappointed with this somewhat predictable, really unsubtle spiritual warfare novel. Very pale shades of Peretti.Where Peretti grabs the reader and holds them with gripping stories and characters, The Devil's Game did not have that type of hold at all. The characters, including Satan, were very stereotypical and I did not feel any great sense of connection to them or their cliché-named town, Harmony.Although unintentional, I'm sure, the strongest message communicated (without actually saying it) was "the devil made me do it," and that did not sit all that well with me. Again, the author may not have meant that to be the underlying message, but it was.The conclusion came in a rush, with a fairly clichéd action climax. Then there was an epilogue, and that was it. All wrapped up neatly for Harmony, with a teaser of future adventures for the two pastors.Having said all that, I didn't dislike The Devil's Game. Honest. I just expected more. More character development; more plot; more story. I would probably rate it 2.5 rather than 3, but it does deserve more than 2. It is a quick read that doesn't demand a great deal of the reader. Stories like this will always find a market with Christian readers hungry for the next This Present Darkness. It had potential, and I guess I can understand the many good ratings, but unlike Peretti's classics, The Devil's Game did not leave me breathless or longing for more. It actually made me want to dig out those old Peretti classics and re-read them instead.

Good Christian fiction. A little short, but still good.I especially appreciated the author's ability to personify Satan in human form. This made the Christian's battle against our enemy more realistic.With that said, I will offer two constructive criticisms. First, I would simply ask for better proof reading. There were several editorial errors, but not many.Secondly, and most importantly was the lack of Jesus' name throughout the book. God's word specifically tells us that it is through Jesus' name that we have power and authority over the works of our enemy.So Daniel, in future works, let me encourage you to prayerfully consider the use of the "name that is above every name," the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

It was okay. I believe in the devil but don't spend a lot of my time thinking about him. Perhaps I should be more aware of this aspect of my Christian walk. This clearly is a work of fiction. I don't believe the devil would be so blatant in his approach, preferring to work behind the scenes in the dark recesess of our minds. I think we shold all be aware of his methods and temptations but we have been given the weapons to defeat him. The story is interesting, just not too believeable. I think a good story of fiction should have enough truth in it to make it seem like it could be real. Some of my favorite authors have a way of weaving a story that take a work of fiction and make it seem real like it could truly be tomorrow's headlines. Those are the stories that capture my interest. This falls short of that.