When Heaven Weeps by Ted Dekker

This is a disturbing book featuring all three themes. Heavy on redemption. Evil driven by vengeance. And justice prevails. It’s the second of the Martyr’s Song series. I’ve read the first one, but what that was about is a vague memory. This one may stay with me for some time.

Janjic Jovic is the main character. A former Bosnian Serb soldier who immigrates to America. The first part of the story takes place in a small village in Bosnia. This part is rough to read but is the setup for the rest of the book. That’s all the plot I want to reveal. You must experience it for yourself.

As said earlier, the book disturbed me. It frustrated me. But it is worth the read. It features so many elements. There’s crime. There’s action. There’s war. It’s the story of one character’s struggle with addiction. It’s ultimately a romance, both on the human level and the divine level. I believe the story is an allegory of God’s love for His children, and the frustrations God feels when we constantly stray from Him. I view this book as a modern-day retelling of the Biblical book Hosea.

There is no profanity, no on-page sex, but plenty of violence, including torture and murder. This was written before trigger warnings were popular, so if you don’t want to read about violence to children, women, or about drug use, then you should avoid this. Otherwise, it’s a fascinating, but difficult read. The writing is fantastic. The story is compelling. I wanted to know what was going to happen and how things would turn out. There were many times I thought about not finishing, but the story compelled me to continue. And I’m glad I did.

I’ll rank this one number 5 for the year.

1. The Last Exchange by Charles Martin
2. The Keeper by Charles Martin
3. The Chair by James L. Rubart
4. Weapons of Remorse by Chevron Ross
5. When Heaven Weeps by Ted Dekker
6. Relentless by Ed Gorman
7. The New Iberia Blues by James Lee Burke
8. Framed by James Scott Bell
9. 61 Hours by Lee Child
10. The Big Empty by Robert Crais
11. After Her Deceit by Steve Rush
12. The Final Detail by Harlan Coben
13. Water Grave by Mitchell S. Karnes
14. The Book of Answers by Darrow Woods
15. My Brother’s New Wife by Matt McGregor
16. Deadly Silence by Erik Carter
17. Neon Prey by John Sandford
18. A Tan and Sandy Silence by John D. MacDonald
19. Perfect Daughter by Ion Esimai
20. Her Last Wish by Blake Pierce

Commission Earned