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    Forsaken: A Novel
    Forsaken: A Novel
    Forsaken: A Novel
    Ebook355 pages8 hours

    Forsaken: A Novel

    By James David Jordan

    3.5/5

    ()

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    About this ebook

    When Simon Mason, the world’s best-known televangelist, receives threats from Muslim terrorists, he hires Taylor Pasbury, a beautiful former Secret Service agent, to take charge of his security. Taylor is thrilled to receive the high-profile assignment, but she has no idea that Simon already knows more about her than she could imagine.

    When the terrorists strike, making a demand of the pastor that would shake the most steadfast saint, Taylor draws on all of her hard-knock toughness and training as she fights to save Simon and his daughter. Along the way, she discovers that she is not the only one who has done things she would like to forget—and she is not the only one who understands that some things are more important than living.

    "James David Jordan pens a fascinating tale that is more than a suspense novel. An intimate exploration of the soul’s need for acceptance and belonging, it touches the nerves of some of our most sensitive fears and longings. Forsaken is a moving and relevant saga of faith on a collision course with the brutalities of our world."

    Endorsements:

    "James David Jordan pens a fascinating tale that is more than a suspense novel. An intimate exploration of the soul’s need for acceptance and belonging, it touches the nerves of some of our most sensitive fears and longings. Forsaken is a moving and relevant saga of faith on a collision course with the brutalities of our world."

    —Jill Elizabeth Nelson, author of Reluctant Burglar and Reluctant Smuggler

    "Entertaining, action packed, and thought provoking. I couldn’t put it down. Forsaken is a must read."

    —Patricia Rushford, author of Deadly Aim and As Good as Dead

    "With more twists and turns than a rip-roaring rollercoaster ride, Forsaken will keep you guessing right to final page. You’ll find no easy answers here but many to consider."

    —Ken Abraham, New York Times bestselling author

    "I have read many enthralling suspense novels, meaningful love stories, and books that challenged my thinking and purpose, but never has a novel combined all three elements with such adeptness as Forsaken."

    —RelzReviews

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBH Publishing Group
    Release dateOct 1, 2008
    ISBN9780805449433
    Forsaken: A Novel
    Author

    James David Jordan

    James David Jordan is a business attorney in Texas and was named by the Dallas Business Journal as one of the most influential leaders in that legal community. He holds a journalism degree from the University of Missouri as well as a law degree and MBA from the University of Illinois and lives with his wife and two teenage children in the Dallas suburbs. Forsaken is his second novel.

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    Reviews for Forsaken

    3.5/5

    33 ratings10 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Wow! Talk about gripping you by the throat and not letting go. That's how I felt when I read Forsaken. I did not want to put this book down. In fact, as I was working at my HOS job one evening at a local theme park, I had the book in my hand and one of the make-up artists asked me about it since she had seen me reading it on numerous occasions. After I finished reading the book, I passed it on to her, and she passed it on to her mom when she finished reading it--it's THAT good! (Did I mention that neither is a Christian, so I've been getting a few questions too?!) If you like suspense thrillers, you'll be hooked by James David Jordan's writing. The subjects of loneliness, unconditional love, and crisis of faith are portrayed with reality as the characters are faced with seemingly impossible situations. You'll be sucked in as you first meet Taylor and her father on her birthday camping trip. You'll also weep for Simon as he must make a horrible choice to save his daughter Kacey from her terrorist kidnappers.Forsaken by James David Jordan is a must have! You will not be disappointed.
    • 3/5
      Forsaken is a pretty good story. It's about a private detective assigned to the security detail of a famous televangelist. It was interesting to read a Christian novel with main characters who have such a sordid history, but it was refreshingly real, too. The book is suspenseful enough that it kept me up late to find out what happened, but it seems to have several endings, never really wrapping itself up very well. The characters are interesting, though. Overall, not a bad read.
    • 4/5
      What an intriguing story through former Secret Service now Private Security Personnel Taylor Pasbury's eyes. The entire novel is told in a recitation with bits of humor as if in a verbal report. As a huge Alias/spy-type fan this story was a great fit in genre for me. It is shocking that I had not found author James David Jordan's work before, and now that I have I plan to read much more. I'm especially excited that as soon as I finish this review, I can start reading the sequel to this novel "Forsaken" which is called "Double Cross". Including some of the nit and gritty, this is a very realistic tale that brings to light the good and bad in people. Strength and forgiveness of ones-self are themes as well as terrorism plots and rescue attempts. This was one of those books where when I had to put it down to tend to something else I was amazed at how far I had already read. A page turner and a tool to delve into realism issues of the reader's own-self is only part of what makes this a great book. Highly recommended. *Thanks to Julie of B&H Books for a copy to review.*
    • 4/5
      A very thought-provoking topic which leads the reader to question what would they do in this situation. This book touches on a lot of subjects which include terrorism and faith in God. If someone were to pose the question to you in a non-urgent, hypothetical way you may be able to answer but in the real heat of the moment the choice may not be as clear.
    • 3/5
      The first half of Forsaken was pretty good. It starts out strong with enough excitement and suspense to keep the reader interested, but there is a definite shift somewhere along the way, and the last half was disappointing. In addition to a somewhat in-cohesive plot, there was very little character development (there was a lot of potential with Taylor that was just never realized), the dialogue was often redundant, and there were issues brought up that were never resolved.
    • 4/5
      A powerful and emotional book that grips the reader from start to finish, Forsaken manages to explore the thoughts and feelings of its characters despite the rapid succession of events that take place.The author more than adequately enters the world of a single woman by revealing her past and her ongoing battles, giving a balanced approach to her emotions and motivations. However, the fact that the protagonist is not an evangelical Christian (there are only cursory references to her religious upbringing and her practise of prayer during crisis) means that this Christian fiction book feels unresolved and incomplete, falling short of initial expectations. The book promotes a Christian worldview but it does not come in the form of first-person, which slightly detracts from the overall message.If one can overlook this shortcoming, the rest of the book is enjoyable; the intricate details of interpersonal relationships is well-played against a religious background. Although the conclusion is rushed, the author is able to provide a real glimpse into the heart of a man who wishes to be a faithful servant to Jesus Christ, even if that man happens to be a televangelist.
    • 3/5
      Jordan has written a fast-paced book about terrorism, religion, and relationships. While a few details are questionable, the book is largely entertaining. The relationship between the two main characters is interesting and the twist at the end is one I didn't see coming. Recommended.
    • 2/5
      In Forsaken, James David Jordan weaves an exciting, page-turning tale about a troubled young woman with a tragic past, Taylor, hired as a security officer by a televangelist, Simon, after he receives threats from Muslim extremists. The story is told from Taylor’s perspective as she becomes intricately involved in the lives of Simon and his young-adult daughter, Kacey. Almost immediately, Taylor becomes a integral part of this small family, caught up in the seemingly endless task of protecting Simon and Kacey against a bombing, a kidnapping, an attack from a crazed, religious fanatic and more terrorist threats.Jordan is an eloquent writer, skillfully painting his characters with spunk and humor. Forsaken moved along quickly, with nary a lag in the plot. While this was a good book, however, I can’t help but think that with practice Jordan will become an even better story-teller. This book had a great premise with lots of potential, but as I finished the last page, I felt a nagging disappointment in the book’s overall impact.Taylor, though immensely winsome and likable, doesn’t develop much beyond her character’s introduction. Even her battle with alcoholism feels like an entertaining and unnecessary side story, rather than a springboard for depth and insight. In fact, there were several sub-plots in Forsaken that did little to further the story’s forward movement and fizzled out before Jordan brought them to fruition. In the end, it seemed as though Simon’s influence in Taylor’s life was more superficial than spiritual.In addition, it was hard for me to forgive and forget the silly, nonsense notion that terrorists would perform a sterile, surgical procedure, complete with general anesthesia, to cut someone’s finger off. Terrorists are brutal, inhumane, radical, and violent…hardly the type of people to worry about a hostage’s pain level and risk of infection enough to hire a surgical team. And since the missing finger was a recurring topic, I was repeatedly reminded of this ridiculous detail.Forsaken was entertaining enough that I look forward to watching Jordan develop as an author. He has the ability to tell an engaging story full of action, humor, and suspense as he keeps his reader wondering what will happen next. His characters are colorful, yet mysterious, and the story was both exciting and thought-provoking.
    • 5/5
      Taylor opens up her own security business after she has quit the Secret Service. A televangilist, Simon Mason, calls her to head his security and she find herself invovled with trying to keep a man safe from Muslim terrorists, however it is his daughter that gets kidnapped. They send her finger and ring to verify that they have her, with a message.This book gave an aspect of how a person had to deal with making a decision to the demand to deny Jesus Chrsit as the Son of God in order to save the life of a loved one. Which did he choose? I thought it was very good. It kept up my interest.
    • 2/5
      Starting out with a crash and a bang, I was hooked from page one. The main character Taylor is enjoyable in her wit and sarcastic sense of humor as well as her ability to emanate from the pages into real life. From square one I was not reading a book about those far away from me, I was reading a book about real and believable characters. Jordan's writing style made it that one respected the characters on the page as well as enjoying their own personalities. This kept me turning pages and wondering what would happen next. What happened is that I was entertained by the fluff novel, but reading it became more and more unbelievable. Taylor is a self proclaimed non-believer, but when she falls upon an instance for caring for another human being she decides to "pray for them". Even though she sarcastically shrugs off that her prayers will not matter, she decides to pray anyways. This brought up a red flag in my book - how can a non-believer and a heart hardened person at that decide to pray. Kind of unbelievable. The next point was when having a heart to heart with the same character, Simon Mason, she begins a religious debate with him. Frankly all the non-believers that I've met that are heart hardened don't care what Christians say and don't care one bit for the words coming out of their mouth. There were some discrepancies between those that I've perceived as non-believers and the character Taylor Pasbury. Then she changes her tune later on and says that she believes in God but has "never been a relgious person". Red flag number three rises up the flag pole there!All in all, Forsaken was an exciting book that kept me on my toes and continually reading. I didn't agree with everything the author had to say, but it was worthwhile and fun to read. I might be compelled to recommend this book to some of the patrons at the library who like Christian fiction, but I may not. It was an okay book.

    Book preview

    Forsaken - James David Jordan

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