The Long Way Home by Andrew Klavan

Charlie West was an ordinary high school kid who went to bed one night and woke up in the clutches of terrorists and wanted by the police for murder.



Now, with both the terrorists and the cops on his trail, Charlie makes his way home to find some answers. Holed up in an abandoned mansion, Charlie is joined by his high school buddies as he tries to find the truth about a murder he can't remember--and recover the love he can't forget.

The Long Way Home is the second book in the Homelanders Series. Though this series is geared for teens, I enjoy it, as many adults would.
 
This book - and the first - are filled with action, suspense, and a very likable hero, Charlie. The books aren't typical Christian fiction - not much of a Christian message - though this one had more of it than the first, but they are clean, cursing-free, and have a great plot and story line. Teens and adults that enjoy fast-paced suspense will enjoy this series.
 
There is a lot of mystery in these books - Charlie has no idea what has happened to him in recent months, and has the law chasing him for crimes he doesn't remember committing. One downside, is these books end leaving you wanting more, but that can be a good thing too.

In The Long Way Home, Charlie finds out more about what has happened in the last year - a year that is gone from his memory. With the help of friends, he begins to investigate the murder he was framed for. This book has just as much suspense and action as the first, and I was sorry to reach the end.

This is a series where each book picks up where the last left off, but if someone reads a description of #1, there is enough review in this one that the gist of things will be easily grabbed by the reader.
 
The books are hardcover, and definitely worth your time. A side note, Christianbook.com is selling the hardcover of #1 right now for $4.99, so buy it for the teen in your life, or for yourself.

You can read the first chapter of the first book, The Last Thing I Remember - here: http://www.thehomelanders.com/banners/SampleChapters.pdf - and find more about the series at http://www.thehomelanders.com/.
 

About the author:

 
Andrew Klavan is the author of several bestselling novels, including Don't Say A Word, filmed starring Michael Douglas, and True Crime, filmed by Clint Eastwood. His essays have appeared, among other places, in the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, City Journal and the Claremont Review. His series featuring Private Eyes Jim Bishop and Scott Weiss began with Dynamite Road and Shotgun Alley and will soon include Damnation Street.


The Long Way Home is available from Thomas Nelson Publishing.
 
Thanks to Thomas Nelson for providing me with a review copy.