Predator by Terri Blackstock..... My review

Earlier this week, I posted the information for Predator by Terri Blackstock for the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance. That can be found here. I had received the book late, and didn't have time to read it. I did get it read tonight, so I am posting my actual review of it in this post.

First, a description of the book:

In Predator, the newest page-turner by bestselling author Terri Blackstock, a killer is stalking the online social network GrapeVyne. Determined to bring her teenage sister's murderer to justice, Krista Carmichael puts her own life on the line to bait the killer. But when this online predator turns his sights on her, will she be able to control the outcome?


The murder of Krista Carmichael’s fourteen-year-old sister by an online predator has shaken her faith and made her question God’s justice and protection. Desperate to find the killer, she creates an online persona to bait the predator. But when the stalker turns his sights on her, will Krista be able to control the outcome?



Ryan Adkins started the social network GrapeVyne in his college dorm and has grown it into a billion-dollar corporation. But he never expected it to become a stalking ground for online Predators. One of them lives in his town and has killed two girls and attacked a third. When Ryan meets Krista, the murders become more than a news story to him, and everything is on the line.


Joining forces, he and Krista set out to stop the killer. But when hunters pursue a hunter, the tables can easily turn. Only God can protect them now.

My review:

This is one of those "read-in-one-sitting books." Totally awesome. I started reading it around 9 this evening, and finished it close to 11:30. This is one of the best books Terri has written. First off, the plot...... great idea. An online predator finding his victims on a ficticious website, GrapeVyne, similar to the real Facebook. Suspense - there is a lot of it. The book has its sad moments, but I couldn't put the book down and read as fast as I could without missing anything, so I could get to the conclusion.

The book does have it all: good plot, great suspense, even romance, and guess what..... Terri did it all without any curse words or inappproriate content, but the Christian theme would boldly throughout the book - who would have thought it possible?! (Sarcasm from a guy who wearies of curse words creeping into Christian novels.

Terri Blackstock is one of the first Christian authors to start writing suspense, and I personally look at her as one of the pioneers of the Christian suspense/mystery novel. She has never pulled punches with the Christian element/message, and I am glad to see all these years later, she has not changed, and this book shows why she has been one of my long time favorite authors.

This book is not only an awesome suspense novel, it shows the dangers of social networking, and hopefully will encourage people to be more careful, not only for themselves, but their kids.

About the author:

Terri Blackstock (www.terriblackstock.com) has sold six million books worldwide and is a New York Times bestseller. She is the award-winning author of Intervention and Double Minds, as well as such series as Cape Refuge, Newpointe 911, the SunCoast Chronicles, and the Restoration Series.


Author Website:
http://www.terriblackstock.com/

Thanks to Zondervan for the review copy.

Here is a contest in connection with the book: http://www.terriblackstock.com/contests/