The Return

A religious reporter is dispatched to Brazil to determine the legitimacy of a self-proclaimed Christ, a black women from the ghetto who has the masses hanging on her every word of 'peace and love.' The so-called messiah also conducts spontaneous healings, which surprises even the skeptical newsman, Michael Mason, himself a former priest who has seen his share of religious phonies.But all is not what it seems. There are secret ties to the Vatican; handlers with multiple agendas; fallen priests and Bishops; and even a couple of mysterious blue corpses. Sometimes it hard to 'believe' that this is the second Coming, and at other times it hard not to believe that she is the One. The author, Mark Mustian, does a great job keeping us wondering where the truth lies in his tightly woven novel.This is a superb first book for Mr. Mustian. Maybe a little slow at the beginning, but the second half of the novel makes up for it with its suspense and grand finale. All of the best selling authors today started with first novels, and Mr. Mustian has done a great job with his, THE RETURN.

A man compelled to investigate religious accounts of Jesus' return meets his match in the form of an elderly Brazilian woman who claims to be Jesus. Will the Second Coming be born out of a third-world ghetto and a band of survivors? The plot and characterization are indeed powerful as journalist Mike Mason's pursuit of the truth lands him in political and personal danger in a rapidly changing world.

I highly recommend this for anyone who loves the twists and turns of a classic Ludlum spy story or the escalating pace of a Clancy techno-thriller. Some story plots thin out and tire as the pace quickens to the ending, but not this one. Here, the plot seems to defy the laws of physics by moving faster as it thickens. Before you know it you are racing to keep up, and if you're like me you'll find yourself consuming this story in great gulps rather than small sips. And yet I was pleasantly surprised by the subtlety with which Mustian addresses the myriad archetypes and stereotypes one might expect from a novel with such a robust religious theme. If you're one of those people who likes to try to outguess the author and enjoys being surprised when you're wrong, this is the book for you.

Though religious fiction would not normally be my first choice of genres, I found this book to be a well-wrought story with unique and thoughtfully drawn characters. More importantly though, I think the idea of the return of Christ in the guise of a large, black Brazilian woman is a courageous move that very simply focuses on some of the truest tenets of Christianity and deftly challenges a host of stereotypes, prejudices and perceptions. I recommend this book to everyone.

The Author takes you to another world with twists and turns as you move through the pages. Intriguing concept, interesting and a great escape, although it could be closer to the truth then one would want to admit.