The Soul Hunter

Quickly becoming one of the most iconic characters in Christian fiction, Dylan Foster's back for battling with the demonic Peter Terry in The Soul Hunter, Melanie Wells's sequel to When the Day of Evil Comes--an equally hillarious novel. Wells's prose is sharp, sassy, and as easy to read as a writer could ever be. Dylan is so realistic and believable that one begins to wonder where author ends and character begins. Don't let the freaky cover scare you off. More a mystery than a suspense novel, this is easily one of my top five novels of '06.

This second novel in the 'Day of Evil' series, was as wonderfully crafted as its predecessor was, and maintained the same refreshingly unique style of Melanie Wells. If you loved the cheeky heroine, Dylan Foster, in the first novel, you will find her even more charming in this story. She has a wonderful sense of humor, even in the face of evil. Each novel in this series has its own proper conclusion; however, I still recommend starting with "When the Day of Evil Comes," to prevent any minor spoilers that may be gleaned from this novel. Although the cover art depicts the nefarious Peter Terry--a corporeal demon--do not misinterpret this to be a horror story. This is superbly written fiction, which remains stimulating without gimmick.

Melanie Wells does it again! She entertains, amuses, and scares the dickens out of us. Her writing is superb, her heroine charming, and her villain absolutely blood-chilling. And then there's the rats...

Although there is a super-creepy villain on the cover of The Soul Hunter, demonic Peter Terry doesn't make much of a show, making this novel have more of a super snarky chick-lit mystery feel rather than horror. In my opinion, what really makes this book stand out is the true to life heroine: A sassy thirty something, single, academic who always finds herself in the middle of one mess or another. For mystery lovers, you'll be pleased by the twists Melanie throws at you. The writing is superb and the plot satisfying and unpredictable. Melanie Wells is an excellent storyteller. Her writing is hip, sassy, relevant and highly entertaining.

Creepy. Haunting. Realistic. Thought-provoking. Hilarious. Those are the first words that come to my mind in attempting to describe The Soul Hunter. Oh, and rats. If you can't handle rats, don't even pick up this book. Better yet, deal with your rat phobia and pick up the book anyway. The night before her 35th birthday, Dylan Foster and her boyfriend David are scheduled to go out for a nice dinner. While she is getting ready for her date, Dylan hears a thud at the front door. She runs to open it, hoping for a present from UPS. Instead, she finds a bloody axe on her porch. After reporting the incident, she finds out there has been a murder, and she has been thrown right in the middle of it. Happy birthday to Dylan. You'd think Dylan would've had enough trouble from demons and murderers. But the saga continues and even worsens for this Texas psychologist. In addition to the axe, terror strikes when Peter Terry shows up again. Can things possibly get worse? Oh yeah. The story continues as the search for the murderer intensifies. But things are not as they seem. A deeper power is at work for those whose lives hang in the balance. Will Dylan lean on the One who can get her through this ordeal? Will more innocent people have to suffer, or will mercy reign? In the first book of this series, Dylan learned the inestimable value of prayer and the Word. With that knowledge under her belt, will she put on God's full armor as the only way to combat the devil's evil schemes? There is a battle raging for men's souls. Those who wish to harm mortal man play for keeps. Thankfully, there is Someone stronger than the forces of darkness, and He is available to those who call on Him. Spiritual warfare is real, as the author has intimated in this supernatural tale. I admire the way Wells has us peer into the unseen (and sometimes seen) and think about what is happening beyond our limited vision. If we have the spiritual eyes to see, we will find God is definitely at work. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and highly recommend this up and coming author of supernatural suspense. This genre deserves more fantastic books like this one.