Wedgewood Grey

After reading the first in this series, I could not wait to get Wedgewood Gray--It was well worth the wait. It is one of the best books I have read in a long time.

First, let me say this and get it out of the way. John Aubrey Anderson has in a matter of a few months become one of my favorite authors. His books are among those that will always remain in my possession. I couldn't possibly think of parting with them. They're too important for what they teach and how they entertain. Entertaining while teaching valuable truths is one of those things I want to learn to do in my own writing. With the help of novels like Wedgewood Grey and it's predecessor, Abiding Darkness, I feel it is a doable task. Wedgewood Grey is book two in the Black Or White Chronicles. And it's the ongoing saga of the Washington family and the Parker family. This emphasis this time out is on Mose Washington, whose family went through so much and yet this man stood strong in his faith in book one, Abiding Darkness. Fifteen years prior to this books story, Mose lost his young son to the evil that has taken root at Cat Lake. That was only the beginning. Now as you open the pages of Wedgewood Grey you'll find Mose in another predicament at the infamous lake. One that will cause him to run, while taking on the responsibility of raising a boy whose lost his mother despite Mose's best efforts to the stop the evil from taking her. The one thing I found surprising about this second installment was the near absence of Missy Parker, who upon reading Abiding Darkness, one would conclude is the focal point of the series. She's there and she plays a most valuable part, but it's very late in the story. On the contrary the story really centers itself around Mose and an FBI agent named Jeff Wagner. Wagner is a man who, try as he might, can seem to draw no other conclusion concerning resent events than that it's the work of demons and the God they oppose. A shoe he finds, as an unbeliever in such ideas, very hard to fit. With this novel, Anderson's second, I see growth as a writer and storyteller. His words are full of wisdom and charm, wit and grace. He is indeed among the best of today, and maybe even yesteryear's, southern fiction writers. If you enjoy stories of the old south or of the good ole days as many call them, you'll love this story. If spiritual warfare is your thing, you'll love this book. If you just love an engaging story that will take you to a place you've never gone, but would love to be, you'll love this story. I can't wait for the next installment coming later this year. It's called And If I Die. I'm full of questions about what more will happen with Mose and what's to become of Missy. I hope you'll join me in finding out.

John Aubrey Anderson is a new author who writes with a wisdom and talent that belies his "new" status. His first book in the Black and White Chronicles, Abiding Darkness, set a high standard for the subsequent books. Let me say right away that you won't do the story justice if you don't read Abiding first. The story there is spoiled if you skip to Wedgewood Grey. He does a good job of bringing in the elements needed from AD into WG, but it isn't the same as savoring it directly. WG continues the story of the Parkers and Washingtons, a white and black family respectively, from Mississippi. The wise and "mild-mannered until pushed" Mose Washington is drawn into a confrontation with some white youth over the attack of a black woman, and staying true to AD, the confrontation is much deeper than the direct event. Soon there is trouble with a deplorable politician, a backwoods sheriff, and a green FBI agent. Anderson continues to excel with memorable characters. From the southern belle Caroline "Ceedie" Davis to the fresh faced agent Jeff Wagner, he gets in the heads of his characters and brings them to life on the page. The world created here is one you are not prepared to leave when finishing the book. He also does a masterful job with the tension and suspense. There isn't quite as much action as AD, but he skillfully works the struggle - playing it out without going overboard. One minor disappointment is that the key character from AD, Missy Parker, is not as prominent in this book. Maybe I just fell in love with her too much, but I'd be surprised if her story was over just yet... Anderson is not afraid of going into spiritual ideas, but it is handled with care and flows with the story. If you want to read a well-crafted, suspenseful novel, then don't let anything hold you back from the Black and White Chronicles. My only complaint? Now I have to wait until August 2007 for the next book in the series, And If I Die. Dadgummit!

"If you forget everything else that happened here tonight, you need to remember this...this isn't a crossroads, it's a threshold." Missy Parker is married and has moved away from Cat Lake but despite the passing of fifteen years, the evil that lurked in the murky waters still exists biding its time for her return... Mose Washington shares his days with his former employer and now close friend, Mr Bobby Parker, ignoring speculation about their unusual relationship from folk who don't know any better. His evenings are spent wandering around the woods watching the deer and thanking the good Lord for the time he had with his late wife, Pip. When an old foe disturbs Mose's prayers, he once again steps in to protect the innocent from evil incarnate, saving the life of a young boy, Bill and becoming a fugitive from justice. Rookie FBI Agent Jeff Wagner is assigned the case to locate an old black man, a young boy and one good looking Redbone hound after the discovery of a scene reminiscent of a battleground with bodies found in such a state as to disturb the most seasoned police officer. When the locals calmly describe demons and evil spirits to justify the gruesome events, Wagner, in the midst of the deep South, tries to find a better explanation...and fails. John Aubrey Anderson not only equals his first book, he improves on it! Wedgewood Grey is another intellectual thrill ride, with the same evocative language and wonderful character depth as Abiding Darkness. Mose is again a pivotal character with Missy and Pat making a late appearance in the book but the focus on new character, Jeff Wagner, is brilliantly done. He is genuine and appealing and his journey of discovery is not to be missed. John Aubrey Anderson imparts wisdom through his elegant prose placing the reader at the heart of every scene, easily connecting their emotions to those of the characters. Jeff Wagner's character brings delightful humour to the story which eases the emotional turmoil at just the right moments. I was totally absorbed by this story and can't wait for the next instalment in the Black or White Chronicles, And If I Die, releasing Summer, 2007. I am delighted to say it won't be the last!

The spiritual war of Cat Lake, Mississippi continues as forces of good and evil clash in an epic struggle for the souls of this close-knit community, as demons incite those of weak and intemperate nature, while guardian angels strengthen the resolve of those who love the Lord and are committed to His righteousness. Anderson's second novel interweaves the actions of humans and ministrations of angels and demons more subtly than Abiding Darkness, resulting in a more engaging, enjoyable narrative. Mose Washington's life has always been touched by the supernatural. Ever since the sacrifice of his son, Mose Jr., to save the life of Missy Parker, Mose has been acquainted with the sentiment, "I must decrease, so that He must increase". Though trials have buffeted his life: the loss of his beloved son, a long stint on a prison plantation for a crime he didn't commit, the death of his wife, lost time and heartaches, Mose has always trusted that God's Will knows best. When he feels God's urging to investigate a confrontation on a dark road in the middle of the night, he obeys without question, making sure his shotgun is loaded and at the ready. When the dust clears and the gunplay ends, Mose finds himself on the run with a thirteen year old black boy - now an orphan, his mother dead at the hands of drunk college boys looking for fun at the expense of a black woman's life - sought for questioning in the death of Oliver Bainbridge, only surviving son of United States Senator and vicious bigot, Halbert D. Bainbridge. With the FBI on their trail, Mose and the boy disappear into the Delta, looking to make new lives for themselves as they lean on God for support and care-taking. FBI Special Agent Jeff Wagner isn't like the rest of his federal agent brethren - he's a mold-breaker who thinks on his own, rather than blindly following "all the rules". This independent, open-minded perspective is Agent Wagner's only chance of surviving the spiritual maelstrom that swirls around Cat Lake, as forces beyond his ken seek not only to destroy the lives of all those involved, but perhaps corrupt and ruin his own soul as well, while he labors to understand what really happened on a dark road in the middle of the night, and the part Mose Washington played in this horrible event. Wedgewood Grey is a much more engaging story than its predecessor, Abiding Darkness, simply because the narrative stays in one time period, unlike Darkness, which spanned several generations and watched its principal characters grow up As a result, Wedgewood Grey sports a more involved, eye-catching plotline that's easier for the reader to "lock in to" and follow. This novel is more a work of mystery or suspense, and this makes it a much more enjoyable read, especially for those whose attention might be prone to wandering during the character-study that was Abiding Darkness. The instances of spiritual involvement and manipulation are handled better in this novel; executed with a finer touch th