Friday Fiction Fix: "Hideous Beauty"

4/5 Stars

Grant Austin has just won the Pulitzer Prize for his presidential biography. But just when he's about to celebrate his ultimate triumph over a former rival, he learns that there's a plot to assassinate the president--what's more, he's being framed for it. Can he overcome the forces of darkness that are behind the plot to save the president and himself?

I picked this up at my favorite Christian bookstore a while back simply because it had been published by one of my favorite companies, Enclave Publishing. For about the first 80 pages of the novel, I was pretty sure I had made a horrible mistake in buying it. I really didn't like Grant at the start of the novel and found him an unbelievably petty, childish, and immature man, especially for someone who had been able to interview the president. Thankfully, he had a good character arc throughout the novel that made him into a more believable (and likable) character. Usually, I complain that Christian novels lack characters with real faults; I think this novel swung just a little too far the other way, but I give Mr. Cavanaugh kudos for making a character that's not a goody two-shoes off the bat. 

Once we got past the initial high school pettiness that was the framework for the beginning of the novel, it was really quite enjoyable. It had a nice blend of spiritual and real-life action, some political intrigue, and a nice splattering of humor. There were a few moments of awkward inter-character relations that I didn't quite buy (Grant has a habit of picking up lots of women and they somehow all get along?), but I really can't fault the action. The climaxes were dramatic, believable, and provided a satisfying ending to the book. 

I haven't decided if I'm going to pick up the next installment or not, but I think I'm leaning toward doing so. 

Recommended to: Fans of spiritual warfare and action books who don't mind some odd characterizations.