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Tribulation House is a fast paced, entertaining, often funny, and always illuminating little book. Divided into short, punchy chapters, it’s an easy read, and each set of characters accomplishes different tasks. Of course we have Mark Hogan, our main character, though it would be difficult to call him a hero. His sections are written in first person as he tells police detectives about his life, his religion, and, of course, his crime: the murder of one Reverend Daniel Glory. Hogan is a man of material possessions who does not seem to care much for his family. His assurance that he is saved and going to be taken away at the rapture ( that should have already happened only days before he starts his explanation to the police) is beyond arrogance. He never asks himself why he knows he deserves to be a leader in heaven. I’m not sure if readers will or even should sympathize with him. Perhaps this is why we hear this in first person, so there is no doubt he’s not a saint in a very worldly disguise. The other characters are not so comical. We follow police detectives investigating organized crime, their quarry the mobsters, and one candidate for city council. The mob duo we follow is intended to be a kind of comic foil to Hogan and the police, however the interactions between mobsters Cleaver and Lamb seem like they were written to be preformed on stage. In fact, that mode seems to run throughout the book. It’s a little like reading Shakespeare; you know it would be better preformed. If anyone breaks that trend it's Detectives Griggs and Pasch. They are honest, real characters both working through issues in life, both learning along the way. Pasch is the Christian in the pair, trying to find his place in the church and working hard to defend his faith to his partner who sees only the mockery made of it by the likes of Hogan. Griggs is a tortured soul dealing with the scars left him when his father disappeared when he was a child, the death of his daughter not all that long ago, and his failing marriage. It is his redemption that this book is really about. Its almost easy to forget Hank Barton, candidate for city council. Also a faithful man, he feels strongly called to public service, but in a city indoctrinated into the belief that the end of the world is near (so why bother?) it's nearly impossible for him to get his message across. I feel I should share that I’ve never read any of the Left Behind books nor have I read any of the nonfiction ones supposedly foretelling the end of the world of which this book is being sold as a kind of spoof. Perhaps that’s a good thing. While it means I may have missed a couple of jabs that I’m sure would be hilarious to readers of those books, it leaves me to be able to evaluate this book with no bias. Let me just say this: It’s good. It doesn’t spend much time on satire, and instead focuses on story. I do worry, though, that the punchiness that makes it so easy to read also limits character development. That development does happen, though. Hogan, at least partially, realizes his follies. Pasch finds his place in church, and Griggs comes to terms with his demons, or at least starts to. It all could have been neatly wrapped up, but it wasn’t. It has a sequel. In my opinion, it doesn’t need one. Books, especially books like this one, don’t necessarily need to drag on like real life. By cutting a couple of scenes and editing just one this could have been a great little book. By forcing a "to be continued" it seems a little cheaper. Tribulation House is listed as "Suspense", and perhaps that explains the continuation. I will, of course, reserve judgment on the continuation until I read it. For now what I will say is Tribulation House is a good book. It reminded me that the words "thy kingdom come" does not mean we wish for the end of the world but that we, as Christians, ought to work to bring His kingdom to earth through faith and good works. Publisher: Harvest House
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