The Face of God

July 15, 2002
Strong writing, edgy violence and a made-for-the-movies sensibility characterize this thriller from CBA veteran author and film director Myers. When successful megachurch pastor Daniel Lawson's wife, Jill, is murdered in the Istanbul Spice Bazaar while on a church tour, he is left holding a mysterious stone dating from Old Testament times, which represents one of the 12 tribes of Israel. When all 12 stones are brought together with two others, they are believed to enable the voice of God to be heard. Lawson takes a leave of absence from his church, then teams up with his alienated teenage son, Tyler; clumsy archeologist Dr. Helen Zimmerman; and Nayra Fazil, a Muslim university student, to find the remaining stones. The suspense builds as Ibrahim el-Magd, an Islamic terrorist, also attempts to gather the stones so he might determine the will of Allah before unleashing a horrific act of global mayhem. The abundance of violence (a young thief's hand amputated, a woman's breast sliced off, an attempted female circumcision) may shock CBA readers, but Myers uses it to show the potential dangers of religious fundamentalism. Lawson's grief over his wife's death seems a bit short-lived and, as with many suspense novels, some events require a generous suspension of disbelief. However, Myers fleshes out the multifaceted character of Ibrahim el-Magd in a way that sheds light on his motivations; the story is replete with action; and the book admirably avoids an implausibly neat ending. Myers's popular reputation and the book's link to current events will likely woo CBA readers.

September 1, 2002
The best-selling author of Eli offers an intriguing premise: What if you could hear the voice of God? What if you actually could see His face? These questions haunt two very different men as they seek 12 supernatural stones that, according to the Bible, represent the Tribes of Israel and together make the voice of God audible. On their quest in the Holy Land, Rev. Daniel Lawson and his college-aged son, Tyler, try to reestablish their relationship and come to terms with the murder of Daniel's wife. At the same time, Ibrahim el-Magd, leader of an Islamic terrorist cell, wants the stones to receive confirmation from Allah that his destructive plans against the United States will be successful. Daniel, Ibrahim, and their faiths collide in a gripping denouement that is as beautful as it is frightening. The comparisons between Christianity and Islam are thought-provoking, but the negative portrayal of Islam mars this otherwise suspenseful and action-packed effort. Still, Myers's legion of fans and readers who enjoyed Michael R. Phillips's A Rift in Time will be thrilled. For all collections.

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2002
Myers was working on "The Face of God" when passenger jets slammed into the World Trade Center. He tells the story of a group of Islamic militants based in the Sudan who are intent on releasing a smallpox plague worldwide. But their leader, Ibrahim el-Magd, delays this Day of Wrath in order to hear from Allah himself. He thinks this is possible through acquisition of 12 long lost stones that, when placed in the breastplate of the high priest of Israel, bring forth the presence of God. He has several of the stones and wants more. Meanwhile, an American pastor, Daniel Lawson, comes into possession of one of the stones when his wife is killed in Israel. The grieving Lawson, after dreaming of the other stones, the breastplate, and the awful face of God, joins the hunt, in Israel, France, Ethiopia, and finally, the Sudan of Ibrahim el-Magd. Meyers weaves in Lawson's deep conflict with his teenage son, a love story, and a vibrant portrait of a young Muslim woman. He has a knack for suspense--particularly in his underwater sequences in France--and for realistic, violent detail in his portraits of a firefight on the West Bank and of a Saharan sandstorm. Strikingly, he portrays Islam with reverence (there is an interesting dialogue about its similarities with Christianity), and his Muslims, including Ibrahim el-Magd, are nuanced and believable. This is a riveting, up-to-the-minute, exceptional thriller. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)