This Miss Marple installment read like a play. I enjoyed the diagram of the house in the first pages. One of these days, I'll have to see The Mousetrap.

I started this book multiple times. I had randomly picked up The Great Divide during college and just devoured it. Drummer in the Dark is apparently book 2 of the series, and I'm still not sure why.. Marcus Glenwood isn't even in the book. Not that its bad, just fyi.

Drummer is about forex trading, aka hedge funds. Because of this, the book was dense reading for me. I've never taken a business or economics class beyond high school. The characters also fell flat, and I never got to know them as people; they just functioned as cogs in the wheel. I enjoyed Davis Bunn's dreamy, "nothing matters, everything matters" writing style. He has a unique voice among Christian writers, without any graphic material.

Recommended if you can talk finance with the best of them, if you watch TV shows like The West Wing, and if you want to learn a ton about forex trading.

Quotes
"We seek to hear the voice of those who have been robbed of speech. We seek to give life to ourselves by giving hope to others." - Father Libretto (page 51)

"Have you ever wondered if maybe life makes a random selection, chooses a person and just pegs them to the dart board of that particular time? Let everybody throw sharp pointy objects your way." - Jackie (page 155)

"The only difference between a person who just exists and a person who lives in the vision of what lies ahead. Beyond tomorrow, beyond measured time." - Sybel (page 215)

"You can only save one person. Who is that, please?" "Myself," she whispered.. (Sybel, page 223)

"Bomb is the proper term," Valerie agreed. "They are paying us for nuclear assault, and that is precisely what we are going to deliver." (page 295)

No question. He was toast. It was just a matter of time. (Colin, page 361)

I first read this book as a high schooler around 2002 (I think). I loved Dee Henderson's crisp and idealistic writing style. The Negotiator read exactly like a romantic comedy, a rags-to-riches story with lots of back & forth dialogue and cute bantering. I know some people take issue with "perfect" Christian characters, but honestly, I read these types of books as an escape, so I don't have a problem with it. There's also the mystery of the bomb on the airplane. Henderson deftly writes suspense that supersedes most Christian mystery authors out there.

Now, the O'Malley books have become comfort reads for me. (Also Dee Henderson's books always make me hungry for popcorn and donuts, with the copious mentions of sweet treats.) I'm a Christian, so I don't take issue with the Christianity (also idealized btw). I enjoy how Henderson brings up issues like justice, prayer, the Bible, etc in real conversations.

Recommended if you enjoy a little suspense mixed with romantic comedy and if you don't mind some cheesy dialogue on Christianity.

Quotes:
People that stood for something made the best friends. (page 50)

She sighed. "Sometimes I envy you... You can still hope." (page 186)