To start out on my soapbox, I would like to say that whoever wrote the summary on the back of this book should be shot. They should be shot after they are forced to actually read the book. The back has nothing to do with the book.

Okay, got that out of the way.

This was another Ghost Rider romp from Sigmund Brouwer's fine pen. The western aspects again were excellent and historically accurate. The mystery was good, although easier to figure out as a reader than the previous Ghost Rider books. I did like the fact that Sam gets out of Wyoming and heads to a different state to uncover another mystery and more attempts on his life.

I cannot say too much without giving away the entire plot. So I won't. I will add my one criticism of this book: Brouwer wraps this one up much too quickly. It seems that he ran out of space in the book and had to quit with the whole thing in 10 pages. Quick! Explain the mystery, sort out the characters, get home, and add a happy ending! The ending was too abrupt and too unsatisfactory.

So, all together, this was a good book of a great series. I recommend the entire Ghost Rider series.

What can I say? Samuel Keaton has taken my breath away in every one of his fast paced, heart pounding, and oddly funny adventures. And " Thunder Voice" is no exception.
The last of four books, I felt that this one was the slower one of the others. Less brawn and more brain is what this small town marshall needed in his search for renegade Texas Rangers, the murderer of an old drunk, and if a wealthy widow's sister was murdered or commited suicide.
It also left the reader wondering if this extremely loveable character would fin love with the Right widow.

It's been a year since the events of Sun Dance, the last book in this fine series. Samuel Keaton has stayed off the bottle and tried to get on with his life, but it hasn't been easy. But then two Texas Rangers show up looking for a man brutally murdered in January. Instead of answering Sam's questions, they try to kill him. A beautiful woman also shows up, claiming a connection between the dead man and the death of her sister. Hardly trusting her, Sam follows the trail to Pennsylvania, where his life is in danger around every turn. Can he stay alive long enough to sort through all the clues and reach the right conclusion?

This book had me hooked from the moment I picked it up. Every time you get one answer, it leaves you with more questions. Sam, his friends, and their world are so realistic, that it draws you right in. I must disagree with the previous reviewer because I didn't feel the ending was rushed at all but reached a logical and fulfilling conclusion. And the epilogue tying up Sam's personal life left me smiling for hours.

This series is must reading. I plan on rereading these books many times over the years to come.

I love a great adventure book & this is one. From the very start I was hooked. My husdand read it after me & he loved it as well. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 was because the fact that Katherine & Hawkwood didn't know if they could trust Thomas was used a bit much. I found that a little frustrating. Other than that, there was a lot of adventure & good twists. The end was a good suprise.

The book was given to my 10 year old son by another 10 year old. He read it and said it was great but it is NOT a children's book. The plot was deep, involved and very good. On the positive side it showed the virtues of logic and compassion as there was very little killing in an era when most books are very bloody. It was a book where good wins over evil and compassion over hate and learning over ignorance. It is a book I would like all of my children to read as they could learn a lot from it's strong moral foundation.

I love this book!It's a must read. Brower does really good with the description, there's not too much to make it boring, but enough to give a really good feel of what everything is like.I think I would recommend this book to everyone. Even if you don't believe in God this is still a really good book, for those of you who do believe in God it makes the book all the better. there's a little bit of everything in here: romance, death, suspense, adventure, science, and a lot of fun (there's many words to descrie this book, but I had limited time to write it out.)Absolutely GREAT book!

Nick Barrett is doing a favor for some friends tracking down an old painting brought to Charleston, South Carolina, by early settlers. Instead of a friendly antiques deal, he finds himself involved with a religious cult, a group of racists who haveto revised a terrible punishment from the days of slavery, and hints of ancient voodoo--and a mystery that the police thought solved decades before.

Author Sigmund Brouwer writes convincingly of a south still caught up in the evils of its past--and evil men who use the Bible for their own goals, subverting its most fundamental rules. Like the south, Barrett is conflicted--in Barrett's case between hatred for his brother and the charity he shares with Angel and Retha. Brouwer's arguments about religion sometimes pull the reader out of the story. It's okay for Barrett to have faith, but he really doesn't have to share the reasons why he's abandoned the scepticism of his youth--twice--since it doesn't advance the story.

CROWN OF THORNS's strength is fast-moving action as Barrett and the young women who seem to infiltrate his life are plunged from one danger into another. Author Sigmund Brouwer delivers an engaging and page turning style that draws the reader in and delivers.

Check out some of the hotter male mystery writers and you'll run across the names of James Lee Burke (Jolie Blon's Bounce) and Harlan Coben (Gone for Good). These guys are NY Times bestsellers. After reading Brouwer's Nick Barrett mysteries, I believe he has reached the same level of writing. He deserves a wide audience for this masterful tale.

The story quickly introduces us to two damsels in distress--except neither woman is weak or cowardly. In fact, Angel and Retha are two memorable and likeable characters. Both are trying to protect children in their care; both are threatened by violent, outside forces.

Enter Nick Barrett. Barrett is a three-dimensional man, born of questionable parentage and raised in an atmosphere of subtle bigotry and pride. He is trying to stay afloat emotionally. As he finds himself involved in the lives of Angel and Retha, he must face his fears, his doubts, and his faith.

Voodoo doctors, cult members, and bitter high society players all join in the action as the mysteries unfold. The city of Charleston is a character in the tale. As the climax nears, the plot twists turn tighter, the surprises mount, and--for this reader--the emotional impact swelled.

Like the two aforementioned bestselling writers, Brouwer mixes his gritty story with heart and warmth. Not even the half-dozen punctuation and spelling errors could keep me from sinking myself into Brouwer's fictional world. When I turned the final page, I closed my eyes and said aloud, "That is one darrrrn good book!" And I meant it.

A wonderful book, and being in the age group it targets, I can reccommend this book to anyone and everyone.

This book I think is filled with good jokes and funny happenings. It is funny about Hugo's diner and Hugo himself. My favorite part is the Great Money Making Bonanza, because of the way they talk American and old English in the same sentance. It is about Ricky Kidd and his friends going to NYC. Then his little brother Joel gets kidnapped, and Ricky and his friends sneak out at night to look for him. They meet a diner-runner named Hugo, and Brother Phillip, who runs a street mission. Together, they rescue Joel, and surprisingly, a bunch of other little kids who were also kidnapped. Mixed up in this is a bank robbery of over a decade ago, and a crazy old man in a wheelchair. This was a great book!

Samuel Keaton returns in book 2 of the Ghost Rider series to try to figure out a double murder in this fantastic mystery. He ends up chasing all over Wyoming and Colorado to sort out the whole mess. The plot is excellently written so that the reader can discover the clues and put them together just as Sam is doing. In addition, this book adds great characters like the Doc and Jake and explains more of Sam's past.

Again, Sam seeks to uncover deeper truths. However, the truths he discovered in the first book don't seem to have been absorbed and he relearns half of what he should have already figured out. That can be a little tiring, but generally it isn't so bad.

Finally, (perhaps I just did not get it) but the title of the book absolutely baffled me. Sure, it's referred to once or twice, but it didn't seem to fit with anything else. This irked.

This is a very good book. It has action, adventure, even a little romance, and the main character is even searching for the meaning of life, which you don't find very often. I recommend it to anyone.

With this book, Sigmund Brouwer starts the Legend of Laramie series. As many of his books do, it starts out seemly simple, but soon gets very complicated. Samuel Keaton, our hero, accidentally gets involved in a shoot-out, saving an Indian's life. While on the run, he realizes that he has gotten involved in a case involving several crimes from years before, including his own past. With Indians and the law on his tail, can he evade all his pursuers long enough to get the answers and clear his name?

Having read others in this series first, I greatly enjoyed getting to meet the characters for the first time. The other books hint at the events contained in this book, so it was nice to finally get the complete picture. While his past being resolved by the modern plot may be convenient, it also makes for a great story. As always, Sigmund Brouwer weaves a good story with well-defined characters. It's great to see Bethany House reprint this book, formerly entitled Morning Star.

For Western lovers uncertain about the brand Christan Western, "come along pardner." For Christian readers, fearful that Westerns center around violent, amoral characters, "Be not afraid."

On one level, Brouwer offers us a fairly standard tale of a drifting cowboy with a clouded past who almost inadvertently stumbles upon a lawman brutally assaulting a hapless Indian. When he intervenes, and the lawman is killed, the cowboy's life depends on unraveling a mystery including the Indian, a twenty-year-old US Army gold theft,and the corrupt sheriff who had murdered the cowboy's brother. A good story, well told, enjoyable by any fan of Westerns.

On another level, the cowboy finds himself challenged to wonder at the meaning of the universe. As a man of action, he spends little time in reflection, but over the course of the novel the challenges he face lead him to see that there is a purpose beyond himself, a non-sectarian but solid Christian message that leaves the cowboy transformed by novel's end.

I recently was encouraged by a close friend to read this book and I am so glad I did. I've read very few westerns or books about cowboys but this book got me roped into it nearly immediately. Samuel Keaton represents all people who need a second chance at life and love. The characters were very fresh and original. Brouwer is a talented writer who knows how to send a point across without over used cliches.

Already known as the boy warrior, Thomas is armed with knowledge that is centuries ahead of his time. Secure in his castle Magnus, he prepares to bring peace to his small kingdom. A new enemy appears, but he can not fight this enemy with knowledge or sword. the enemy comes from within the church it's self. these people are imposters taking power from what they call the Holy Grail. Thomas Magnus takes desperate actions to stop these imposters. his plot is so eval and unearthly that only a new and frightning guest will succeed in saving his kingdom. Ledgend of Burning Water is a great Medieval novel, and defenately a good novel for kids.

This book is a good adventure novel. Legend of Burning Water is an excellent choice if you would like a book with good twists. I recommend that you read book one and two before book number three, or it might take you awile for you to figure out what's happening and what's happened before.Legend of Burning Water is a good enough book that once you finish it you'll have to pick up number four. The reason I gave this boook a four out of five is, because every now and then you could get a little bored. If you havent read this book I suggest that you pick them all up and start reading.

I love the Winds of Light Series.... Thankfully I have a friend who owns the whole series, or else I would be desperate, because I own only the first, sixth, and seventh. Book #7 is not the best, but I love it just the same. I read all eight books in one night, every night for about a month. I pratically have them memorized. I love these books, Audrey

With this book, Sigmund Brouwer starts the Ghost Rider series. As many of his books do, it starts out seemly simple, but soon gets very complicated. Samuel Keaton, our hero, accidentally gets involved in a shoot-out. While on the run, he realizes that it is much more involved then he thought. Can he evade all his pursuers long enough to get the answers and clear his name?

Having read others in this series first, I greatly enjoyed getting to meet the characters for the first time. The other books hint at the events contained in this book, so it was nice to finally get the complete picture. And while his past reconciling with the modern plot may be convenient, it also makes for a great story. And the ending surprised me, even though I should have seen it coming. As always, Sigmund Brouwer weaves a good story with well-defined characters. A great read that has recently been republished by Bethany House as Evening Star.

Samuel Keaton is a man with a past. That is apparent from the very beginning as he narrates this western suspense. However, just how involved is his past comes to light as the book unfolds. Sam has to travel with a silent Indian in search for a treasure he's not sure he believes in. Along the way, he uncovers a mystery and must unravel the whole mess and try to stay alive in the meantime.

If you want a realistic, gritty western novel, this is it. The mystery is incredible, involved, and yet understandable. And Sam struggles with the very questions of life: he touchingly questions his existance and the purpose of life in a poignant and down-to-earth manner. Although this is a Christian novel, there are no easy "pat" answers. Brouwer leaves the underlying questions for the reader to struggle with also.

Here are the pluses of the book: great / realistic characters, suspenseful mystery, deep and engaging life questions, incredible western background and thorough research apparent, and a steady reading pace with virtually no slow parts (it was hard to put it down most of the time because every time something was resolved, something else came up).

However, there are some minuses: sometimes the writing gets too cryptic to be understandable, the coincidences tying every part of the past with the book's present stretch the reader's imagination, and the romance (in my opinion) is abruptly added.

On the whole, this book is wonderful. It was my first Sigmund Brouwer book and it didn't disappoint. It is a great introduction to the Ghost Rider series and had me grabbing to read "Moon Basket" (Ghost Rider #2 of the 4 book series) ("Sundance" is #3 and "Thunder Voice" is #4).

The Ghost Rider series are great books. I enjoyed them

Most of the time, I think of murder mysteries as an escape from life and a way to test my skills as an armchair detective. This novel offers so much more than that. Set in the old west, the hero of the series returns to his seriff's office one day to find a man dead on his desk. Thinking that was supposed to be him, he investigates. Soon, however, he is taken away from town on an expedition to find a safe passage around Indian territory. Soon, however, the people on the expedition begin dieing. Their bodies are found with arrows in their backs. Soon, innocent Indians have been massacred as has most of the expedtition. To make matters worse, Samuel, our hero, is torn from his girlfriend by these events. There is a war cry coming from both the Indians and the Army, and to end the blood bath, Sam must get sober again and find out the real reason for the deaths. As a fan of murder mysteries, I have grown used to people dieing. This book, however, has over 50 deaths. It also features a sad breakup between Sam and his girlfriend. It does deal realistically with the issues of Indian/Settler relatons in the early west. It is well written. I give it a 6 because it is so serious. When I had finished it, I was truly depressed. This is not light reading.

Before I read this book, I heard a mixture of why I should read it and why I should not read it. Before you get swayed from this book, understand that it is necessary to understanding Samuel Keaton.
It starts when Sam discovers a dead body in his office. He immediately thinks someone is after HIS blood and he takes a scouting job for a young Leutinent. Not to give away too much, the expidition goes bad and Sam turns to whiskey. This book shows the love the other characters have for Sam and it shows how smart Doc. Harper is. It also shows that the smartes man has his weaknesses and how, with the right friends, you can rise from the ashes and move on with your life.

Of the four Ghost Rider books, I liked this one the best. I'll agree with the previous reviewer that this one was depressing, so I recommend that you have book 4 ("Thunder Voice") ready to read when you finish book 3 just to lift your spirits. However, please do not skip this one because of the unhappy nature of the plot.

This is the best mystery of the series. Sam Keaton must figure out why there is a dead man in his sheriff's office, a tradegy stricken expedition, and a massacre of women and children. The plot adds more great characters, reintroduces old favorites, and twists along to the end conclusion.

What makes this book great is the struggles of the hero. Sam must deal with the guilt of his actions and his failed responsibility to others. In addition, he has a very realistic battle with alcoholism, a struggle that makes him so much more of a real (imperfect) person. Sam's humanity and the struggles of a real person to find a higher purpose make this the best book of the Ghost Rider series.

I can't speak for those looking for ethics or sound medicine, but as a voracious reader looking for good, clean stories, this is my best find of 2003. On par with the best secular thrillers, yet showing dignity of life without a single scripture, Brouwer is a master writer and thinker. His characterization is great too. I could spot Zuwaan a mile away (and I'd be running in the other direction!)

I read this book with a little bit of trepidation after reading one of the previous reviews. Contrary to that review, the book isn't anti-science at all.

What I found it to be, is a fast paced story with an exciting plot. The author does an excellent job weaving in important issues (i.e. Human cloning) with the action. These are issues we are going to face whether we like it or not.

Great job by the author.

This is one of the best Sigmund Brouwer books that I have read. Once I started it I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this book.