I've read Mr. Wise's publishing credits, and I'm simply amazed. This is the first of his works that I've read, and one of the two most poorly written books I've ever read. I keep the other one to remind me how bad you can be and still get published. I forced myself to finish it just to see how he was going to do it. Mr. Wise seems to have done his research on late night TV or at B-for-bad movies. The plot is predictable and ho-hum, the dialogue is stilted and the characters and action are totally unrealistic. Don't waste your time.

The Dead Detective: A Sam & Vera Sloan Mystery by Robert L. Wise is a darkly engaging mystery in which the widow of detective Sam Sloan must learn who is responsible for the death of her beloved husband. Shadowy intrigue, cross-purpose motives, and an underground conflict of international proportions culminate in a deadly battle between good and evil, in this exciting saga. Also highly recommended is Robert Wise's previous Sam Sloan mystery, The Empty Coffin...

This book had a great idea, but there was to much war talk and not enough love talk. I got lost in the details of the war and sometimes just couldn't wait for the chapter to end. I hoped the next chapter would kick in with some romance, but it fizzled. If you want details about what it would have been like to have been in World War II, and a prisoner of war, then this is a good book for you. If you are a women who wants a romantic tale, I would skip this one.

For those who have read both the "Third Millinnium" and "Fourth Millinnium", you should find this to only be a re-visit of the first novel. We watch the same characters work through the exact same struggles as before, however, this time the perspective is more from the viewpoint of the angels; the Arch-Angel Michaelin particular. It would be unfair to compare the author's use of 'angels as characters' with Peretti's "Piercing the Darkness". Those who are looking to nd a similar novel will be disappointed. This is not to say the novel is poorly written, for it is not. There is a marked difference in the writer's use of angels. While Peretti's are more actively involved in his plot lines, Meier's have a stronger sense of character development; such as exploring an angel's first exposure to hatred, anger and war. Overall, an easy book to read, with occassional events that may cause the reader to stop & wonder.

This book tries, and for that alone, I'll give it an extra star. The author obviously has the best of intentions, but unfortunately, the effort doesn't translate into a novel that's readable. The characters are not recognizable human beings- they make June Cleaver seem like a complex, multi-faceted character. What's worse, there's no real theology that goes any deeper than, "God is good, you should worship Him." That's great, but when I read a book like this, I'm hoping to gain some new insight about both myself and my relationship to God. At the very least, I'm looking for a good story. There's none of that to be found here. Anyone looking for a novel about the Endtimes that succeeds where Meier's novel fails should check out We All Fall Down, by Brian Caldwell. It's insightful, enthraling, and will stick with you for months. Meier tries hard in this series, and doubtlessly has the best of intentions, but in all four of these books, his good intentions simply pave the way to a literary hell.

I love husband and wife detective stories, so I eagerly picked up "The Empty coffin." However, my hopes were soon dashed. Vera Sloan is portrayed as a bored housewife who decides to help her marriage by becoming her policeman husband's detecting partner. From this unrealistic beginning, the plot proceeds. When the story centers on Sam Sloan and the police department, it's enjoyable. But Vera is such a nagging, temper-tantrum throwing shrew that I found it hard to keep in sight that she did have a point about her husband working far too much. Add a precocious child who spouts wisdom far beyond her years to the mix and I found myself gritting my teeth. I don't know how long it has been since the author has been around small children, but the dialogue wasn't at all realistic for a child.
As I said, I wanted to like this story... but I just couldn't.