"Elisha's Bones" by Don Hoesel

I really must say that this book by Don Hoesel was IMMENSELY more enjoyable than "Hunter's Moon," which surprises me because this book was written first.
In this story, we have a professor of archaeology who is hired by a billionaire to find the bones of the prophet Elisha. These bones, in Scripture, apparently brought a dead man back to life. (It really is in the Bible, so it is definitely a true story...and one that I had never really payed much attention to: see 2 Kings 13:21)
Unfortunately for our professor, there are others who have an interest in the bones....and they are willing to kill for them.
The story is very engaging, so that's all I'm going to give away.
Pros: The characters are realistic and comfortable, the exotic locations are described impeccably, the pace is well-balanced, the humor is good but not excessive, the ending is unexpected, and the story is extremely original.
Cons: Just me being picky... The author had this habit of starting sentences like this: "Too, blah blah blah." Now, I'm no scholar of English and Grammar, but it was just annoying. I don't talk like that, and I've never read any other book that utilized this sentence structure. I can see someone beginning a sentence with "also", but "too"?
The Christian elements in the story were not abundant, really. The main character is a skeptic, and the supporting female character is a supposed Christian who really doesn't seem to be one. There is a slight attempt at converting the main character at the end, when he finally cries out to God; but it was not definitive enough for me.
Some elements may be a little far-fetched, but it IS a work of fiction.
In all I'd give the book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

"Hunter's Moon" by Don Hoesel

A historically wealthy and influential family is dealing with a lot of drama from within. CJ Baxter - a prodigal son of sorts - heads back to the town of his youth to attend his grandfather's funeral. As he begins to re-involve himself in the affairs of the Baxter clan, it is clear that he is bitter towards his family. And they pretty much all hate him. I mean HATE him.
When I first began reading "Hunter's Moon", I was expecting a thrilling story, a mystery, a conspiracy - something along those lines. For this reason, the book falls below my expectations. It is a decent book, and I half-heartedly recommend it - just don't expect a nail-biter story.
My next issue was the pacing and plot development. Have you ever been with a friend at their family reunion, where everyone is telling stories and inside jokes or reminiscing about memories? You know that uncomfortable feeling you get, because you realize you are an outsider? That's the feeling I had for about HALF of this book, literally. There is so much space dedicated to CJ's past and memories...
You know, I'm not really sure what was the MAIN plot....more specifically, what was the big SECRET that the back cover talks about. We never find out in the book. There were also many details and side issues left unresolved at the end of the book - which I find unforgivable. If you are going to lead people along for close to 400 pages - and several hours of their life - you had better clean up your mess at the end. This author failed to clear the mud at the end of this one.
And about the little matter of it being a "Christian Fiction" book.... well, the main character refers to God in between his beers, poker playing, and trying to seduce a married woman. CJ Baxter talks like he became a Christian, but we never hear a salvation theme, or a redemption theme, or a repentance theme.
Good things to say about it: Um... I laughed out loud a lot; there was some good humor. That's pretty much one of the only good things I can say about it. The story was decent, that's all.
In short, it's not a bad book...just not a great one.