'Lion of Babylon' Reads Like a Hollywood Blockbuster, Says Reviewer

By Karen Barnett

Guest Reviewer

This review was originally published on Karen's blog, Cannot Be Shaken. Reprinted with permission from the author.

Lion of Babylon reads like a Hollywood blockbuster. The story kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. If you need some excitement for your summer travels–look no further.

Here is the basic plot summary, courtesy of Bethany House Publishers:

Marc Royce has been a State Department agent involved in covert operations–that is, until personal issues lead to his dismissal.

When Alex Baird goes missing in war-torn Baghdad, State comes calling again. Alex is a CIA agent–and a close friend of Royce. Three others have also dropped out of sight–a nurse, an aid worker, a wealthy young Iraqi. Are these cases linked? Rumors circulate about a kidnapping conspiracy, yet both American and local officials refuse to pursue it.[image error]

Blocked at every turn, Royce eventually unearths a trail of secret encounters between sworn enemies. What he discovers could transform the course of rivalry and reconciliation throughout the Mideast. As the human and political drama escalates, can one man summon the courage to make a difference?

Davis Bunn is a wildly talented author and his descriptions of people and places are so vivid that I sometimes forget that I am reading a novel. He delves into deep issues in Middle East culture, history and religion in a way that brings the story to life and makes your heart burn for the Iraqi people and their struggles. With a wonderful blend of personal struggle and heroic action scenes, Lion of Babylon is a powerful experience from beginning to end.

Karen Barnett writes about faith, motherhood and writing in her blog, Cannot Be Shaken. An aspiring Christian fiction writer, she lives in Albany, Oregon with her husband and two children. She is published in Guideposts and Ladybug magazines.