Ollie Chandler Collection: Three Novels: Deadline, Dominion, Deception

Ollie Chandler #1-3

by Randy Alcorn

Three suspense detective novels for the price of one in this eBook-exclusive omnibus.

Ollie Chandler is a brilliant and quick-witted homicide detective who lives by Ollies' First "Things are not what they appear." These best-selling novels offer readers a compelling, intriguing story of Ollie Chandler combined with other favorite characters. Deadline, Randy Alcorn's first novel, stayed on the bestsellers list for thirty-six months. Dominion is a dramatic story of spiritual searching, racial reconciliation, and hope. Deception responds to readers' demand for more of his believable, compelling fiction. Readers will gain a greater understanding of heaven while recognizing a new idea of why God allows suffering.

 

Deadline

Involved in a tragic accident under suspicious circumstances, award-winning journalist Jake Woods teams with detective Ollie Chandler to uncover the truth. This alluring e-omnibus of the Randy Alcorn bestsellers finds Jake drawing upon all his resources in an ever-intensifying, dangerous murder investigation. Unaware of the imminent threat to his own life, Jake struggles for answers to the mystery at hand and is plunged into a deeper search for the meaning of his own existence. Deadline is a dramatic and vivid novel of substance, filled with hope and perspective for every reader who longs to feel purpose in life.

 

Dominion

When two senseless killings hit close to home, columnist Clarence Abernathy seeks revenge for the murders--and, ultimately, answers to his own struggles regarding race and faith. After being dragged into the world of inner-city gangs and racial conflict, Clarence is encouraged by fellow columnist Jake Woods to forge an unlikely partnership with a redneck homicide detective. Soon the two find themselves facing dark forces, while unseen eyes watch from above. This re-release of Randy Alcorn's powerful bestseller spins off from Deadline and offers a fascinating glimpse inside heaven. Filled with insight--and with characters so real you'll never forget them--Dominion is a dramatic story of spiritual searching, racial reconciliation, and hope.

 

Deception

Homicide detective Ollie Chandler has seen it all. Done more than he cares to admit. But when he's called to investigate the murder of a Portland State University professor, he finds himself going places he's never gone before. Places he never wanted to go. Because all the evidence is pointing to one, horrific The murderer is someone in his own department. That's not the worst of it, though. Ollie has nagging doubts...about himself. Where was he during the time of the murder? Joined by journalist Clarence Abernathy and their friend Jake Woods, Ollie pushes the investigation forward. Soon all three are drawn deep into corruption and political tensions that threaten to destroy them--and anyone who tries to help. But they're in too deep to quit. They've got no choice. They have to follow the evidence to the truth...No matter how ugly--or dangerous--it gets.

Genres: Christian, Fiction, Mystery, Christian Fiction

1832 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 20, 2012

About the author

Randy Alcorn is the founder of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM), a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching biblical truth and drawing attention to the needy and how to help them. EPM exists to meet the needs of the unreached, unfed, unborn, uneducated, unreconciled and unsupported people around the world.

"My ministry focus is communicating the strategic importance of using our earthly time, money, possessions and opportunities to invest in need-meeting ministries that count for eternity," Alcorn says. "I do that by trying to analyze, teach and apply the implications of Christian truth."

Before starting EPM in 1990, Alcorn co-pastored for thirteen years Good Shepherd Community Church outside Gresham, Oregon. He has ministered in many countries, including China, and is a popular teacher and conference speaker. Randy has taught on the part-time faculties of Western Seminary and Multnomah University, both in Portland, Oregon.

Randy is a best-selling author of 50 books including Heaven, The Treasure Principle and the 2002 Gold Medallion winner, Safely Home. He has written numerous articles for magazines such as Discipleship Journal, Moody, Leadership, New Man, and The Christian Reader. He produces the quarterly issues-oriented magazine Eternal Perspectives, and has been a guest on more than 650 radio and television programs including Focus on the Family, Family Life Today, The Bible Answer Man, Revive Our Hearts, Truths that Transform and Faith Under Fire.

Alcorn resides in Gresham, Oregon with his wife, Nanci. The Alcorns have two married daughters, Karina and Angela.

Randy and Nanci are the proud grandparents of five grandsons. Randy enjoys hanging out with his family, biking, tennis, research and reading.

Taken from the Eternal Perspective Ministries website, http://www.epm.org

Reviews

[Renn Shearin]

Deadline Involved in a tragic accident under suspicious circumstances, award-winning journalist Jake Woods teams with detective Ollie Chandler to uncover the truth. This alluring e-omnibus of the Randy Alcorn bestsellers finds Jake drawing upon all his resources in an ever-intensifying, dangerous murder investigation. Unaware of the imminent threat to his own life, Jake struggles for answers to the mystery at hand and is plunged into a deeper search for the meaning of his own existence. Deadline is a dramatic and vivid novel of substance, filled with hope and perspective for every reader who longs to feel purpose in life.

The plot of Deadline was well written, and clearly portrayed Randy Alcorn's values, thoughts, and worldview. There was plenty of mystery, intrigue, and murder in the story. At times the story dragged along, especially when the story switches to heaven and the dialogue is slower and concentrates more on theology. However, the rest of the story is quite interesting and the last fourth of the novel flies by with action, intrigue, and near death experiences.

The main character, Jake Woods is quite the complex character. He is a liberal, outspoken journalist who is not afraid to speak ill of and misquote conservative positions and ideals. However, as Jake works to uncover the cause of a terrible accident with police detective Ollie Chandler, he begins to understand the problem with his viewpoint and its result on healthcare, organ transplants, abortions, sexual activity in teens, family interactions, and journalism. Jake realizes some of the truth at a very terrible cost to his own family and friends. The other minor characters, such as Finney and his family, were important in revealing the truth about morality and Christ to Jake as he struggled with the present state of American culture and journalism.

The themes of Deadline were clear and very accurate with regards to our current culture's ideals. The results of the lack of morality and the idea of "accept all worldviews except the Christian view" in our healthcare system and journalism were startling and quite scary. I could certainly see our culture sliding into the despicable practices that were mentioned in this novel. I loved the view of heaven that Alcorn portrayed, and his idea of hell was quite scary. The scenes in heaven were beautiful, and I enjoyed learning more about the relationship between one of the characters and his guardian angel. Overall I really enjoyed reading this novel.

Dominion

When two senseless killings hit close to home, columnist Clarence Abernathy seeks revenge for the murders--and, ultimately, answers to his own struggles regarding race and faith. After being dragged into the world of inner-city gangs and racial conflict, Clarence is encouraged by fellow columnist Jake Woods to forge an unlikely partnership with the redneck homicide detective, Ollie Chandler. Soon the two find themselves facing dark forces, while unseen eyes watch from above. This novel spins off from Deadline and offers a fascinating glimpse inside heaven. Filled with insight--and with characters so real you'll never forget them--Dominion is a dramatic story of spiritual searching, racial reconciliation, and hope.

Dominion was a very convicting and intriguing novel. The plot line was filled with mystery, suspense, and the tensions that still exist between those who are white and black. I found that the storyline moved a lot faster than Deadline, and I liked that while there still beautiful glimpses of heaven, these sections were far shorter and therefore easier to take in and enjoy.

The characters of Dominion were realistic and struggled with many issues that are seen in today's society. I liked that the characters from Deadline, such as Jake Wood, were still part of the story and that the reader was able to keep up with what was going on in their lives. Clarence Abernathy, was first introduced to the readers in Deadline, but he is the main character in Dominion, and it is convicting to see that a man who seemed so put together and devoted to God is actually struggling a lot with feelings of being racially discriminated against and with his faith. The other minor characters, such Ollie Chandler, added to the background of the story, the humor, and helped add to Clarence's character. The changes that occurred in his character during the story were very encouraging, and I was very convicted by many of the prejudices that I found from the story that I have too. Overall, I enjoyed the novel a lot, and I found it very interesting and convicting.

Deception

Homicide detective Ollie Chandler has seen it all. Done more than he cares to admit. But when he's called to investigate the murder of a Portland State University professor, he finds himself going places he's never gone before. Places he never wanted to go. Because all the evidence is pointing to one, horrific conclusion: The murderer is someone in his own department. That's not the worst of it, though. Ollie has nagging doubts...about himself. Where was he during the time of the murder? Joined by journalist Clarence Abernathy and their friend Jake Woods, Ollie pushes the investigation forward. Soon all three are drawn deep into corruption and political tensions that threaten to destroy them--and anyone who tries to help. But they're in too deep to quit. They've got no choice. They have to follow the evidence to the truth...No matter how ugly--or dangerous--it gets.

Deception was an exciting novel that really brought all of the characters from the previous two novels together in a fantastic conclusion. The storyline was filled with danger, mystery, suspense, and struggles with life and faith. The characters, Clarence, Jake, and Ollie, were all very realistic and grew even more in their friendships with each other and their relationship with God during this novel. Overall, I found this to be an excellent and very inspiring read. I would highly recommend the entire Ollie Chandler collection to readers who are looking for a storyline that is both deep and convicting as well as spell-binding and filled with suspense.

I received this eBook for free in exchange for an honest review from Waterbrook Multnomah Press.

[Terri L Sipantzi]

This is a great series that I've read a number of times and will read again.

[Cynthia Rodrigues]

I clearly knew that I was biting off more than I could chew when I embarked on the opus that is the Ollie Chandler Series: Deadline, Dominion and Deception by Randy Alcorn. The omnibus was a whopping 1832 pages, and it seemed highly unlikely that I would ever succeed in plodding through it given the fact that like any harried working mother, I chase after too many goals at the same time.


Fortunately, once I started reading it, I realized that this book didn’t require plodding at all. It grabbed my attention and retained it all through. Reading it wasn’t a breeze, of course, and there were many times when I had to back-track and read a particular passage or a section of a chapter all over again. The writing made that extra effort on my part worthwhile.

If you thought that a piece of fiction that centred on religion, would necessarily be boring and humdrum, you would be in for a surprise. In this series, Alcorn manages to marry the two strangers-to-each-other genres of faith and mystery, without ever letting the reader’s attention flag or falter.

Alcorn’s prose brings the scene alive every time. Whether he is re-creating life in a newspaper office or amid the gangbangers and drug-infested streets or at the scene of a homicide, he clearly has a knack for description.

DEADLINE

In Deadline, Jake Woods is a politically correct syndicated columnist at the Oregon Tribune whose relationships with his ex-wife and daughter have deteriorated, leaving him feeling empty and purposeless. His childhood best friends, Finney, a businessman, and Doc, a surgeon, are the only two relationships that he can still treasure. When the car in which the three are travelling meets with an accident which claims the lives of Doc and Finney, but leaves him with a few scratches, Jake is plagued by sorrow for his friends and guilt for having been spared.

When he gets a note in the mail, saying it wasn’t an accident, Jake contacts Portland Police department detective Ollie Chandler with the information. A casual investigation of the mangled Suburban in which they were travelling reveals sabotage.

Jake becomes increasingly convinced that foul play has been responsible for the deaths of his best friends. He is determined to discover the identity of the culprits and bring them to book. But it isn’t long before he learns that the search for truth can be dangerous.

Written from the third person viewpoint of Jake, the book takes us into the mind of a newspaperman, whose passion for his job is seen in the fonts he analyses and the audacity he brings to his activities. Reading Deadline brought back memories of the seven months I spent working in a newspaper and the caffeine induced rush that it was. There are analogies to be drawn between life and newspapers, particularly to do with mistakes and final editions and deadlines, and Alcorn draws them here. The book offers a clear picture of the world today, the hectic hurriedness, the deadline driven world where nothing is constant, the meaning and meaninglessness of death.

The characters of Doc, Jake and Finney were fleshed out in detail, each rendered tremendously likeable, with a dash of humour.

Diehard fans of mystery fiction will enjoy Alcorn’s writing. The book is worth reading even if you don’t subscribe to its philosophy. Alcorn, a Christian fiction and non-fiction writer, offers a detailed picture of Christian morality. A lot of the time, at least for me, it was like preaching to the choir. Of course, the tone never gets weighty or preachy and those who want their cup of mystery fiction undiluted with philosophy, spirituality or morality would still enjoy the story.

His prose, well crafted throughout the series, very often takes on the garb of poetry as when he says, “War seemed neat and tidy until you were in one,” or “He savored every word from home as if each were a drop of dew collected by a man dying of thirst.”

I got a clear understanding of what it must feel like when the breath of life deserts the body. Even though this is a fictional representation, I felt comforted by it. I got a sense of the joy that would come of meeting one’s long-lost people again.

The description of hell as a place where God is not and therefore where nothing good that comes from God can ever be seemed far more realistic that the flames of fire that we grew up hearing about. There were sections when Alcorn described the miracle of conception in a manner that seemed awe-inspiring, and brought a thin film of tears to my eyes. Deadline also throws light on issues such as abortion and the suffering of good people.

Since this novel is a part of the Ollie Chandler collection, how can we omit any mention of the overweight, raspy voiced, food-obsessed, ketchup-stained tie-wearing detective? The man talks clear language, knows right from wrong and steadfastly chases after the wrong to bring it to book. His witty one-liners make him a detective quite unlike any other. At least he didn’t make the reader feel inadequate as fictional detectives often do, by seeming to solve murder mysteries just by conjuring up speculative theories out of their hats.

Deadline is a warm, sensitively told story that stays with you.



DOMINION

Dominion is the sequel to Deadline, born out of the overwhelming response to the book. Having gotten used to Jake as the hero, it is initially unsettling to see him reduced to a bit role while Clarence Abernathy, his sports columnist colleague at the Tribune, assumes centre stage. But as you go on, Alcorn succeeds in convincing you to see the world through Clarence’s eyes.

When Clarence’s younger sister Dani and her two daughters are shot at in a gangbangers episode that claims the lives of Dani and her little daughter, Felicia, Clarence immerses himself in detective Chandler’s efforts to find out who it was that killed them and why anyone would want to do that.

I learned a lot about black history and pride, the aggressions suffered by people for the colour of their skin, and how ever so often we continue are unconsciously and unknowingly racist.

The dominion of the title refers to the gangbangers’ attempts to set and enforce their territorial limits through force, and how this whole world is ultimately a dominion of God.

DECEPTION

Deception sees the spotlight centre on Chandler, and about time too, considering that the series is named after him. This is the first person account of Chandler and gives us a full dose of his trademark humour, of which we’ve already got a familiarity in the previous two books.

Since this is Chandler’s account, Alcorn gets into the heart of the murder investigation, wasting no time in setting the context or back story, as in the case of Deadline and Dominion. Each chapter is introduced with a quote from a different novel or short story of the Sherlock Holmes series, of which Chandler is an avowed fan.

Ten years after Dominion, Clarence and Ollie aren’t comfortable with each other anymore. The chief of the Portland police, keen on enhancing his own image in the eye of the public, agrees to get an Oregon Tribune columnist to trail one of his detectives through a murder investigation and to write about it in his columns. Clarence is sent to trail Chandler, a task that neither is happy about.

The investigation of the murder of William Palladine, a philosophy professor, using multiple methods, is assigned to Chandler. The investigation quickly points to someone from the police department when a detective’s fingerprints are found on the murder weapon. The case gets even more convoluted when it seems that every one of the detectives is implicated in some of the other. Chandler himself is not sure about his own whereabouts at the time of the murder. The finding of his own brand of gum wrapper at the scene of the crime makes him wonder if he himself is the killer.

The chief, unwilling to jeopardize the image of the department, tries to smother the investigation. But Chandler is determined to uncover the truth, in spite of three attempts on his life.

Because this is Chandler’s viewpoint, the narrative gets even more entertaining. We have lines like “My heart pounding like a dryer full of Army boots” and “His voice was a hacksaw cutting a rain gutter.”

There is a strain of spirituality running through as when Jake and Clarence try to convince Chandler to give God a chance to work in his life. Like Chandler, you can choose to turn off when these parts come up. But even he does begin to pay attention towards the end, so you might as well too.

The deception of the title relates to the deception practiced at the scene of the crime, when the murderer manages to implicate almost everyone in the police department, completely confounding Chandler. It also refers to the deception of evil that pervades our lives.



Alcorn’s research is amazingly meticulous, whether relating to blacks, the medical mafia, the newspaper business or police investigative techniques. He succeeds in giving us the larger picture relating to these big realities while getting us intimately involved in the lives of his protagonists.

Don’t forget that this is a murder mystery, so there are plenty of arguments, controversies and other excitement to keep the adrenaline rush.

I would heartily recommend this one.

[BONDing over BOOKS]

Randy Alcorn's Ollie Chandler Collection presents three murder mysteries, Deadline, Dominion and Deception under one umbrella. The first novel Deadline introduces the reader to the main characters, Jake Woods and Ollie Chandler as well as numerous supporting characters, especially Clarence Abernathy. Jake Woods and Clarence Abernathy didn't start out as friends, but as work colleagues at the local newspaper, Jake being the editorial columnist and Clarence is the sports columnist. You have an opportunity to witness the development of a friendship over the course of the three books. The connection to Ollie Chandler,the local homicide detective, is through Jake Woods who befriended him some years before. Each character plays a prominent role in the subsequent plots, with the other two playing important supporting roles, Jake Woods in Deadline, Clarence Abernathy in Dominion and Ollie Chandler in Deception.
There are several obvious moral dilemmas interwoven throughout each book which test what each man is made of, his moral compass, the stereotypical depiction of heaven and hell, as well as the choices each man is faced with. For example, when people close to them die and all hope is gone how do they find the faith to trust again, lean on a power greater than themselves (a coming to Jesus moment). The decisions they choose to (or not to) make ultimately help define the person each man becomes. At some point all three ask themselves the question "Where is God in this situation?"
In Deadline, Jake Woods is the survivor of a terrible, one car accident that claimed the lives of his two childhood best friends. He, along with Ollie Chandler, set out to uncover who is responsible for their murders. Along the way his own lack of faith is tested and his comes to accept that there is a power greater than his own understanding. "Second chances sometimes come on earth, but they are always limited in tim and opportunity." (p.397).
In Dominion, Clarence Abernathy, grapples with the senseless killing of his younger sister in her home in front of her children. He begins to question his "Trust in the Lord." He sets out to find the reason and the person responsible for her death. "Those who spend their lives trying to find themselves never do. But you have lost yourself in me. In doing so, you have found yourself." (p.662).

Deception focuses on Ollie Chandler, the local homicide detective, while on the trail of solving the murder of a university professor gets entangled in a mess of his own. This type of scandal helped define who Ollie Chandler is as a man, a detective, what are his principles and his beliefs. Det. Chandler is asked what he admires in people and he responds with a shrug. Jake Woods then says to him "Think about it. The virtues of good people inspire us. Would you ever have been able to see courage without danger? Or heroism without desperate situations? Compassion without suffering? Justice without injustice? Sacrifice without a need?" (p.1506-7).

Although Randy Alcorn's writing style is engagingly detailed, it takes a long time to finish reading each book (each one is well over 500 pages). This can become a distraction if you become focused on how many more pages you have left to read before the book ends. Mr. Alcorn also spent way too much time going off on mini tangents, for example, in Deadline he describes the gory details of an abortion being performed. TMI (too much information).
With that being said, if you should decide to read one or all of the books you will not be disappointed. Don't take for granted the predictable Christian theme, but be present in the moment enough to experience the journey to the last page.

Disclaimer: This book was received for free from the WaterbrookMultnomah Publishing Group for this review.

[Esther]

DEADLINE
This is not the first time I read this book. I think it is a wonderfull book. Not only is it an exciting story about a killing and finding out who did it. It also tells about difficult moral issues like abortion, divorce, being honest for everyone and even about making decisions about live and death. If this was all in this book then I would allready give it 5 stars. But this book also gives an insight in live after death in Heaven. I have to tell you that the insight in Heaven is the way the author sees it. But I think it is an good insight. In my opinion nothing is said that is not biblical. It makes me wonder about the live there. It sounds wonderful. Somewhere in the book" deadline" Jake thinks that Heaven souns just a little dull. Before I read the book deadline I secretly thought the same. But the way Randy Alcorn describes Heaven it just sounds awesome. And I think this is true. Heaven has to be awesome.
So I would really recommend this book to every christian that likes exciting books and wants to change his or hers views of Heaven from dull to awesome (less)
Dominion
When I first read "Dominion" I really did not like the part about discrimination. I thought It was an overkill. Now that I read it again I reconsider. Maybey discrimination is getting worse again. Ford many groups, not only blacks. I really liked in this part the fact that Clarence has tot learn that God is not Santa Claus. God is working in ways Clarence totally doesn't understand. And has tot come tot the point that God is God even though het doesn't understand

Deception
I had troubles getting into the story. Maybey because it is told by Ollie himself. Buy it was really exciting once I was used to the way of writing. Also Jake and Clarence are trying tot convince Ollie that there is a God. Ollie has a lot of reasons not tot believe, wich are all really honest and I understand them all. At the end of the book Ollie at least is getting more positive about God. But the big question remains.

[Kristina Buss]

A great companion to Alcorn's book Heaven. Still working through the Heaven book. Heaven takes more time to digest but well worth it.

[peter sterczela]

Excellent series

Really enjoyed how the characters stay connected through out the three books. I know you can buy these books individually but I chose to buy the set. I have never read a complete book in the detective genre, now I'm I wishing there were more books with Ollie Chandler.

[Annette Campbell]

Great

I love the character Ollie. I'm so glad that Jake and Clarence Along with their family were in the book. I would like to see another book with these characters And hopefully Ollie can find his missing And hopefully Ollie can find his missing daughter. I am also Very happy to get reacquainted with the author Randy Alcorn!

[Sheila]

Fantastic!

I'm enjoying the Ollie Chandler trilogy series immensely. It really appeals to my fascination with mysteries and suspense, but especially with the Christian focus of deliverance and salvation.

[Cheryl W]

These 3 books (in one) were life changing

Randy Alcorn is one of the most incredible authors I have read. He did his homework and I learned a lot. I can’t recommend this highly enough.

[Jeff]

I enjoyed the first book. The second seemed too long and too much about racial conflict. It was well written but it was too much for me. I ran out of enthusiasm about 1/2 way through the second and didn't attempt the third.

[Rebecca]

Deadline was good, easy to read, kept you interested.

Dominion not for me. Politics, Religion, Racism, Gangs and too mush repetition, just different wording. Got too slow. After reading this one, I have no desire to read the third one, Deception.

[Joe Martin]

The twentieth(give or take) time I’ve read these and they only get better!

Randy is my favorite author and Deadline as well as Safely Home are my two favorite books as well as my two favorite gifts to give.

[Dawn Visconti]

Loved these

[Jessica]

At this point, I have only finished the first book, and must say it was great! I love Randy Alcorn, his books always make you think. This novel follows journalist Jake Woods through a car accident and the subsequent death of his best friends, one Christian and one...definitely not. As Jake assists in investigating the deaths, his experiences lead to change in his political beliefs and faith and his relationships with his ex-wife and teenage daughter. The book discusses hot and controversial issues such as abortion, sex ed in schools, and gay rights. As a christian, I agree with the views promoted but it may come on a bit strong for someone with the opposite views. Overall, I felt there was an excellent story line and lots of thought provoking discussion of important issues. I'm not sure why its called the Ollie Chandler collection, as the detective Ollie Chandler is a rather supporting character to Jake's. I've begun the second and it appears that it will follow another supporting character, a co-worker of Jake's at the newspaper, Clarence. I assume that there will be some mystery Ollie will be involved in, but either way, I'm looking forward to the last 2 books in the series and would definitely recommend them!

Update: I just today finished Dominion, the second book, and enjoyed it as well. I started out a bit more skeptical, as the story follows Clarence, Jake's co-worker, and I really felt like he was a completely different person from the one we met in Jake's story. By the end, that didn't really matter as much though. I thought the mystery was a bit slower to get going, but it was excellent and had a twist I missed coming! I love that there is some follow-up on characters from the first book, and this story continues with giving one lots to think on as it deals with the hot topic of racism. I really felt that Mr. Alcorn balanced the issue well; it wasn't presented at all as a way to make "white people" feel guilty, but was very thought provoking. Clarence's change is interesting to follow throughout the story. Both books so far have also given the author's interpretation of heaven and hell (definitely is a great emphasis on heaven and only touches on hell). It's so inspiring and interesting to read. I have not read anything yet that I have doubted has a biblical basis, though one must remember that it is the author's idea of what heaven may be like. The final book is in the voice of Ollie Chandler himself and I'm looking forward to seeing what's in his head!

Update 2: excellent third book! The mystery in this was great; lots of twists and intrigue and when you thought it was over, it had barely just begun! This didn't have as much of a hot topic as the other two, but dealt with Ollie's inner struggle as he listens to Clarence and Jake urging him to consider Christ, yet sees so much injustice and suffering in thr world. I appreciated that the author stayed true to Ollie's character and didn't let his journey tuen false and I would definitely recommend this series to mystery lovers and even as a way to reach someone with Christ's story, especially if they are seeking.

Update 2: Excellent final installment to the series. The mystery in this was the best yet and had so many twists and turns! It follows Ollie as he investigates a murder for which he begins suspecting one of his fellow homicide detectives. This one doesn't have so much of a hot topic like the previous books, but follows Ollie's journey as Clarence and Jake witness to him while he struggles with seeing so much injustice and suffering which he sees as contradictory. I appreciated that the author stays real to Ollie's character and doesn't add any unnatural, contrived spiritual revelations.

I would recommend this to any mystery lover and even as a way to share Christ with a book loving, seeking friend! I cried (and laughed) throughout this series, inspired by the lives and faiths of the Christian characters as well as the peek at the author's idea of heaven and the joy that awaits us there!

I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

[Liz Terek]

3 Book Set: Book Review: The Ollie Chandler Collection by Randy Alcorn
Book 1: ‘Deadline’
Doc, Jake, & Finney grew up as fast friends. From childhood to the battlefields of Vietnam, they remained tight. Now, all 3 are all grown up. Families & work now take up their time yet their friendship is as strong as ever. Finney is a tried & true Christian. Doc’s a man of questionable morals & Jake falls somewhere between the two.
After a bet requires all 3 to go on a pizza run, a car accident occurs. All 3 end up in the hospital. Through Jake’s perspective, we relive bits of their lives. Left comatose, Doc hangs between life & death. Finney is hurt the worst & isn’t expected to make it. With only minimal injuries, Jake journeys to see both before it’s too late. Having shared his faith at every possible moment, Finney’s family is sure of where the end will take him. As Jake begins to realize his own mortality, will he follow Finney’s example or will this wakeup call not be answered?
Book 2: ‘Dominion’
Jake, from Deadline, appears in this one also, but our main character is Clarence. Clarence, an African-American sportswriter, lives a good life with his family in the suburbs. When his sister & one of her children are murdered in their home in an urban area, Clarence becomes obsessed with finding the killers. Along the way, he attempts to keep her remaining children safe & away from the gangs. With the help of Detective Ollie Chandler, he crosses racial & political lines. This is a story of redemption & forgiveness as well as a bit of a whodunit. Warning to the reader: There are many references to things Clarence’s family endured during the era of slavery. Many racial slurs & violent scenes are described. In all honesty, I don’t know that all the scenes were quite necessary.
Book 3 ‘Deception’
All 3 main characters from the 2 previous novels reappear here in ‘Deception’. Ollie Chandler is on the case! A Professor has been murdered. While he attempts to solve the mystery, the police department has assigned Clarence, from ‘Dominion’, to tail him as a journalist in the hopes of bettering public relations. Nothing about the case is making sense. Can Ollie solve it before things get much, much worse? Definitely more humorous than the previous two & much more of a mystery, we also gain much more insight into Ollie & his spiritual battles.
All three of these are 5 star novels. Although in a few scenes throughout the trilogy, Mr. Alcorn & I disagree from a theological perspective, his writing is excellent. Character depth seems to be an important concept in all his writing. Each one of the main characters & their supporting cast are complicated individuals with ‘real’ problems.
Obviously, Mr. Alcorn has given a great deal of time & study to what the afterlife will be like. This is where I disagree with him on a few points. But, it’s simply a result of mentors & pastors that he & I have studied from & our different perspectives. I will not say his perspective is incorrect. It simply differs from mine. I would highly recommend his work especially these 3 fiction pieces- either singular or as a trilogy.
I received 1 eBook copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are solely mine.

[Will]

Randy Alcorn is one of my favorite authors. I love reading both his fictional and non-fictional books. This collection contains three of Alcorn's books about Ollie Chandler who is a homicide detective on the Portland Police Force. I read the first two books “Deadline” and “Dominion” in this series several years ago. When I got the opportunity to read and review all three of the books in this collection, I was delighted to do so. Since I had already read the first two books of this series previously, I decided to read the third book entitled “Deception” first and then went back and re-read the other two books in the series once again. I must say that I enjoyed reading those first two books in the series even more the second time that I read them than on my first reading!

I enjoy reading detective crime novels although most of those written today contain vulgar language, gratuitous sexual references, and instances of extreme violence. Another of my other favorite authors who also writes in this genre is Michael Connelly. While Connelly's novels are relatively free of the explicit sexual and violent incidents that I dislike so much in so many of today's best selling crime novels; his books do not contain any references to a redemptive Christian theme. This is what I find so appealing about Alcorn's novels. Alcorn's fictional books are unabashedly Christian and he make no pretense of being politically correct. Yet this should not deter non-Christians from reading his novels for they are truly exciting and fast moving.

Alcorn is an ordained Christian minister. He collects no royalties from his books that are for sale on his website which can be found at epm.org. All the profits from both his fictional and non-fictional books that are purchased at that website are donated to missions, famine relief, pro-life work, and other worthy Christian ministries. Therefore I recommend that anyone wishing to purchase Alcorn's books do so on his website. I enthusiastically gave this trilogy five stars in a rating system where five stars indicate the highest rating. I freely admit that I received these three novels without any cost to me in
exchange for writing my unbiased review of the books. Yet after reading them I found that I wanted to own the books for myself so I decided to purchase them as well.

[Belindachaplin]

When I saw that Randy Alcorn's trilogy was up for review on bloggingforbooks.com, I grabbed the chance to get three books for the "price" of one.

The Ollie Chandler Collection is 3 novels in one: "Deadline", "Dominion" and "Deception". All of them are crime stories with good twists and turns that keep one guessing. The first two have Ollie Chandler as a detective who helps solve the crime. The third one is more about Ollie, and it was definitely my favourite. The other two are thought-provoking as well, but somehow Deception was the one which brought it all together.

The author also deals with various topics such as racism, abortion, AIDS, Education, organ transplants, media bias and political correctness and does a good job of giving a good Christian perspective without coming off preachy.

Randy Alcorn's writings are usually centered on helping people understand the reality of the afterlife, and throughout these three books he gives us glimpses of what heaven could look like.

I would recommend this trilogy for anyone who likes crime novels and is looking for a good wholesome and thought-provoking read.

I received this book free through bloggingforbooks.com, but this opinion is entirely my own.

[Chris]

The Ollie Chandler Collection, consisting of “Deadline,” “Dominion,” and “Deception” by Randy Alcorn present three good reads for any lover of mystery/detective stories.
Along with the twists and turns of a detective novel, Alcorn also intertwines a Christian perspective toward life. He touches on a number of issues: racial reconciliation, the search for a spiritual meaning to life, what comes next, and others.
I highly recommend this series to any reader of fiction.
I was provided this collection by Waterbrook-Multnomah in return for an unbiased review of same.

[William Dicks]

To tell you the truth, I did not even finish the collection. I am not much of a fiction reader and only read fiction to break the "tone" of my reading a bit. Hence, when I do read fiction, it really has to grab me, which this "trilogy" did not do. My wife read all 3 books and enjoyed it. So, it is not as if I am saying they were bad at all. In fact, my wife belongs to a Christian ladies' book club and all the ladies there enjoyed it.

Somehow it just did not grab me.

[Stephanie]

I read the 1st in the series, deadline, and enjoyed it even though it was rather long. I started on the 2nd book and liked it, but I just could not seem to get through it quick enough. Had to give up on it for a while and try to find something a little more interesting. I enjoy this author's writing. good Christian fiction.

[Carolyn Nowotny]

Incredible from a literary point of view as well as a Christian one!



Loved it! Great action, suspense and I found it leading me closer to God throughout.
I can't imagine anyone that wouldn't love it

[Sharon Gravelle]

Great Christian fiction!

[janis rose]

Truth and Fiction

Always enjoy Alcorn's books and the way he relays the truth of the Gospel message in a fictional tale. Keeps you wanting the story to continue.

[Craig Huggart]

Great "guy" book

I love good fiction but as a Christian it is hard to find good fiction that doesn't have a lot of bad stuff in it. This one fits the bill. Loved it!