THE THIRD FUNERAL

In a novel that explicitly confronts issues of Christian doctrine, Hope, a reporter, and her family become involved in several tragedies. First, the child of a friend is killed in a car accident. Then Hope witnesses an airline crash and begins to investigate a conspiracy. Not surprisingly, this plot involves several funerals, where the eulogies, recounted in exacting detail, emphasize Christian views of life after death. When Hope and her son are kidnapped, a former enemy becomes a friend. In the tone of a broadcaster, Mike Kellogg narrates with emotional detachment. As the plot focuses on the investigation of the air crash and the kidnapping, the Christian theme remains front and center--but the abridgment fails to tie it all together, and the emphasis on religious beliefs overwhelms the story. M.B.K. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 04]