“The most popular evangelist of his day, John Luther simply wants to share the Gospel and enjoy a quiet life with his family.  He never asked to be at the center of a political controversy, but an ill wind has been blowing through the halls of Congress, and supporters of a new religious-equality bill see Luther’s endorsement as critical.” – Persecuted, by Robin Parrish

Overall, I was less than impressed with this book.  It wasn’t necessarily bad, but it wasn’t necessarily good either.  Apparently based on a movie, Persecuted follows the tale of a man on the run as he is being targeted for his faith.  Perhaps I am just naive, but I thought the plot seemed too far-fetched.  Religious freedom is definitely been encroached upon more and more, but this plot seemed almost too simplistic to be believable.

There is little character development and even the subplot with some of the agents on the case seems cliched.

It did give me cause to stop and think, though.  What would I do if faced with that situation? Would I run?  Would I stay and tell the truth, hoping there would due process of law?  It is sobering to think about, and I will admit it made me wonder about the scandals and cover-ups that do happen today.

I also enjoyed some of the back story.  Typically I do not appreciate flashbacks in novels, but in this book they fit well.  The story of how John and his father, a Catholic priest, did not detract from the overall story.

Note: I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for this review.

-Bonnie