Review – Comes A Horseman

Secret Organizations. Global conspiracies. Ancient prophecies and Machiavellian plots to rule the world. Throw in a hulking assassin from an Old World clan of killers stalking two FBI agents on the run, a list of victims connected by an intriguing string of supernatural clues, and you have Robert Liparulo’s first novel, Comes A Horseman, now out by WestBow Press.

FBI Agents Brady Moore and Alicia Wagner have stumbled upon something dangerous and evil, spawned centuries before, reaching out from the furthest corners of the Earth to destroy their lives in one vicious swipe. A field test of crime-scene detection equipment turns into a fight for survival; as assassins from an ancient order tries to claim their lives, sending them headlong on a harrowing, griping global odyssey. On the opposite side of the globe at the end of their journey awaits a puppet master pulling the strings, his machinations carried out with one intention only: to gain power beyond man’s wildest dreams.

Ancient prophecies come into play, shadowy organizations work behind the scenes as Comes A Horseman explodes from the starting blocks, grabbing readers by the necktie and pulling them along for the ride. This is a fast-paced story running at a breathless pace over a longer-than-usual four-hundred plus pages. Don’t be turned off by the length, however, Liparulo uses it well to develop his characters, giving them depth and background.

Brady Moore mourns the loss of his wife; and Liparulo paints a sobering and realistic picture of a husband grieving her death. He and partner Alicia Wagner strike the right notes along the “buddy cop” vibe, and younger characters, such as Moore’s son, are not childish or trite but thought-provoking and deep.

Also, while not gratuitous or obscene in its depiction of violence; Horseman is not for the squeamish; but then again, it’s a novel about a world cycling toward its last days, with jaded, hurting heroes battling for their lives against those who have no respect for life. Any watering down of the plot would rob it of its breath-taking; grip-the-edge-of- your-seat intensity. However, despite the fact that any violence in the novel is thematically legitimate, Horseman is most appropriate for elder teenage readers and above.

The only faults found in Comes A Horseman? For this reviewer, some of the high-tech crime scene investigation terminology feels over-done. Liparulo has obviously done his research, but in many places it feels somewhat over-the- top, interrupting the narrative flow with lengthy, detailed technical descriptions. However, fans of CSI and other similar shows will probably find this as a plus.

And, of course, a Christian supernatural, political – intrigue thriller must always have a shadowy character who may or may not be the Anti-Christ in waiting. However, credit Liparulo largely for doing the unexpected with this, and he pulls plot strings near the end of the novel that are unexpected and surprising.

Though the action wraps up a little quickly for my tastes, it’s consistent with the story’s break-neck pace, and in his first novel Liparulo has written a multi-tiered, multi- plot line story that should satisfy those who like complex tales with crisscrossing plots and well-laid surprise turns just around the corner. Comes A Horseman is a solid one- two punch that delivers.

Most admirable is his realism in dealing with spiritual matters and faith concerning the lead characters. These are not cardboard cut-outs serving as pat Sunday School lessons; they are real people with real problems, struggling to reconcile matters of faith with deep, painful scars. He does not tie the story off in a neat little package spiritually for all the main characters, which is refreshing to see in Christian fiction, because life isn’t that way either.