Review – Tribulation House

In an announcement to the planners of Tribulation House, a state of the art evangelistic outreach, the Reverend sets his church members on a path of no return speeding toward Jesus’ second coming. Most notably, member Mark Hogan splits his focus in the last days between his Christian desire to reach out to others through Tribulation House and scheming to acquire a boat, the 2008 Bayliner 192. His justifies his worldly desire for the boat he’s always wanted with the opportunity to minister to lost souls while cruising on the local lakes. Mark is certain that this is exactly what Jesus would do. That is, until Mark inadvertently kills Reverend Glory.

Through out the book, inept mob enforcers, Ross Cleaver and Bill Lamb, engage in nefarious activities aimed at separating The Last Church of God’s Imminent Will from their land so their mobster boss can profit, while detectives Charlie Pasch and Tom Griggs close in on them. The paths of all these characters come together in a hilarious search for Reverend Glory’s killer.

This is the first book by Chris Well that I have read and after reading I would definitely seek out his prior novels. His humor, satire at its best, fills the pages of Tribulation House. His characters are real, quirky, and often laugh out loud funny. I especially enjoyed the interaction between the gangsters, Ross Cleaver and Bill Lamb. They were so visual through Well’s stellar dialogue, that I could easily imagine a hit movie with the pair in starring roles.

The story moved along at a fast clip, with short chapters and quick dialogue. The plot was very involved and at times, I had to slow down and put a few pieces together, but it was worth the time to do so.

Gilded in satire, Well takes a punch at religious misunderstandings and end times prophesies. He reveals Biblical truth in an entertaining and easy to read style. If you are fond of humor mixed with a fast paced story, you’ll love Tribulation House.