RIVER RISING, by Athol Dickson

River Rising opens with a scene in 1927 Louisiana, featuring an unnamed man poling his pirogue up the fog-covered Mississippi River toward a tiny town. From the start, his appearance and demeanor attract attention.

Dickson's opening had me from the first page. Soon we learn the stranger is Reverend Hale Poser, come to Pilotville to find his roots. His righteous soul is disturbed by what he sees of the community's hypocrisy. Whites and blacks exist more or less harmoniously during the week, but on Sunday they separate to their individual churches.

When Hale Poser takes a job as janitor in Pilotville's Negro Infirmary, it's not long before rumors of his ability to heal circulate through the community. Is he a miracle worker? The evidence is hard to deny.

Then a baby is kidnapped from the Infirmary, and Hale takes it upon himself to find her when others have given up. Where River Rising proceeds from that point is startling and oh-so realistic. Dickson is a masterful writer, as proved by River Rising being awarded the Christy Award for suspense in 2006.

For those who say they never read Christian fiction because it's insipid, I say read Athol Dickson's work. He’ll change your opinion.