RANDY SINGER BOOK REVIEW TRILOGY PART 1 OF 3 - THE CROSS EXAMINATION OF JESUS CHRIST

 

I will swear to tell the truth and the whole truth: Attorney, Minister, and Novelist Randy Singer is my favorite author. I have read all 14 of his novels (and craving #15 - he hasn't had a new release since 2017). He also has written some non-fiction.

I will be doing a three part series focusing on three of his books. The two fiction books don't have  a lot in common. In fact, one of them was one of his two novels where he doesn't bring back a character from a former story (not counting, of course, his debut). The non-fiction, on the other hand, ties in to the novels.

Maybe sometime I'll do a blog looking at Singer as an author. Or I might review some of his other books. Or both. But until then...

The Cross Examination of Jesus Christ is a rare non-fiction book by Christian attorney and legal suspense author Randy Singer. This book was released in 2006 at the same time he released his 6th novel, The Cross-Examination of Oliver Finney (later re-released as The Judge). There are similarities, but there may be more in Singer's 2014 release, The Advocate, Singer's venture into historical suspense (or, more accurately, historical legal suspense).

The Cross Examination of Jesus Christ's first and last chapter is a fictionalized account of Christ's trial by Pilate and Crucifixion, told in the second person so the reader identifies more with the main character. Singer revists that in the 1st person narrative in The Advocate.

The remaining eight chapters look at eight confrontations between Jesus and the Pharisees, pointing out that it's possible we're more like the Pharisees than we want to believer. It deals with issues like fasting, the Deity of Christ, the authority of Scripture, and politics, among other things. (He also gives a good defense for a public defender representing a party that obviously is guilty.)

If knowing Singer's a lawyer and a novelist isn't enough hints that he's a good story teller, then reading this book will convince you. Besides the two fictionalized chapters, Singer tells a variety of tales from the Bible, history, current events, the courtroom, personal experience and even some hypothetical situations.

I recommend this book.