RANDY SINGER BOOK REVIEW TRILOGY PART 3 OF 3 - THE ADVOCATE

Previously, I posted reviews on Randy Singer's non-fiction book The Cross Examination of Jesus Christ and its companion release The Cross Examination of Oliver Finney. However, this novel has more in common with the non-fiction book published eight years earlier. Both The Advocate and The Cross Examination of Jesus Christ not onlydeal with Christ's trial by Pilate, but also mention the Pharisees and Herodians asking Jesus about the tax and the woman caught in adultery, and additionally mention the treason trials in Rome at that time.

Returning my focus to The Advocate, this book is unique among Randy Singer's novels on several levels:

1. It's his first historical novel; all his others are contemporary. (Thus, don't expect characters from his previous stories to pop up here as they frequently do -- none of them had been born at this point.)
2. I would consider this to be more of a political thriller than a legal thriller. Yes, the main character is a lawyer as Singer's main characters are (with the possible exception of "The Judge"), and yes, Singer does touch on politics and political issues, but 1st century politics has more of an emphasis than the legal side.
3. This is not a simple, typical story. Not only does it span years, but it's more of a pseudo-biography than a typical novel. There isn't a typical villain -- yes, Caligula and Nero could be called villains in this story as they were in history, but most stories have a main villain who's part of the story from the beginning; not so here. Likewise, it's more episodic, with some threads reaching through the story, but not the typical plot arc.

Another item different for Singer is a list of characters before the book. The characters have four designations: historical, fictitious, historical but little known about, and historical but no name given (the only one in the fourth category is the Centaurian at the Crucifixion). The main character, Theophilus, is in the third category. Thus, realize this is a novel, not history.

One thing that's not typical in novels but not new to Singer is the changing Points of View. This is his third novel told from the first person (though the first where that character is male), but as in his second first person story, there are sections where the first person character isn't present that is told from a third person. The final section (the 101 short chapters are divided into nine parts) is also third person, but indicates the previous eight were Theophilus' memoirs.

This is not an author's first novel. It's written by someone who knows what he's doing, enough to journey outside the norm and pull it off, which he does in this novel. The Advocate can fit in the genres of historical, suspense, and political thriller (it's not quite a legal thriller in my opinion), but I could make an argument of it fitting in the literary genre as well.

Again, this isn't typical Randy Singer -- you may love his previous work yet not get into this one as much. In my opinion, this is a well put together piece of literature. 

RANDY SINGER BOOK REVIEW TRILOGY PART 2 OF 3 - THE CROSS EXAMINATION OF OLIVER FINNEY

 

In 2006, Randy Singer released two books in connection with each other: one fiction and one non-fiction. Yesterday, I reviewed the non-fiction book, The Cross Examination of Jesus Christ. Both dealt with the issue of apologetics, but in different way. In the Non-fiction book, Singer focused on who Jesus is. This one deals more with comparative religions.  

The Cross Examination of Oliver Finney was Singer's sixth, and the next to the last to be published by Waterbrook Press. When he switched to Tyndale, his first seven were re-released with the new publisher. While six of them retained their original titles, this one was renamed The Judge.

This book was published before I started writing my novel (which is now finished and in the process of finding a publisher), but I have just read it. I found it interesting because there are some similarities: both this book and my novel are mysteries and both deal with the field of apologetics. Both also have a lot of speaking by the characters in the process of the story, with most of the speaking in both cases "edited out" by the author. That is where the similarities end -- we took completely different tracks on how we dealt with apologetics.

How did this novel fare on both accounts? I might subjectively say that Singer could have been stronger on apologetics but I think he accomplished his point -- please read this to make up your own mind. As far as being a mystery, this is superb, a story that will keep you guessing. I thought I had figured part of it out, and was wrong -- and Singer gave enough hints for me to feel one could figure it out.

As usual, Singer has memorable characters. Singer has hints of being a fan of reality TV (which is also hinted at in his fourth novel, "Self-Incrimination) and of solving ciphers.

I highly recommend this book. Since it's my favorite book by my favorite author ... you bet I recommend it!

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.