Faces in the Fire by T.L. Hines

Reviewed by Karri Compton

"...if you like uncanny, strange, supernatural adventures, this one may have something for you."

Hines is known for unusual or “bizarre” plots and quirky characters. I’ve enjoyed the other titles I’ve read of his. However, after finishing Faces, I honestly didn’t know what to think. It was an interesting story with a good ending, but weird barely begins to describe it.

The tale begins with a trucker named Kurt Marlowe. He goes to estate sales and buys dead people’s clothes, which then speak to him. Then, he makes metalwork art out of the images that come to his mind.

Kurt meets a young lady named Corrine with a catfish tattoo. This proves to be very significant. The story then moves from Corrine to the woman who gave her tattoo, Grace. She has her own eccentricities, and her life is connected to yet another character. By the end, everyone has been affected by each other and a strange string of numbers that keeps coming up, from which they cannot escape.

Any spiritual themes that might be found had to be mined like precious jewels. Hines will admit that he doesn’t go out of his way to add the faith element, so readers need to know this going in and not expect any Jesus talk or conversions. But he tells a good story, good enough to where I would recommend it. However, I’d add the disclaimer to not expect deep spiritual impact.

I think the two best parts of Faces were the character development and then how the plot works out at the end. Each character was distinct and memorable, with his or her own demons to battle. The stunning conclusion made the reader’s journey through the characters’ lives worth it.

So if you like uncanny, strange, supernatural adventures, this one may have something for you.

Karri Compton, wife and mother of three, devours Christian fiction whenever possible. Her favorite genre is suspense/thriller, especially Ted Dekker novels. Since promoting biblical worldview fiction is dear to her heart, she reviews on her blog, Fiction Fanatics Only! and is a staff reviewer and interviewer for such sites as The Christian Suspense Zone. Her latest published work appears in Peculiar People's novel collaboration, Delivered. She is a member of such writers' groups as The Lost Genre Guild and FCW. Editing the completed first draft of her novel keeps her busy, as well as performing in musicals put on by her local community theater association.