Wolves Among Us by Ginger Garrett
Reviewed by Julia Reffner
"Garrett goes beyond moving the reader on an emotional level and provides spiritual sustenance."
Well-crafted historical detail,
page-turning suspense and vividly portrayed characters make Garrett’s
Wolves Among Us a must-read.
I recently read an article in which an author claimed that “it kept me
up all night” is the best compliment a reader can pay her novels. Garrett’s
novel remained bookmark free as I devoured page after page in one breathtaking
sitting.
Its 1538 in the Black Forest of Germany. I love reading books with unusual settings
and time periods, so my interest was immediately captured. Every detail of the
setting is brought to life from the wolf-surrounded village.
A double murder strikes up fears in this small medieval village. The sheriff
is perplexed and engages the help of Father Stephan, the local priest. Father
Stephan calls in the help of a church Inquisitor in order to find the dark roots
of the evil that stalks the town.
In a wave of fervor and panic, the murders are proclaimed to be the work of witches.
Physical and spiritual wolves are on the prowl, as a frenzied hunt begins to
find the culprit. The charismatic Inquisitor claims to be able to rid the town
of evil, but as his investigation continues further devastation is unleashed
on the town.
Mia is the unloved wife of Sheriff Bjorn. She tries to be a good and faithful
wife, remembering the words of a manual for women she helped her father print
many years ago. She still remembers, too, the words of the man whose books her
father printed. These words from Mr. Tyndale never leave her mind. These kernels
of truth stay with her in her most painful times. It is these words that remind
her to listen to another Voice, a Voice that distills the fear that runs rampant
throughout the village.
Wolves Among Us is a novel of spiritual warfare and of the power of
a mustard-seed faith. It is a tale of the horrendous evils man has inflicted
on man and the
power of the Love of Christ to overcome it. Father Stephan’s life shows
the “deadness” of religion and the overcoming life of trusting in
the power of Christ for salvation. Wolves Among Us shows the extraordinary courage
of our forefathers in the faith.
Garrett has penned a book that is not an easy read. History is filled with tales
of blood shed for freedom. For it was blood shed 2000 years ago that first gave
us life. Painfully realistic, there were times I was deeply disturbed by this
book. Garrett goes beyond moving the reader on an emotional level and provides
spiritual sustenance.
Wolves Among Us has quickly jumped to the top of my favorites list and I am highly
anticipating Garrett’s next installment.
Julia
M.
Reffner is blessed to be a servant to the King,
married to the love of her life, a busy homeschool mom of two young children,
and owned by one
shedding longhaired cat. She is enjoying working on a women’s fiction novel
in her spare time. She is a reviewer for Historical
Novels Review quarterly,
a magazine of the Historical
Novel Society. Julia can be found blogging about
God, literature and life at Dark
Glass Ponderings and about writing at the group
blog, The Writer's Alley.
