Cursebreaker by Nancy Wentz

Several weeks ago, I received an envelope with new fiction coming out from Whitaker House in January, 2009. One of the books was "Cursebreaker" by Nancy Wentz. Since the genre interested my husband more than me, I asked if he'd review it.

Here's the back cover copy:

A ten-year-old boy escapes from an abusive father and is taken in by a local pastor—only to discover that the boy is a prophet with a powerful anointing from God. Known as “Luke,” the boy’s gift of prophecy leads him into direct conflict with the Fratellis—a powerful mafia family with a generational curse of demon possession dating back to the sixteenth century.

As he navigates the spiritual world and the streets depression-era Colorado, Luke is befriended by three unlikely people: a member of the Fratelli family; the crusading attorney trying to take down the family; and Clara Crawford—an intriguing woman who is caught between the two sides. Will this small boy and his gift be enough to save lives—and souls—before the cycle of revenge and demonic possession destroys everyone he knows? His only weapon is the all-powerful name of Jesus…

Author Nancy Wentz’ drama unfolds in both the physical and spiritual realms, treating the reader to a thrilling tale of mystery, passion, and historical intrigue.

And here's my husband's review:

"As a reader of Christian suspense I enjoyed reading Cursebreaker by Nancy Wentz. This book offers a unique mix of authentic historical settings, suspense and supernatural thrills. The story centers around a 10-year-old boy with the gift of prophesy, and a mafia family during the prohibition era of the 1930’s, which has a generational curse of demon possession. The action is realistic and the pacing strong. Characters are well developed and the dialogue is believable. The Christian evangelical angle is well done and not preachy or overly sentimental. The book is not for those who desire lighter reading; it has all the corruption, violence and bloodshed you might expect from a leading gangster family and their activities controlling a major city. But it also shows that ultimately God is in control; He leads men to change their hearts, and He provides protection for His children. Those who love the style of Frank Peretti should enjoy this work because the elements of grand conspiracies and intrigue, demon possession and spiritual warfare are strong and contribute substantially to the overall appeal and readability of the novel. I look forward to reading upcoming books in this series."

A bit about Nancy:

Born and raised in Colorado, award-winning author Nancy Wentz graduated cum laude from the University of Colorado. Two of her short stories, Henry Cushing and Babi Yar, were winners in the National Writers Association Short Story Contests. She has also written plays for the youth group to perform at her church, and has freelanced articles for her current employer. Nancy has a great love for history and English literature, and, in their pursuit, found her creative outlet by incorporating aspects of both into her writing. Her voice is unique in that it reflects a classic nuance not typically seen in modern writing. Nancy became a Christian in her childhood and for years has prayed for God's will in her life. Through trials of brokenness and faith, God has shown her that He uses the most insignificant, the most defeated, to bring about His will and glory. This theme was the inspiration for her first novel, in that God chooses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. Nancy is married and together they have a beautiful young son. She and her family are active members of Littleton Baptist Church.

Look for this book in early January, 2009, though its page is already up on Amazon. We wish Nancy all the best in her writing.