Lost Mission by Athol Dickson

Fray Alejandro lives in Mision de Santa Delores, an idyllic Spanish mission located in southern California. But in the eighteenth century, the mission collapsed, and only now are people beginning to unearth it. But caught in the middle of its unearthing are a Mexican shopkeeper who moved to America to preach the gospel, a pastor who feels he is failing his congregation, and a desperate man who feels he married the wrong woman.

Most of the book is spent in the past, telling from Alejandro's perspective how the mission collapsed and why. It eventually transitions to the present within each chapter, but not in a very obvious way.

Lost Mission

is a very hard book to review because it is spread out over time. In the past, it spans a century, yet in the present, only a few months. The vague transitions between past and present confused me at first. I do believe the book could have been better with more obvious transitions.

The best thing about Lost Mission is that Dickson set out to make the book full of imperfect characters, and he succeeded in doing so. They all suffer consequences for their wrong choices in the end. I love plots that are set up in this sort of way.

But why then did I not make it Elite? Here's why: Dickson made mostly everything turn out perfectly in the end. However, he disguises it very well. But he does nonetheless.

In the past, I have not fully known what to think about Athol's works. I like some of them; I scratched my head at the others. But there is a reason why Athol has never received a five star award from us: he has a penchant for making things turn out unrealistically perfect in the end. This is why his works appeal to the public.

Unfortunately, Lost Mission is one of those such works. I hate to say it. This book had a lot of potential, and I do not regret reading it. I only wish I could have made it Elite.

3 stars

Whom Shall I Fear by Athol Dickson

When Garrison Reed's best friend is found dead, wound up in a fishing net attached to a sailboat, the whole town tries to pin it on him.
So he retreats to his forest cottage where he and his wife live and tells her about it. From there, several strange things start happening, such as people lurking around their cottage, police officers dying, and other things. While all of this is happening, Garr thinks back to memories he and his friend shared.
The characters are flawed and believable, as usual.
Dickson seems to have established himself a distinctive writing style and plot execution like no other author. The answer to the mystery is unexpected and highly original.
I think mystery is a genre Athol should settle down on.
4 stars

They Shall See God by Athol Dickson

If an author is going to come up with original ideas, than it will be Athol Dickson.
They Shall See God starts with a convicted criminal being released from prison after serving a long sentence. Than it moves to a scene in which a Jewish rabbi dies from food poisoning. Than it finally gets to the main character and her family as a mysterious intruder lurks in her house one night.
While there are several other seemingly unnecessary scenes that seem to have no connection to the main plot, just bear with them. It will all make sense in the end.
The characters are flawed and believable. The romantic subplot is interesting and ends in an original way.
Some people don't seem to understand the deep meaning behind this book. It goes much deeper than suspense. It goes to the heart of the reader. Once the reader begins to understand everything, this book becomes a masterpiece.
The only problem I can think of is the odd execution of the plot. But as I said, everything is explained in the end.
Just keep reading this one through to the end.
4.5 stars

Every Hidden Thing by Athol Dickson

Usually I don't believe that books should have sequels, but Every Hidden Thing is one of the better sequels on the market.
When Garr's wife Mary disappears, he has no choice but to look for her. He looks at her parent's house, around their cottage, in town, everywhere he can think of.
But she's nowhere to be found.
Meanwhile, an abortion clinic has moved to town and has all the citizens of Mount Sinai in an uproar.
Soon, Garr finds himself tangled in a web of spiritual ramifications. The demons are working overtime in Mount Sinai through a nearby cult.
Believe it or not, this is one of the few spiritual suspense books I actually enjoyed. It made a lot of sense and was lacking in a dumb final showdown with a demon.
The end is ambiguous, not causing everything to turn out right.
The Garrison Reed series is one mystery series that did need to be written.
3.5 stars

Winter Haven by Athol Dickson

Winter Haven is very original, even for Athol Dickson. But like They Shall See God, the reader has to bear with odd scenes before it really gets to the point.
It's about a woman whose brother washes up on the beach of an island off of Maine after being lost for fifteen years. The strange part is that his body hasn't aged since he went missing. She arrives on the island, and strange things start happening. Things that seem supernatural. She hears stories of horror as told by the islanders and almost leaves until she gets invited by an "outsider" to come to the other side of the island. What she finds there stuns her.
Athol Dickson finds a great way to make this book suspenseful as several strange things happen (one of them involving a polar bear). However, they are tasteful scenes that lead the reader to a plausible and realistic ending.
4.5 stars

River Rising by Athol Dickson

River Rising is an intriguing novel about a different side of the slavery issue. The story is about a man who comes to a Southern town of split races. As soon as he arrives in town, he accidentally heals a woman who is about to have a breach birth. The baby is then born normally. Even though he tells everyone that he has no healing powers, no one believes him. He had originally come to the town because he found out he was born somewhere near the town.
The book gets a little boring near the middle, but you just have to bear with it until it gets to the interesting and surprising part.To say anymore would give away the unexpected ending.
The characters are well developed and the secret at the end of the book is well hidden. It's definitely worth reading but some could find it a bit boring.
3 stars

The Cure by Athol Dickson

The Cure was a little odd and obscure. It's about a man returning to his birth town in Maine, carrying the emotional baggage of his dead friend. The cause of his death? Alcohol. The worst part is that our main character is struggling with the same addiction. The oddness starts when he finds a note is a garbage can telling him about a cure for alcoholism. The cure, which is never described by the author, is enclosed within the envelope.
The story gets sleepy and meanders around several issues that aren't expanded upon. Then the plot just ends with a car crash. It's like the author couldn't think of anything better to do. It's probably his worst book.
However, if you're looking for an original plot structure and don't really care about issues, than this is the book for you.
2 stars