Elisha's Bones by Don Hoesel

Reviewed by Dale Lewis

"...suspense is built layer by layer with conspiracies, ancient symbols and a personal wrestling match between doubt and faith."

According to an obscure passage in the Old Testament, the bones of the prophet Elisha once raised the dead to life but have vanished from history in a hushed whisper. Billionaire Gordon Reese thinks he knows where to find the bones and will stop at nothing to retrieve them for his own. Mild-mannered professor of antiquities, Jack Hawthorne is called upon to chase this rumor with a large bank account supporting the effort. His former, fiery fiancée, Esperanza (Espy) Habilla, joins him in the pursuit of the legendary bones. The historical and supernatural implications in this quest are enormous.

As they travel to the very ends of the earth, they discover clues to an organization shrouded in mystery . . . whose long-held secrets have been protected at all costs. With their lives threatened again and again, the real race involves uncovering the truth before those chasing them put a deadly end to their journey.

Within the pages of Elisha’s Bones, suspense is built layer by layer with conspiracies, ancient symbols and a personal wrestling match between doubt and faith. Written in the first person narrative, the story is propelled forward through a maze of people and locations from an up-close and personal perspective. Jack's interaction with Esperanza adds heat and intensity to the rapid-fire action as they deal with hurts of the past while struggling to survive in the present. The author superbly pens descriptive paragraphs full of imagination helping the reader visualize each and every scene.

Even though this is fiction, there are a few things that cast doubt on the believability of the story: 1) I didn’t know archaeology adventures could invoke so much violence and senseless deaths. 2) The lead character, Dr. Jack Hawthrone, seems to have more lives than your average alley cat, or even an aging Indiana Jones.

With a few stretches of the imagination, Don Hoesel’s first novel, Elisha's Bones, is a satisfying adventure you will not want to miss.

Dale Lewis now mans the front desk at the EFCA (The Evangelical Free Church of America) National Office in Minneapolis, MN. He was the graphic designer/pre-press production artist for over twelve years before being asked to step into this new role. Prior to that, he was the publications manager at his alma mater, Northwestern College in St. Paul, MN in the public relations office as well as the adviser to the college’s yearbook. He's a director/actor/writer for the Hope Church (Oakdale, MN) adult drama worship team and was the senior editor of the church newsletter. He's also written two collections of poetry, “Whispers of Assurance” and “On Life: Constant Communion Without Ceasing” as well as a devotional entitled “Eternal Education.” He and his family live in Oakdale, Minnesota.