Quest for the Nail Prints by Don Furr

From the publisher: "When unexpected circumstances bring a doctor, a pastor, and a professor to Israel during Holy Week, they are suddenly thrust back in time to first-century Jerusalem. There they come face to face with Jesus of Nazareth on his way to the cross, an encounter that changes their lives forever."

The book, when you get it, has a "nail print" that goes through the whole book.  It seemed that if a book had to have a gimmick like this that maybe the story wasn't going to be well done.  

There were quite a few typos, but that is not the reason I am giving it a 1 star review.  And I don't have a problem with time travel books either.  The book was just poorly done.  As a teacher I try to grow my students to write stories that "show, not tell" the audience.  Furr does more of telling than showing.  The character's cry at the drop of a hat, and there isn't any build up to it.  This is a classic case of telling instead of showing.  Furr tells us what the characters are doing and tells us they are crying, but he doesn't develop it enough to show it. 

The book had three main characters.  The first little bit of the book tried to give you some background on the characters to help you empathize with them.  It did not seem however, to accomplish that purpose.  As a reader, the story should either engage you because it is well written, or because the plot is interesting.  Neither was the case here.  

There was also a character who had been healed by Jesus but they still had pain in their legs.  The Bible doesn't leave room to speculate that Jesus' miracles were not complete.  When He healed someone, He healed them completely.  

The relationship between the pastor (who is married) and female doctor is also inappropriate.  The book's point was about the nail prints, but instead of the characters focusing on Jesus, they begin to develop a relationship because "no one else will understand what they've been through." I was surprised that Furr would build up a relationship that could damage a marriage.  

I would not recommend this book to anyone.  


SPOILER:
And the last sentence of the book leads to what Furr's next book will be about--Peter time traveled to the present day.  This seems too far fetched.  One might be able to appreciate and understand why the three character's needed to go back in time to see Jesus, but there is no reason at all for Peter to go forward in time.  Especially because Jesus has not risen from the dead yet.  


I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.