Top Pick

Latter-Day Cipher

Latayne C. Scott

Moody Publishers

softcover, 368 pages, $13.99

978-0-802-45679-3

A series of murders has rocked Salt Lake City, the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), in the thriller Latter-Day Cipher. Whoever is responsible for the murders is trying to point each crime to doctrines of the Mormon church, posing each victim to represent a punishment for those leaving the church or going against its teachings.

Selonnah Zee is a reporter assigned to do a story on the history and architecture of the Mormon temples, but is drawn into investigative reporting when the murders begin.

While in the city, Selonnah stays with her cousin Roger, a network features reporter and devout Mormon, and his family. His role is to put the right “spin” on the evidence to draw attention away from the church, putting him in direct conflict with Selonnah.

Latter-Day Cipher involves the reader not only in a page-turning murder mystery, but also in the struggles of those who must face their own shaken beliefs. A former faithful Mormon, author Scott is sympathetic to those struggles, and attempts to look compassionately at the process of making the hard decision to change.

—Sandra Furlong

Inside the Revolution

Joel C. Rosenberg

Tyndale House Publishers

hardcover, 576 pages, $24.99

978-1-414-31931-5

Political commentator Rosenberg’s fiction titles, including Dead Heat and The Copper Scroll, have been popular for their insight into current world events. Inside the Revolution, a nonfiction work on the Middle East, digs deeper into the conflict.

Rosenberg argues that three simultaneous revolutions are transpiring in and transforming the Middle East. Fittingly, he organizes his text into three parts: Radicals, Reformers and Revivalists. Radicals are those Muslims who are bent on restoring the caliphate and building a global empire. Reformers are Muslims who challenge Jihadism and endorse Jeffersonian democracy, and Revivalists are Muslims who are disavowing their theology and embracing Christianity.

For the book, Rosenberg distilled information from speeches, texts, manifestos, Web sites, videos and interviews with notable figures. Readers will especially enjoy “Making Way for the Messiah,” a veritable Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the Bible’s vision of the future.

The size and length of Inside the Revolution may be off-putting initially, but Rosenberg writes in a succinct, engaging style. Fans of his work as well as those interested in current events, the Middle East, Islam and the end times will devour this book.

—C. Brian Smith

The Principle of the Path

Andy Stanley

Thomas Nelson

hardcover, 176 pages, $19.99

978-0-849-92060-8

In The Principle of the Path: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, pastor and author Stanley examines various life principles, such as “what goes up must come down” and the idea that if a person knows where they are and how to get to where they want to be, they will achieve their life goals and dreams. The opposite is also true.

Stanley says that honesty plays a huge role in achieving one’s goals as well. Some people want to achieve certain goals, but they are not honest about the choices they make. The principle of the path allows for people to borrow from others’ paths through counsel, observation and imitation Ultimately, however, following and accepting the path that God has outlined through His laws will bring the most satisfaction, peace and fulfillment.

The Principle of the Path, an encouraging and exciting read, gets right to the heart of the matter through Stanley’s natural humor and engaging writing style.

For successful businessman Steven K. Scott, the new book The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived: Secrets for Unparalleled Success and Unshakable Happiness From the Life of Jesus (978-1-400-07464-8, $19.95, WaterBrook Press) is a labor of love.

Although the author used principles from Proverbs in his previous book The Richest Man Who Ever Lived (WaterBrook Press), when his publisher subsequently asked him for a follow-up based on the principles of Jesus, he hit a roadblock after compiling two months’ worth of notes.

“(I told the publisher) ‘I can’t write this book,’ ” he said. “Jesus Christ wasn’t about success. He came to redeem man. I cannot dilute His message.”

After praying, Scott felt compelled to write the introduction, which then became the book’s first chapter. As he kept making notes, he woke up in the middle of the night with six words on his mind that encapsulated the ministry of Christ, providing the basis for the book: Meaning, Mission, Message, Manner, Method and Mission Accomplished.

“He did six things that made Him different than any other human being on Earth,” Scott said. “If any one of us does (the) six same things, we would see a much deeper level of fulfillment, and we would accomplish infinitely more in our lives.”

For more information, visit www.randomhouse.com/waterbrook. To order, call Random House Customer Service at 800-733-3000.

'God - Inspired Blueprint' Found in King David's Response to Personal Crisis

In What to Do On the Worst Day of Your Life, Brian Zahnd delivers a timely message of hope in the midst of major trials, based on timeless truths found in a largely overlooked episode in the life of King David.

Newsong Films’ debut feature, in which a man’s search for Civil War treasure leads to an unexpected discovery, has been picked up by Cloud Ten Pictures. Treasure Blind (7-45638-00843-0, $19.98) releases Feb. 10.

Newsong founder Brian Shoop wrote and directed the 89-minute drama in which he also stars as Cliff Edwards, a lonely, down-on-luck cabbie whose treasure-hunting hobby sets him on the trail of Confederate gold. But the driver’s plans are interrupted when he finds himself left to care for Henry, a 9-year-old grandson he did not previously know existed.

Shot in and around Tulsa, Okla., the film also features Shoop’s son, Joe, as Cliff’s estranged son, on the run from creditors. Henry is played by Daniel Brookshire, who is blind in real life. Cloud Ten took on the film after suggesting cuts to tighten the pace.

Cloud Ten CEO André van Heerden said the company was drawn to the project because of its engaging story, which had a “solid Christian theme” without being “preachy.” “We are contacted about a lot of different titles and pass on 97% of them,” van Heerden said.

DVD bonus material includes several deleted scenes, a making-of featurette and a mini-documentary about Brookshire. Promotional plans include a possible church-screening release.

To order, contact Koch Entertainment Distribution at 615-577-0088.

Delilah voices another familiar Old Testament  name in VeggieTales’ latest

There is a bumper crop of VeggieTales products brought to market this month, with the latest DVD from Big Idea arriving in stores alongside The VeggieTales Bible from Zonderkidz. Abe and the Amazing Promise (8-20413-11309-4, $14.99, Word Distribution) arrives in Christian retail stores Feb. 7, as usual three days ahead of its general market release.
The latest adventure features the voice of popular radio host Delilah, who is Sarah in the episode based on God’s promise to Abraham and his wife, and subtitled “A Lesson in Patience.”