Review by GoodLuck ES -- Always Before Me by John Servant

GoodLuck ES · Post by **GoodLuck ES** » 08 Apr 2021, 08:33

[Following is a volunteer review of "Always Before Me" by John Servant.]

4 out of 4 stars

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The book Always Before Me: (A Story of Mercy and Salvation) is a Christian fiction written by John Servant. The story centred on faith, hope, sin, and absolution. It also touched on the theme of betrayal. The book told the story of catholic priests who had dreams they set out to achieve. However, they found themselves stuck in negative situations they never envisaged.

The dreams of Father Anthony were hindered by an accusation of sexual abuse. The accusation confined him to the role of prison chaplain against his wish to work as a teacher.

Father Paul's aspiration of spreading the gospel was hampered by the oath of the priesthood to which he was sworn. He lost the good faith of the cops because of his firm resolve to uphold the tenets of his calling. He refused to disclose the content of a confession that would have aided criminal investigation and prosecution. Thereafter he encountered many troubles.

What troubles did he encounter? How did these men react to the ugly turn of events they had no control over? Find out by reading this interesting story.

The book has a lot of positive aspects. Firstly, the writer's style is brilliant. I loved that the story started in a very simple manner. In the beginning, the reader could not immediately decipher where the story was headed. This attribute sustained the interest of the reader till he began to grasp the direction of the story. The progression of the story was even more interesting. Events in the story were connected well. The book took the reader on a totally enjoyable journey. The writer also shared a lot of information on the ideal attitude to adopt when faced with life's many daunting challenges.

I also loved that the author shared information on the criminal justice system of the state in which the story was set. The book contains a lot of data on criminal investigation and the great role forensics play.

I loved that the book contained Christian teachings backed up by the scriptures. The author referred to Bible verses to establish the truth spoken by the characters.

The book had one negative aspect. I did not like that some sentences in the book were unnecessarily long. This affected the comprehension of some parts of the story.

The book was professionally edited. I found few punctuation errors in the book. However, they were not enough to discredit the professionalism of the editor. Consequently, I rate the book 4 out of 4 stars. I did not give the book a lower rating because the errors did not remove from my overall pleasure while reading the book.

The book is inclined to the Christian religion. It made a lot of reference to concepts known to Christianity alone. Concepts such as: Confession, absolution, blessed sacrament, rosary, scapular, chaplet of divine mercy. Readers with other religious backgrounds may find it difficult to comprehend these concepts.

I strongly recommend the book to Christian readers, especially Catholics, and to non-christian readers interested in understanding the workings of the Christian religion. Lovers of crime fiction will also enjoy some parts of this book.

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Always Before Me
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Jennifer Garcia 555 · Post by **Jennifer Garcia 555** » 16 Apr 2021, 10:29

A religious crime fiction story sounds interesting. This is not the type of book that I would usually read but your review has me interested.

Mwatu · Post by **Mwatu** » 18 Apr 2021, 11:06

Jenniferg_1105 wrote: ↑16 Apr 2021, 10:29 A religious crime fiction story sounds interesting. This is not the type of book that I would usually read but your review has me interested.

I agree! I don't think I have encountered such before.

Sarah001 · Post by **Sarah001** » 18 Apr 2021, 13:45

Interesting summary. It seems that the theme would not interest me though. Thanks for a concise review.

Post by **kandscreeley** » 19 Apr 2021, 10:12

I do enjoy a good Christian fiction. This one sounds like it's relevant to one's life. It's not always easy to live and navigate in this world. Thanks.

Dimi1 · Post by **Dimi1** » 19 Apr 2021, 11:09

It seems like a great story. I find it interesting that there seems to be a gradual engagement of the reader. Great insight, great review!

TheMazeRunner · Post by **TheMazeRunner** » 20 Apr 2021, 12:55

Interesting Christian fiction, seems like a good read. I love your review!

Chigo Nwagboso · Post by **Chigo Nwagboso** » 21 Apr 2021, 13:37

Wow!! This is veey pathetic. Someone like me will spill the confession so, I will be vindicated. I hope he finds justice at the end. Thanks for a detailed review.

Saint Bruno · Post by **Saint Bruno** » 22 Apr 2021, 13:46

Christians would really enjoy this book. It promotes faith in God despite the circumstances. Thanks for insightful review.

Kennedy NC · Post by **Kennedy NC** » 22 Apr 2021, 16:26

I am always enraged by false accusations and it is sad the Father's dreams were cut short because of one. Great review.

Marcel Cantu · Post by **Marcel Cantu** » 23 Apr 2021, 07:10

This sounds like an interesting story and combination of ideas. Thank you for the well-written review!

sharon titus · Post by **sharon titus** » 24 Apr 2021, 05:55

I like the sound of the book. Nicely reviewed especially the summary part. Thank you for your hard work.

NetMassimo · Post by **NetMassimo** » 25 Apr 2021, 02:52

The novel's crime fiction element seems interesting, but I'm afraid the religious part is too heavy for my taste. Regardless, thank you for your great review!

AvidBibliophile · Post by **AvidBibliophile** » 25 Apr 2021, 11:39

Faith, hope, and absolution as told through Catholic priests? Now that would certainly make for a compelling crime story of sins requiring forgiveness! Thank you for your lovely review.