Book "Journey to Riverbend" by Henry McLaughlin

About the Book: Michael Archer is nothing if not a man of his word. Though he was unable to save Ben Carstairs, Michael is determined to carry out Ben’s dying wish: to be reconciled with his father. Unfortunately, Sam Carstairs, one of the most ruthless businessmen on the frontier, has no use for his own son, much less a man of God seeking reconciliation.
Soon after arriving in Riverbend, Michael meets and falls for the stunning Rachel Stone while waiting for Sam to return from a business trip. Beautiful yet guarded, Rachel seems to be running from a past as dark as Michael’s.
When word reaches town that Sam has been kidnapped on the stagecoach home, Michael offers to join the search party formed by the local sheriff. With a budding romance behind him and a dangerous rescue ahead of him, he sets out on the trail, determined to complete his journey no matter the cost.

About the Author: Henry is sixty-three years old. He celebrated with his wife, Linda, their forty-second wedding anniversary in November. He is the father of three boys and two girls. Their oldest son went home to be with the Lord in 1993. We have one grandchild.
Henry desires to write stories that communicate the Father's love and desire for a close, intimate and personal relationship with each of us.
He has a master's degree in social work. His background also includes writing policies and procedures for his employers as well as training curriculum and sketches. He has also written detailed and concise court reports and petitions. Prior to becoming a full time writer in September, 2010, he worked for Kenneth Copeland Ministries for ten years.
To improve his craft, he subscribe to writing magazines and belong to several Christian writer organizations. He attend writers' conferences, workshops and retreats and participate in online and local critique groups. He has completed the Apprentice, Journeyman, and Craftsman programs with the Christian Writers Guild. His novel, Journey to Riverbend, won the 2009 Operation First Novel award sponsored by the Guild and Tyndale House.

My Review: This is not just nother western book. This is not just another romance novel. This is much more than that. This book is a superb story of redemption, of trust in God, of forgiveness and reconciliation. All those ingredients and much more in this wonderful book.
The plot is simple but keep the reader turning pages. Michael Archer is our hero, that sometimes work as a prison minister and he promises to Ben Carstairs he would deliver a message and his dead mother's cross to his father when he was executed for a crime he claim he did not commited. After the execution, as a man of his word, Michael goes to Riverbend searching for Sam Carstairs, Ben's father. He is out of town in a business trip. While waiting, Michael meet Rachel Stone and fall in love with her, but both of them have obscure pasts and they think they are not worth the other's love. Sam is a grumpy man that blames Ben for his wife's dead, as she died giving birth to Ben. He is bitter and he manipulates the whole town where he lives. While on this business trip he is kidnapped for something he did also in his past and a search team is formed by the sheriff to search and rescue him. Michael makes part of this team. The story develops and all characters start looking to God for help and guidance.
This is a wonderful book, very well written and full of detailed description of each character and scenary, that makes us participate in the story, cheering for our favorite characters. This book is a must have book in the permanent library of any serious reader and lover of western's and christian's book.

This book was written by Henry McLaughlin. It was published by Tyndale Publisher House in January of 2011 and they were kind enough to send me a copy for reviewing through their blogger book review program.
If you are reading this review, feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts.