ALL THINGS HIDDEN

The Klan meets Christianity in this thriller for the African-American market; what it lacks in subtlety it makes up for in strong faith. Jael Reynolds is a Florida divorcée who has found Jesus and regrets her former marriage to Virgil, whose physical attractions had once "called to her as if she were a slobbering pup." Virgil, a caricature of an ex-husband, berates Jael about her excessive work habits as a lead homicide detective. Trouble comes when drug dealers are knocked off one by one, and Jael is hot on the trail. When Jael's young son is kidnapped by the Klu Klux Klan, she turns to God for help, moving about his room, touching his belongings and claiming, "BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS, I CLAIM THE SAFE RETURN OF MY ONLY CHILD, RAMON." A showdown with evil ensues. As Jael reflects at the end of the novel, "She'd learned an enormous lesson that would carry her through the rest of her life. And whatever plan God had for her life, she had every confidence that He would see it through." The mechanics of fiction are shaky and the prolific use of "nigger" as a hate epithet lessens its shock value. Some Charismatic Christian African-American readers may appreciate this niche book, but many will be put off by its didacticism and one-dimensional characters. (Sept.)