After a harrowing rescue, John Cross fully retires as a covert operative to live as a pastor, and to leave his old life in the past. However, an old assignment brings someone bent on revenge, and Cross is thrust back into the life he wants to leave.

Andrew Huff’s A Cross to Kill is a gripping story, and I had a hard time putting it down once I started. The action in the book is fast paced, but has sections that give you a break before it picks up again. I liked this style as it makes the plot easy to keep up with. Each character is described well enough to picture them, but not so much that it gets boring.

The value of the book goes beyond entertainment, as the message of forgiveness forms a central core. Cross is looking to leave a past of regrets behind and move forward as a pastor. He struggles with paying for his sins, as many of us tend to do, even after becoming Christians. This part of the plot illustrates a point that we all need to remember.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Mini Review of A Cross To Kill by Andrew Huff: I may or may not have stayed up way past bedtime, like 2 in the morning reading this, oops? NOT!!! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, there was romance, secrets, danger, a beating which wasn't great (who wants to see their pastor beaten up?), there were attacks, and more secrets, not a surprise, right? But there was a uniqueness to the story that completely set this apart from most suspense in a good way. I was somewhat surprised that the book mentioned so many different denominations of churches. The writing style could be slightly boring and too descriptive at points, in all it was all right.

This is a well written book that grabs you on the first page and doesn't let go. This is a great start to a new series. If you are looking for a good clean book that is full of action, suspense and drama, grab this book. I can't wait to read the next book in this series. Thank you INscribe Digital Kregel Publications via NetGalley for the copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book starts in the middle of the action, a mission to liberate a woman journalist from a certain death. She is captured by a terror group in Jordan and is about to be executed, an execution that is streamed online.
She is rescued by the Sheperd, John Cross.
Cross used to work for the CIA, but is now a preacher. His conscience broke up on him, he couldn't kill anymore. He used to be very good at it, did a lot of missions where he had to kill to prevent worse.
The journalist, Christine Lewis wants to know who the person is that rescued her. By searching for him, she attracks the killers again. Some killers have followed her to the United States and have bigger plans.
John Cross gets involved, whether he likes it or not, he has to act again. Not only to save his life, but also that of Christine and because there is something going on between them.

John Cross is even better than James Bond. The action is so real, written in so much detail that it is as if you as reader are in the middle of the action. You can feel the speed, feel the puncher, smell the rubber on the asphalt. Short chapters lead you to a swirling end.

This is the first book of a series with John Cross and Christine Lewis. I'm sure these two characters can bear the series and that they will evolve in the next books.
For now, this is a strong and promising debut. Sometimes I had the impressing that things were a bit overdone, that all luck was on their side, but hey, it's a book and the author is always right.

Thank you NetGalley that I could read this book. It was a great read.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3026009562
https://www.hebban.nl/recensie/veravb-over-a-cross-to-kill

I did not finish this book. I made it halfway through and then the total absurdity of it finally got to me. Too many bad guys against one, too much force fed religion and totally unrealistic premise.

An excellent beginning of a series I hope to continue reading. Former CIA officer John Cross has left the Agency and is pastoring a small congregation, but his past keeps chasing him. The non-stop action begins with the rescue of a reporter and follows him back to Virginia. The spiritual aspects of the story are very well done, and I would have liked to have more of those scenes instead of chase scenes, which play better on the screen than in the book.

He's called back...for one more mission...

OK, so totally new author to me, I see that this is Andrew Huff's debut novel, but I've come to like some of the publisher's other books so I figured I'd give it a whirl. I've found Kregel's suspense/mystery books to be a bit edgier which can be a good thing. When I read the blurb for A Cross To Kill I was intrigued, I mean, a CIA assassin turned preacher?

So, this book is non-stop action from the prologue to the last page. If this were a movie I'd call it a PG-13 action thriller. Seriously, it has car chases, explosions, fist fights, gun and knife battles, daring stunts involving everything from cars to helicopters to boats to trains, terrorists, kidnapping... Call me sexist, but, I felt that this book really benefited from having been written by a man. It just seemed more believable for its genre.

While A Cross To Kill may be Andrew Huff's debut I have to say that it didn't feel like a debut novel at all. The characters were as fleshed out as they can be in this type of story and I found myself sympathizing with John Cross's struggles to separate himself from the violence of his past. Though, his attempts to atone for his perceived sins, sorry I have a hard time feeling bad for the deaths of terrorists etc., are a bit misplaced. But I think many people can understand the blocks we place in our own minds that keep us from fully accepting God's grace and forgiveness.

Anyway, A Cross To Kill was a good read, one that I was definitely in the mood for when I started it, and I'm greatly looking forward to finding out what Andrew Huff has in store for John Cross, Christine, and readers in the next book in the series.

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)

The book grabs your attention right away. . We have a front row seat to an execution of a news reporter that plays out on TV. Christine sits in a chair surrounded by people who want to send a message to the United Stated. I could feel the terror as she waited to die. At the minutes tick away , her heart starts to pump faster. Can she be saved in time?

John Cross is an experienced undercover agent for the U.S. He is no stranger to danger and he is determined to save Christine’s life. What happens next is a combination of 007 and an edgy undercover operation combined in an explosive rescue that has you on the edge of your seat. John seems to be outnumbered but with his determination and training he may just pull off the save and get them both to freedom.

It was interesting to learn that John is now a pastor and wants nothing to do with his past. He loved his church and the members take to him right away. I liked how the women in the church took him under their wing and made sure he had food since he was a single man. By asking the right questions, Christine is able to find John so she can thank him. That really surprised me that someone would give up his whereabouts to a stranger. What really troubled me was how John shared information with Christine about his previous undercover jobs. To me this seemed a bit unrealistic and I wondered why he was so quick to trust Christine with information that could get him killed.

Danger seems to follow him and his life is put in more danger when he finds out people are looking for Christine. He will risk everything to rescue her. There is a scene that really sent shivers down my spine. John is at church kneeling on the stage. I had this image of God surrounding him as John falls into His arms. All the things that John has done in the CIA comes to the surface and now his life is minutes away from ending. The twist are endless and it is hard to decide who to trust at times.

This is a good start to a promising series. The lesson on forgiveness is endless in this story and reminds us that God does forgive us and is there waiting for us to come home.

I received a copy of this book from Kregel Publications. The review is my own opinion.