Elixir

March 1, 2004
Using such diverse locations as Florida, Maryland, Scotland and the French Basque region as his backdrops, Bunn crafts a competent suspense novel with faith themes that should appeal to both inspirational and general market audiences. Thirty-year-old Taylor Knox knows he's doomed when the pharmaceutical lab he works for is about to be acquired by his old flame Kirra's family business, Revell. Taylor and Kirra's relationship ended badly, and the Revell family is bitter toward Taylor. But Kirra has disappeared, and despite her loathing for Taylor, chairman Amanda Revell wants him to help the family locate her sister. As Taylor traces Kirra, he discovers she's been investigating natural healing compounds found in plants—compounds that may threaten the very pharmaceutical empire her family has created. Is familial love the real reason they wish to find her? Taylor's search for Kirra leads him to an abbey in Scotland, where a communal prayer, "Lord lead me from the darkness of my own making," haunts him. His quest to find Kirra also becomes a passion to quench the demons from his past. The plot unfolds well, and while the number of locations may make readers' heads spin, the novel's historical details about the Minorcans and the Basque people yield good results. Fresh phrases, strong verbs and solid descriptions leaven some of the slower-paced surfing scenes, and Taylor's spiritual journey feels believable and inviting. The ending, while not wholly unexpected, holds a few surprises.

March 1, 2004
Taylor Knox is a midlevel executive at a small pharmaceutical firm, but his job is threatened when the giant company Revell threatens a takeover. In fact, Taylor's ouster may be the reason for the takeover. Amanda Revell, Revell's CEO, has had a grudge against Taylor ever since he dated--and nearly married--her sister, Kirra, long ago. Now, she wants Taylor to find Kirra, who has gone missing. Taylor doesn't trust the hell-on-wheels Amanda but agrees to the mission because he's still in love with Kirra. He journeys to Florida, Scotland, and the Basque country of France and Spain, where various thugs try to kill him. Slowly, he divines the real reason Amanda wants to locate her sister: knowledge of an herbal, effective alternative to Revell's biggest seller. More overtly than in Bunn's recent thrillers, Taylor begins a spiritual search as well, encountering a wise Scottish monk and facing up to the ghosts of his past, which include his betrayal of Kirra. He finds the road to peace and to love as well in this rather quiet thriller with some wonderful surfing scenes (Taylor's passion) and some fine evocations of settings, especially St. Augustine, Florida, and the aforementioned Basque country. Bunn has comfortably made the transition from evangelical to mainstream readers, and his popularity shows no sign of abating.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)