Friday, July 12, 2013

Book of the Week: The Hand of God by Tim Miller


Amazon Best Selling Novel: The Hand of God

Charlie Sims is not your typical preacher. God has called him to rid the world of sinners. One corpse at a time, he carries out his brutally selfless work until a more powerful preacher appears who will change his life forever. A battle ensues for the fate of mankind.

Charlie's devout beliefs are shaken as he finds himself hurtled into a battle for the end of the world where nothing is what it seems. A violent tale filled with death and chaos, the lines between good and evil are blurred and eventually demolished.
 

 
 
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Who would dare challenge the hand of God? This was the question I asked myself every night. The world was full of sinners, so my work was never done. Tonight’s sinner was an adulteress. During the day, she was a schoolteacher and a mother of two beautiful children with a loving husband. Her husband practically worshipped the ground she walked on. Yet this wasn’t good enough for her. Despite his years of love, devotion and adoration, as well as him giving her everything she could ever want, she was sleeping with another man.
The “other” man was a bad boy. He’d been in jail a few times, couldn’t hold a job, and hung out in bars daily. Yet he was much manlier than her gentle husband who loved her so. Adultery was sin in the eyes of God. He had declared her sin an abomination. Those who commit this act shall be put to death. Tonight, I was going to do just that.
I sat outside the adulteress’s school as darkness began to fall. It was almost eight o’clock. I’d been watching her for days. She taught fifth grade, but also worked with the choir. This often resulted in late nights. Finally, she came walking out toward her car, the same way she did every night. I parked right next to her car to make things quick and easy.
“Excuse me, ma’am?” I said as I stepped out of my Tahoe. She didn’t seem startled at my presence.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
“Yes, do you have a cell phone? My truck won’t start and my phone seems to be dead. I’m really sorry to bother you.”
“Umm, yes I do,” she said, as she began to look through her purse.
The distraction was just what I needed. I lunged toward her and, in one smooth motion, placed her into a reverse chokehold, cutting off her air and her circulation. Within seconds, she was limp within my arms. I popped the tailgate on my Tahoe and slid her inside, threw the canvas tarp over her, and closed it up. It all took less than a minute. I climbed back in and began the drive to the Chapel.
I stood watching her as she began to awaken. I looked up at her, admiring my own work. One of the fun things about my work was seeing the look on sinners’ faces when they realized their predicament. Her response wasn’t any different. I had stripped her naked, tied her to a large wooden cross, and had my tools lain out before me on a table. As she came to, the alarm finally registered on her face and she began screaming. She went on like that for a few minutes before she actually spoke.
“What’s going on? Who are you?” she screamed. “Where am I?”
“You know why you’re here, sinner. God sent me to rid the earth of you.”
“For what? I’m not a sinner! I didn’t do anything wrong! Why are you doing this? What do you want?” She struggled against the ropes as she screamed.
“Nothing wrong, huh?” I walked over to my table. I picked up the Bible off of the table and turned to the book of Leviticus. “And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and adulteress shall surely be put to death.” I closed the Bible and held it up. “This is the word of God! Not up for negotiation!”
“What? Why? You don’t even know me! Are you insane?” She kept struggling on the cross, trying to free herself, but not budging at all. I could recognize the look in her eyes; it had gone from fear to anger. It was as if she’s realized her fate and now chose to fight instead of beg. “What about Brett? Huh? Where is he? It says both of us should be put to death! Not only are you a murdering freak, but you’re a sexist murdering freak!”
I had a feeling she would mention her lover, Brett. I reached under the table and pulled out the large trash bag and reached inside.
“Oh, you mean this guy?” I said as I pulled Brett’s severed head from the bag. His eyes were wide and mouth was gaping open. She screamed louder and more shrilly than she had earlier, the defiance out of her for the moment.
“Please, don’t,” she pleaded. “Please! I can change! I can! I’ll go to church. I’ll beg forgiveness! I have a family!”
“A family you cheated on, for this piece of garbage. And for what? A cheap thrill? A turn on? I hope it was worth it.”
“God no, please! God help me!” she cried.
“Oh, I’m afraid God won’t help you. He’s who sent me.”
I put the head back into the bag and set it on the floor. Unfolding the sack on the table, I revealed my tools. They included meat cleavers, knives, drills, and other useful instruments. She saw them and began screaming again. I continued through the noise. I was used to it. It was the sound of God’s justice. I found my large knife and walked over to her as she continued screaming. She looked down at me from the cross as I held the knife up to her.
“No! No! What’re you doing? No!” she screamed, but I ignored her.
As I began to cut down her chest, blood pouring from the incision, I said a prayer:
“God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.”
I prayed as I cut, blood pouring from her body and covering her in crimson as she continued screaming. It would be over in a few minutes and then she would never be found. There would be no body, no evidence, no trace that she, or her sin, ever existed. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

My Review:

The Hand of God is definitely out of my normal genre. This is the first book I've read that gives me the willies thinking about it. With actual scriptures being quoted while this serial killer of God passes judgement, it makes me wonder how Mr. Miller came up with this story. It's original and very dark and twisted. All throughout the story the plot turns just as you think you've figured it out. I was able to read this book in a day and was definitely creeped out by it. Good job on making my mind work overtime!


About Tim:
Image of Tim Miller
Tim Miller has studied various religions, as well as psychology and has worked in several fields involving the study of human behavior. After serving four years in the U.S. Marines, Tim spent six years working as a corrections officer. Tim also worked as a technician in a psychiatric center. He is also an ordained minister. He currently lives in San Antonio, Texas with his wife and their children.

Tim became a fan of horror as a teenager. At the age of fourteen he would often read Stephen King books while listening to Iron Maiden on his head phones. He would write short stories to entertain himself and his friends. In 2001, Tim Published his first book, Without a Trace, and then Out of Nowhere a year later. These were mystery/suspense thrillers, but frightening enough in their own right. When not writing, Tim also trains as an amateur Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter.

After a ten year break and writing two inspirational books, Tim is back at it writing horror with The Hand of God. It is the first book in the series about Pastor Charlie, the preacher/serial killer. The second in the Pastor Charlie trilogy, Revenge of the Three will be released in May 2013

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