Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Adam by Ted Dekker



My first exposure to Ted Dekker was his psychological thriller Thr3e. I then went on to read his Circle Trilogy (Black, Red, and White). Apart from the trilogy (which is in a category of its own), Adam is my favorite so far.
The story follows Daniel Clark, an FBI behavioral psychologist, who is on the trail of a serial killer, known only as Eve. A face-to-face encounter with Eve at the latest crime scene ends with Daniel being shot and killed. Twenty one minutes later, he is revived. Daniel is the only one who has seen Eve’s face, so he embarks on the journey to retrieve the face of Eve from his mind. Interspersed in the novel are installments of “Man of Sorrow: Journey into Darkness,” the account of Eve. This adds a layer of realism to Adam that haunts you with a “this could be anyone” chill down your spine.
Reminiscent of the movie Seven and laced with flashbacks of The Exorcist, Dekker takes his readers on a hellish trip into the mind of a serial killer as they ride shotgun with the FBI. Laced with a shot of romance, this story leaves you reeling in a drunken stupor, hoping to wake up to find it was only a dream. ..and hoping that the guy next door likes his mother. No questions, just read the story.
I have to admit I am a fan of serial killer stories, having been terrified in my early years with the story of Charles Manson and his Family. Several years ago, I went on a learning binge, drinking in the experiences found in the books of John Douglas, a pioneer in the profiling department of the FBI. I am fascinated by what makes people do the horrific things that they do, and how, to their friends and coworkers, they can appear normal and even be enjoyable to be around…when they have a contorted head in the refrigerator.
Adam addresses the heart of humanity as it struggles with truth, evil, Satan, God, religion, redemption, love, and hate. Dekker paints a picture of the reality of the spiritual battle, whether we choose to view it or not.
If you share my oddities in this area, I suggest you pick up a copy of Adam, lock the door behind you, turn on all the lights and make sure you have a full charged cell phone with the FBI on speed dial.