Books & Bibles
Entertainment
Fashion & Jewelry
Gifts & Giving
Home Decor & Accents
Kitchen & Gourmet
Beauty & Health
Specialty Stores
|
|
|
|
|
A Shred of Truth (An Aramis Black Mystery)
| Our Price |
$ 11.61
|
|
| Retail Value |
$ 13.99 |
|
| You Save |
$ 2.38 (17%) |
|
| Item Number |
34684 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Item Description...
Overview
SHRED OF TRUTH (ARAMIS BLACK V2) (Jul 2007)
Publishers Description
In The Best of Evil, Aramis Black uncovered family secrets and historical conspiracies, hoping that his own dark past had come to certain resolution. But now, in the dark of night, he finds his brother unconscious and tied to a statue in Nashville's Music Row …with the initials AX carved into his back.
A shadow from his former life has reappeared, casting threats of violence and retribution. And soon the attacker is swinging his blade of self-righteous judgment directly at Aramis, calling upon him to “face his sins.” Can Aramis finally break free from the guilt of his old ways… or will he succumb to the vengeance of an arrogant sociopath?
Praise for A Shred of Truth
“Mesmerizing! In A Shred of Truth, Eric Wilson delivers a twisting tale of suspense, sorrow, and repentance that will grab you from the start and keep your mind occupied well past the turning of the last page. Aramis Black never looked so good. Warning: Reading this book may be hazardous to your sleep cycle!”
–Sharon Carter Rogers, critically-acclaimed author of Sinner and Two Graces
“Eric Wilson can flat-out write!”
–Creston Mapes, author of Nobody
“A Shred of Truth serves up another cup of addictive suspense from author Eric Wilson. The adventures of Aramis Black read like successive shots of adrenaline, offering readers fresh takes in Christian suspense.”
–Sibella Giorello, author of The Stones Cry Out
“Eric Wilson possesses a profound power of prose and dialogue that kept me riveted to the last, remarkable page. A great work from one of our most extraordinary writers of suspense.”
–James Byron Huggins, author of A Wolf Story, The Reckoning, and Leviathan
“Wilson has done it again! A Shred of Truth is a highly textured, superbly crafted story that will resonate with readers long after the last page has been turned.”
–Brandt Dodson, author of Original Sin, Seventy Times Seven and The Root of All Evil
“Eric Wilson continues to amaze me with every novel. A Shred of Truth grabs you at the first page and never lets go. From a hero who is flawed yet admirable to the demented evil out to destroy him, Wilson has given us his best work yet.”
–Brian Reaves, author of Stolen Lives
“Now that I've had my second cup of coffee with my favorite bad-boy turned java-shop host, I'm hooked on Aramis Black. A Shred of Truth gives us a heaping spoonful of terrific writing, a double-dollop of historical intrigue, and a custom blend of danger, mystery, and family drama. Is there any question that Eric Wilson is one of the best suspense writers around? Not by me–I'm ordering another cup!”
–Kathryn Mackel, author of Vanished
Eric Wilson is the author of Dark to Mortal Eyes, Expiration Date, and the first book in the Aramis Black series, The Best of Evil. He lives with his wife, Carolyn Rose, and their two daughters in Nashville, Tennessee.
1. Aramis discovers his wounded brother and wonders if it is "retribution of some sort, my sins coming back to haunt my family." Do you think he's right? In what ways have past mistakes "haunted" your own life? 2. Detective Meade tells Aramis that "a price must be paid for wrongs committed." Do you believe this is true in the judicial system? In the emotional sense? In a spiritual dimension? 3. In the first part of the book, did you begin to suspect what AX might stand for? How did your suspicions change as the story moved along? 4. Aramis has some conflicted emotions in his reunion with an old girlfriend. Have you ever had such conflicts? Did you agree or disagree with his responses in the museum? At the hotel? 5. In Newmann's classroom, he challenges students to see through cultural lies and deceptions. Describe a time you fell for an urban legend or rumor? 6. At one point, Aramis tells his readers: "I, too, knew the sting of father's blow and his glare of his disdain. Violence wasn't something I'd learned from TV or the Xbox." What do you think about this statement, in regards to ugly incidents we see on the news? 7. Throughout the book, Aramis shows a rough side still needed to be polished. Yet we also see a soft side. What particular scenes helped you see this aspect of his personality? 8. Sammie Rosewood is a financial partner with Aramis. In what ways did you see their relationship change through the course of the book? 9. Aramis doesn't care much for his brother's guitar player. When he meets Trish, he discovers things about Chigger he didn't know. Did these discoveries give you more empathy for Chigger? 10. Mr. Hillcrest expresses a religious piety that is laced with anger. In what ways have you seen that same self-righteousness exhibited? Have you ever thought similar things toward others? 11. In one dream, Aramis imagines he's a Knight Templar. What symbolism did you see in this scene, relating to his own life or to the unveiling of the story's mystery? 12. Aramis is told by his attacker that we must all "die to the old self." This is a concept taken from the Bible. In what ways is it twisted by that attacker's misconceptions about God and forgiveness? In what ways does it apply to Aramis? Does it have any application in your own life?
Chapter 1
Put to the test, Johnny Ray Black failed and got cut–a literal, skin-splitting ordeal at the hands of a killer. One minute he was mingling with producers and industry insiders, drinking Jack Daniel's, and giving an acoustic performance of his first Top Ten single, “Tryin' to Do Things Right.” The next he was bound to a statue and bleeding.
Still alive though. Thank God.
It was supposed to be a celebration. A party for the rising star. In a park at the north end of Nashville's Music Row, I jostled elbows with his fans while bursting with pride. After years of honing his skills and playing small shows, my older brother had beaten the odds by signing with an independent label and charting a hit single.
He'd made a mistake, however, by admitting his weakness for redheads in an Entertainment Weekly interview.
She came to him that Friday evening in Owen Bradley Park. A test in red.
Beneath a moon turned soft and buttery by Middle Tennessee's humidity, propped on high heels, she nudged between caterers in ruffled white shirts and bypassed the open bar. I'm told she wore a shimmering dress. She managed to evade my attention–a minor miracle, but recent experiences have made me wary of the opposite sex–and brushed up to Johnny as he finished his acoustic set.
Coy smiles. A whisper. Johnny finished another shot of Jack, then stumbled off with her beneath tree branches strung with party lights, toward the darkness of the nearby ASCAP Building.
I didn't realize he was missing till a half hour later. Considering it was his own party, his disappearance was a bad publicity move. Where was his manager anyway? I'd seen Samantha Rosewood hurry away minutes earlier with a cell phone pressed to her ear, eyebrows knitted in worry.
My gut clenched. What kind of trouble had my brother gotten into this time? I searched the crowd, then stopped near the publicity tent and tried to recall when I'd last spotted him.
“Mr. Aramis Black.” A stubby man appeared in front of me. “You look lost.”
“I'm fine.”
“Bet it's hard on you.”
“What?” My gaze zeroed in on this slick-haired booking agent, with his goatee and ostrich boots. Every year Music City draws thousands of country music wannabes, easy prey for men such as this. Who'd invited him anyway?
“All the attention your brother's getting. Must make you jealous.”
“Not at all. He's worked hard for it.”
“That he has.”
“You know where he is by any chance?”
The agent chuckled. “In the stratosphere, that's where. And still rising.”
I gave a weak smile, scanned the cluster of partygoers at his back.
“You ever think of sharing the spotlight, maybe singing as a duet?”
“Nope.”
He tapped my chest. “You've got the look, my friend. Maybe we should
talk.”
“Not gonna happen. Johnny's the one with the voice and the guitar.”
“What about some harmonies? Think Montgomery Gentry or Brooks and Dunn. Those boys won't be around forever, and we're always looking for–”
“I'm not the type.” With a tug on my shirt sleeves, I revealed twin tattoos of banners wrapped around double-edged swords. Live by the Sword on one forearm, Die by the Sword on the other.
“Come on now.” The dude winked–actually, full-on winked at me. “These days, country fans aren't afraid of a little ink. Why live in your brother's shadow?”
“Go away. Please.”
“Just think of–”
“Before I hurt you.”
“Oh. I… Okay.” He swung round and bellied his way back into the crowd.
A voice from my right: “Aramis, you got a minute?”
“What now?” I turned to find myself face to face with Chigger. The man's mouth is curled into a perpetual sneer, and we eyed each other like wary boxers. He wore a ball cap, faded jeans over thick legs, and a Lynyrd Skynyrd hoodie. With his good ol' boy quality and electrifying stage presence, he's been a mainstay in the country scene for the past couple of years. Come Monday morning, he'd be joining my brother as lead guitarist for the first leg of a national tour.
“Got somethin' to show ya.”
“Show me then.”
“This your brother's?” Chigger lifted a black Stetson into view.
“Could be.”
“Found it lyin' out in plain sight near a bench. Not like Johnny Ray to leave his hat behind, so I figured you might wanna hold on to it till he gets back.”
“From where?”
Chigger shrugged. “Ain't seen the man since he got up and sang.”
“Me neither.” I took the hat, noted the initials JRB inside. “Appreciate it.”
Chigger nodded and moved on without another word. I wandered toward the sidewalk that edged the park, my fingers rubbing the Stetson's brim. Jagged flaps in the material signaled to me that something was wrong. On a roundabout across the street, spotlights pointed up at a forty-foot statue, and I examined the hat against their glow.
Five slices in the brim, two letters: Through the narrow slits, my brother's form came into sudden focus. He was tied to the statue, chin down, golden brown hair glued by sweat to his neck.
“Johnny?”
Dread tightened its grip around my stomach.
Community Description
Haunted by a dark past, Aramis Black fears a shadow from his former life has returned for retribution! Following a bizarre attack on his brother, the blade of an arrogant sociopath takes aim at Aramis, challenging him to "face his sins." Can Black escape the guilt of old ways---or will vengeance cut him down? 352 pages, softcover from Waterbrook.Please Note, Community Descriptions and notes are submitted by our shoppers, and are not guaranteed for accuracy.
At GoodNews Christian Bookstore, we have possibly the lowest prices anywhere! Discount on books and bibles is 25%. Checkout our church supplies page! We are cheaper than Lifeway and Family Christian. Shop with confidence! Blessings, Bill |
Item Specifications...
Pages 352
Dimensions: Length: 8.12" Width: 5.78" Height: 1.02"
Weight: 0.67 lbs.
Binding Softcover
Release Date Jul 17, 2007
Publisher WaterBrook Press
ISBN 1578569125
EAN 9781578569120
|
Availability 3 units.
Availability accurate as of May 25, 2012 04:40.
Usually ships within one to two business days from La Vergne, TN.
Orders shipping to an address other than a confirmed Credit Card / Paypal Billing address may incur and additional processing delay.
|
Product Categories
Similar Products
Reviews - What do our customers think?
 | A Shred of Truth Dec 19, 2007 |
After reading the first in the series, "Best of Evil," I had high expectations for this most recent installment in the saga of Aramis Black. I was very pleased to find the edgy, immersive tempo was not at all diluted, yet as with the series' introduction, the world of Aramis Black stands in stark contrast to most fiction in that the world it presents is difficult to distinguish from our own.
I hesitate to ever visit Nashville for fear of it not living up to the glamor of the ever noir perspective of Aramis--or worse; to discover no espresso shop on Elliston Place.
Many authors toil in attempts to suspend belief, but somehow Eric Wilson has managed to do the opposite and create belief due to immensely compelling character development with interaction that is very true-to-life. Many suspense tales pass their peak with weak or forced plot devices which weakly flutter toward the climax, and I confess I was fearful that may have been the case--that Eric Wilson had out-done himself--and anticipated a dismal and disappointing ending. But I was wrong. Few authors are able to dupe me, but I would be remiss to say I saw the ending coming. The plot is truly a masterful crescendo of twists and turns.
Very seldom am I captivated by the simple if gripping telling of a mundane story as I am an action movie buff, and honestly I am often annoyed by first-person mystery yarns, but the raw and gritty vitality of this tale extends beyond the reader's imagination into the daily perception of truth itself. Or at least a shred of it. | | | | Eric continues to keep us hooked! Oct 3, 2007 |
With so many novels flooding the market on a weekly basis, it's hard to decide where to spend your money. Fortunately, you can't go wrong with anything Eric Wilson writes. Aramis Black, the tattooed hero from "The Best of Evil" is back and tougher than ever in "A Shred of Truth".
This novel really grabbed me from the opening because of the violent attack on one of my favorite characters from the first book. I don't want to give anything away, but let me say this sets the tone for the story. No one in Black's life is safe, and the enemy he faces this time has no mercy. The suspense is ratcheted up several notches and you can really see how Wilson has grown as a writer with each novel.
Easily placing as one of my top ten favorite thrillers of the year, "A Shred of Truth" is a great story that will keep you pulled in until the last page. | | | | Struggle of good and evil Sep 19, 2007 |
Aramis Black returns in this gripping new installment from Eric Wilson. Aramis, owner of Black's Espresso Shop in downtown Nashville, finds himself once again neck deep in a mystery that is tied to his family's dark past. Wilson wastes no time in getting started, as Aramis finds his brother, Johnny Ray, unconscious and strung up on a statue in Music Row. The letters "AX" have been crudely carved into his back. As Aramis hunts for Johnny Ray's attacker, he soon learns he is dealing with a madman that is orchestrating a deadly game. Aramis must play the game in order to protect his loved ones and unlock a vital family secret. As Aramis searches for the truth he must battle with his own dark past that is full of vengeance and rage.
We first met Aramis Black in The Best of Evil, where Wilson turned a coffee shop owner into a rich and engaging character that readers can't help but love. In A Shred of Truth, Wilson takes us deeper into Aramis' life, and what a ride it is. All of the great elements of storytelling are here: engaging dialogue, perfectly executed plot development, fascinating characters, not to mention a classic "whodunit" element that will keep reader's guessing until the end. Wilson also does a superb job of bringing the city of Nashville to life, making it familiar to readers who have never been there. This is Eric Wilson at the top of his game.
Eric Wilson continues to churn out quality fiction that effectively explores man's struggle between light and the darkness that threatens to consume. From his Five Senses novels to the Aramis Black series, Wilson continues to excel at his craft. Recently he has signed on with Thomas Nelson, who will be publishing his highly anticipated Jerusalem's Undead Trilogy due out in fall 2008. Wilson's next project is the novelization of the film, Facing the Giants, which will be available in September.
Armchair Interviews says: Dust off your bookshelf and make some room for one of the best up and coming writing talents out there. | | | | BELIEVABLE! Sep 4, 2007 |
I was fortunate to come upon an Eric Wilson book on vacation and was doubly fortunate finding it to be his first! I have been hooked on his writing since then and A SHRED OF TRUTH shows that he can keep it coming.
His characters become old friends and one wants to read more about them; they are also fallible but hold on to beliefs through the trials they must walk to get to the truth.
Even his sociopath is believely evil. And, Eric Wilson always has clues added to his stories to spice it up even more!
I work in a library and am always on the look out for 'new good' talent and Wilson is a consistant author. An author of whom you want his next book, next series, next and next and next. Keep writing Eric! | | | | Intoxicating Aug 21, 2007 |
| Sequal to The Best of Evil, A Shred of Truth continues the story of Aramis Black. Black is one of the most relateable (and honest) characters in Christian fiction today. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a lover of fiction. | | | Write your own review about A Shred of Truth (An Aramis Black Mystery)
|
Shopping Cart (0 Items)
