S.L. Linnea, Chasing Eden

Chasing Eden

S.L. Linnea

St. Martin's, June 2007, $6.99

ISBN 0312949618

In April 2003, Chaplain (Major) Jaime Richards is assigned to the 57th Corps Support Group that supports the V Corps units. Her unit is deployed to Iraq, as the Commander in Chief President Bush has ordered the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While on Route Tornado in South Iraq, the Humvee she rides in runs over hidden barbed wire.

As she waits for rescue, unknown adversaries try to kidnap her, but fail. However, the chaplain runs into her friend, dying Adara Dunbar, who gives her a silver pendant and a strange message for Jaime to "Bring home the lost sword. Where the fourth sister points". Jaime follows the clues that Adara left her, which takes her to the biblical city of Ur, where she meets Adara's brother searching for the Garden of Eden before evil ones reach the original paradise lost.

CHASING EDEN is an interesting war tale, with the fresh twist of using a biblical quest as the prime storyline of this enjoyable thriller. The storyline is action-packed, and Jaime is a terrific dedicated heroine. Though some implausible spins occur, readers will not care, as S.L. Linnea creates an exhilarating tale that uses the early days of the second Iraq war as cover for a unique good vs. evil battle.