I was hooked from the first line, “Millions of people would witness the murder of Christine Lewis, and not one of them could do anything to stop it.”

Scary, I could imagine this scene as it's been played out in real life. This author does a great job of grabbing readers heartstrings from start to finish, giving them little time to breathe before something else explosive happens. This is a fast-paced action adventure like a 007/mission impossible movie, but with a Christian world view and a wholesome romantic suspense thread. I enjoyed this adventure from beginning to end.

John Cross has become a pastor, with a double life. His congregation doesn’t know exactly what he has done. It soon becomes evident he can’t live in both worlds. He’s got to tell all. The author presents the gospel message as Christine has watched John face his enemy and walk out his faith.

The author kept the reader guessing as to how things would turn out. Readers learn about John Cross, assassin turned preacher. He’s had a divine intervention in the most unlikely place. Although his life has changed, not all his enemies know about this transformation and/or think it’s real. John tries to live out this faith walk as he helps where he can, presenting the gospel to his church congregation, and other characters share the gospel message with John’s friend. There is violence in the story, but it’s not graphic and there is no foul language. There are fantastic chase scenes I could visualize as if I were watching a movie.

This is a page-turning thrill ride you don’t want to miss. This is a great escape and one that would work well for your next book club meeting.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have received a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog www.bookfun.org

A Cross to Kill
by Andrew Huff

INscribe Digital

Kregel Publications

Christian , Mystery & Thrillers

Pub Date 15 Oct 2019



I am reviewing A Cross to Kill through Inscribe Digital/Kregel,Publications and Netgalley:





John across is not the kind of man you would imagine had a checkered past. He is a small town Pastor, doing his best to head his flock to follow God’s calling. He is definitely not the kind of man you would imagine had a checkered past.






The truth is that the man who was preaching behind the pulpit was once, an assassin for the CIA. When John gave his life to Christ and decided to follow him, he put his past, and that work behind him, and was determined to do penance for all the lives he took as a CIA assassin. And he vowed never to kill.



Someone wants the a Pastor to pay for his sins with his own life now. When a terrorist seeking revenge walks into John’s Church, his sins are laid bare for all too see. When he is confronted with his past, he finds himself having to face his demons and discover whether a man can truly change. Can he keep the vote he made, even with those he loves the most are in mortal danger? Will the people he cares for, including his congregation be caught in the crossfire? In the end will it be John’s life, that he had to sacrifice?



I give A Cross to Kill five out of five stars!



Happy Reading!

A Cross to Kill started out with a bang—Christine, reporter in Jordan about to get executed on-camera, is suddenly rescued by a mysterious man that disappears as soon as he ushers Christine to safety. Definitely a hooker scene.

John Cross is an enigma to most people—ex-CIA-turned-preacher. Quite a combination that made me dying to read the book once I read the synopsis. The writing style was hooking, yet there were instances where it almost seemed to pull me away from the story.

For instance, the writing style is quick and lively, describing few details, and yet I was okay with that because of how the story was. But every once in awhile, it was as if a big, descriptive word was thrown into the middle of a sentence just to let the reader know that the story was worth reading.

USING BIG WORDS WHEN IT DOESN'T FIT THE REST OF THE STORY DOESN'T WORK. It doesn't make the story sound more intelligent or whimsical; on the contrary, it makes it sound like the author is making too big an effort to pull the reader in, when in actuality, it does the opposite.

So. Mini rant over, I really did enjoy the plot and characters:

-John Cross himself. That dude is nuts (I mean . . . being a preacher is his day job but he takes covert missions to rescue people??) but he's fabulous all the same. Kind of a cross between Walker, Texas Ranger and MacGyver. Except present day. With stun guns.

-Christine was pretty good . . . this might be considered a spoiler, but I appreciated her respect for John's privacy and his plea to stay out of the media. She wasn't the ultra-annoying, anything-for-a-story reporter.

-John's congregation was amazing and I love Lori.

-Guin. Guinnnnn. She was funny, in her own way. *Smirks*

What I wanna know is, whyyyy must they be attracted to each other at first sight?! Dude rescues girl from mortal danger, so she's probably going to be naturally attracted to him; he saved her from death. BUT. For some reason he just can't get her out of his mind! Wow! They've known each other for a couple of hours, and already he feels overprotective of her, almost ready to blow his cover just so he can talk to her over the phone!

*Coughs* Sorry this wasn't intended to be a rant review.

But there's more.

Let's talk about love triangles, shall we?

Now, I'll give a disclaimer and say that THE LOVE TRIANGLE WASN'T MAJOR. In fact, it was barely there. BUT. Girl likes guy. Guy likes girl. Other girl likes guy. Girls glare at each other, particularly the one not in the guy's sights. So that was . . . interesting. But how it all worked out was swell.

OKAY SO THOSE LAST SCENES. The suspense and drama of the entire book allllll built up to those last scenes. And suddenly . . . it's over?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if only one scene in particular is mentioned in the book's synopsis, shouldn't it be at the very least longer than just a few pages? I mean, I was waiting and waiting for this scene because I was excited to see what happened . . . and then it was suddenly over and done with.

So, yes, the book was good, just not quite my thing. ;)

Just sayin', I'm in no way bashing the author! The book just happened to use several of my pet peeves and that tends to get me on a rant.

Debut authors are a hit or miss with me and sadly this one was a miss. I thought the idea of a former CIA operative vowing not to kill again was a great idea. I found the characters flat and more telling of the story than showing. The bad thing for me is that when there is more telling vs showing it’s like my brain gets whiplash.
For me the best part of the book was time spent in the community of the church.
I did like John and thought his code name Shepherd was cool given his occupation change. I’d like to see more of his character development in the future.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via the publisher. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Cross to Kill is a well written inspirational romantic suspense. A great edge of your seat plot. Couldn’t put this book down. I highly recommend. I received an arc from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

This book sucked me in instantly, from the first sentence. I loved that! Most books take me several chapters until I really get into them, but this didn’t have that—the action (and hook) were on the first page, which was excellent for this reader, and the genre, too. Somehow, I don’t think I ever put down the book until I got to 30% and the tension got a little easier for a bit. It wasn’t long until I was back for more, though, and I ended up finishing this book in record time!

There were many elements of this story that I really enjoyed. One or two that I didn’t, which might mean that I won’t end up requesting any sequels to review (that’s how I got this copy, too—thank you to Kregel Publications!). The Christian side to the story was very well done, I thought, with common struggles and questions being addressed naturally in the plot.

This story feels somewhat unique in that to me, it’s a grown-up version of an adventure novel. It’s almost too good to be true, but the very reality that it’s impossible to believe that they’ll make it out safely added a fun element to the story. You know one way or another, it will be okay—but you can get the thrill of danger all the same. Oddly enough, I don’t consider myself to be a risk-taking kind of person. But I love thrillers, and this was among the better ones I’ve read.

From a Christian perspective, I’d have to say that I felt this novel was outstanding—for the most part. I don’t appreciate self-defense, as I don’t believe that’s something Jesus taught or advocated in the Bible, but one thing that was valued in here was human life. I appreciated that, because it isn’t something that is always valued.

Like I said, I don’t know if I would read the sequels to this book. It’s tempting—the author clearly knows what he’s doing, even though it almost felt like it was pushed too far sometimes. I didn’t appreciate the amount of violence in this story, even if it is the kind of thing that you’d have to expect from the characters and setting this book has. I also didn’t appreciate the disrespect of other people’s property and the many times people were hurt badly enough they should have died. Though it had some great Christian themes in it, I don’t know if that’s enough to balance it out for me.

If you love mysteries with a huge dash of adventure alongside, and don’t mind a few messy scenes, check this out. It’s the kind of book you don’t put down easily, and sometimes that’s exactly what we need at times!

I requested a free review copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.

There are few books that have me so enraptured that I get lost in it and move around my day. A Cross to Kill had me engaged from the first page and I stayed with it until the end. I read the teaser for the second book. I am all in when it comes to this series and author.

There was a lot to love. First, the premise. A former assassin now a pastor. What a huge life change, and with it, a lot of conflict. And secrets. It was something I had not read before, and I loved the set-up.

There were the characters. John is a conflicted man and yet a pastor. He has flaws and being in front of a pulpit doesn’t change that. Christine is a strong heroine. She’s been through literal torture and yet she can keep up with John. The secondary characters—John’s former partner and members of his congregation, add to the enjoyment.

There’s the action. It’s non-stop. I could see this as a movie or series. The goal in writing is to have constant conflict. A Cross to Kill Delivers.

If you love action movies, if you love a redemption story, if you love a hint of romance—A Cross to Kill is a must read.

I received A Cross to Kill from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated and all opinions are my own.

I have to admit that, in the beginning, I wanted to read this book because I just could not imagine that a storyline with a “Jack Bauer/24 type character turned small church pastor” could really work.

After reading this book, my verdict is in: It does work. I enjoyed reading this book. The suspenseful scenes—and there are plenty of them—are well written and kept me quickly turning pages. The first chapter is completely riveting. Once I read that chapter, there was no turning back. I had to find out what happened next. This is good, clean suspenseful fiction with no foul language; and as an additional bonus, shares the Gospel and showcases the difference that God’s forgiveness and grace makes in those who come to Him.

The characters of John and Christine work very well together in this storyline. I was glad that an excerpt to the next book was included so that we know both those characters appear in that story.

It’s a good debut novel for this author. If you like reading Christian suspense, give this one a try.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

4.5 Stars

Andrew Huff’s debut novel impressed me. A Cross to Kill is an intense, full speed ahead read that starts from the first pages and doesn’t let up.

Several car chase scenes, hand-to-hand combat, and daring escapes that take place in cars, on top of a train, and on a crane had me clutching the pages.

John Cross is a unique character. An ex-CIA officer turned pastor, Cross wants to leave all of his past acts behind him and live a better life. But when his past catches up to him, he can’t sit on his hands and do nothing.

Huff presents some interesting questions in this debut. If not Cross, who else will protect the country from evil? How can one man reconcile the skills God has given him with living a life of faith? When lives are in balance, is turn the other cheek truly the best choice?

While those answers may not come this side of heaven, Huff’s examination is thorough, entertaining, and enjoyable. I am looking forward to what the next installment in this series brings to readers.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Fast paced action:
If you like plenty of action scenes with guns blazing then this book is for you. It starts with a hostage rescue attempt and progresses directly to bad guys chasing good guys right till the very end. In fact there are 3 high speed car chases (plus a boat chase & a train top fight) all with fists and bullets flying and improbable stunts. It reminded me of a Jason Bourne movie that is rather ridiculous but enjoyable all the same! However overall there was too much fighting for my taste.

John is on a spiritual journey towards accepting forgiveness and redemption and whilst he still has a way to go, I am hopeful this will be realized over the coming books. Christine is just starting her walk with Christ and I liked how it was an elderly lady and mature Christian who was the one to lead her there.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

This book is hilarious! I couldn't put it down, and my family looked at me funny more than usual because I was laughing so often.

There's plenty of action too. In fact my favorite scene is a high speed car chase with plenty of detail. Of course, Pastor John is juggling that with a phone call from one of the older church ladies who needs to talk to him. It's the best scene in the book, which is saying something, because there are many really great scenes.

John is struggling to reconcile his CIA life with his new faith, which reminds me of Sergeant York. Anyone who doesn't struggle with this, at least a little, concerns me.

And Christine was very impressive. As much as her life is nothing like mine, I still found myself relating to her and cheering her on. And the tease for the sequel, well let me just say that I can hardly wait!!

I received an advanced copy of the book from @netgalley and chose to review it here. All thoughts are my own.

The idea of a CIA operative turned minister seems a wee bit far-fetched, but it is indeed the main emphasis of the brand new book A Cross to Kill by Andrew Huff. This suspense novel filled with terrorists, fight scenes, and high-speed chases is beyond my normal reading diet, but the premise of a highly skilled hitman, becoming a Christian, walking away from his highly lucrative career, and then becoming a minister seemed to good to pass up. Add in the rescue of a high-profile female journalist and I was hooked.

A Cross to Kill by Andrew Huff is not a book I would normally pick up to read, but I really enjoyed it. The book is fast-paced and keeps your attention. I appreciated that although the book includes Middle Eastern terrorists Huff does not engage in ethnic-bashing, and a huge plot twist shows the true enemy to be someone else completely. It is the first in the Shepherd Suspense series, and I look forward to reading more about John Cross and Christine Lewis. The CIA aspect appeals to men and there is enough romance to appeal to women as well. Highly recommended for men and women high school and up!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received A Cross to Kill from Kregel via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

This story starts fast and doesn't really let up for the rest of it. John Cross is a 'retired' assassin who worked for the CIA and after giving his life to God determines to live the life of a small town pastor. However, his past won';t let go of him.

It's a good story especially as it's not the usual thing we get to read in Christian fiction. Here is a man, grappling with being obedient to God, to his new calling while all the habits and thoughts so ingrained in his heart and mind seek to keep him from that obedience. It's a fascinating insight into the struggle we all have to allow our hearts and minds to focus on the kingdom of God rather than the world we're familiar to.

Cross is a good character and I'm excited to see how Huff develops him through the series. What I found intriguing in this first story Cross appeared more at ease in his old role, the assassin. When we see him as pastor, he's a bit stiff and tied to what I'd describe as 'religious'-type behaviours to keep focused on his pastoring. He was a traditional old school preacher who was still learning on the job. I hope we see his character develop where he warms to his pastoral role and more significantly, being a man who walks with God.

Christine Lewis is also a good character who is not your average journalist. She's gutsy and feisty. I'm also looking forward to seeing how she develops in the series.

The action was intense and at times a little hard to visualise. I found that perhaps it went on for too long, particularly the car chases that covered multiple chapters. I hope as Huff develops he'll be less reliant on using the same action tropes, eg, the car chase. However, he handles it all very well and keeps the pace fast which keeps the pages turning.

This is an intriguing series that I'm sure will develop into a really good one.

I received a complimentary ebook copy from Audra Jennings PR and Kregel via NetGalley with no expectation of a favourable review.

I love Christian books with real suspense and believable internal struggle. This is one of this rare species.

It is as action-packed as a good James bond movie and the action is just as unbelievable: A hero and his female friend fighting off terrorist (nearly) without any help and without killing anybody. But it's pure suspense.


Woven into this suspense are questions of living a life of faith. What about our sinful nature? Does Jesus really change us? What about forgiveness? Are we really forgiven or do we have to punish ourselves for what we did? Do we really forgive our enemy?

A Cross to Kill is the first novel I've read by Andrew Huff. If you're a fan of books like the Jason Bourne series or other action-packed books like them, you'll likely enjoy this series by Huff. It's action-packed, for sure, based on a the character, John Cross, codename Shepherd, who is a CIA operative turned pastor. The author drops you right into the action with an extraction operation.

While I thoroughly enjoyed A Cross to Kill, I sometimes found it almost unbelievable how Shepherd escapes a few situations. I found it almost melodramatic in a Bollywood sort of way. Still, if you're looking for a thrilling plot line and a clean read, that's what you'll find here--no bad language, no steamy scenes. Huff provides a good, clean read for fans of CIA-thrillers. Plus, it's an interesting premise--a CIA operative turned pastor dealing with theology and how it changes the way he lives. All in all, a good read, and I do plan to read the next installment, even if Huff's Shepherd character has just a bit too much of an edge to believably overcome all he faces physically.

Note: I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

About the Book: A gripping debut thriller pits a man of God against terrorists--and his own deadly past

John Cross is a small-town pastor, bent on leading his flock to follow God's calling. He's not the sort of man one would expect to have a checkered past.

But the truth is that the man behind the pulpit preaching to his sheep was once a wolf--an assassin for the CIA. When John decided to follow Christ, he put that work behind him, determined to do penance for all the lives he took. He vowed never to kill again.

Now someone wants the peaceful pastor to pay for his sins with his own life. And when a terrorist out for revenge walks into the church, John's secrets are laid bare. Confronted with his past, he must face his demons and discover whether a man can truly change. Can he keep his vow--even when the people he loves are in mortal danger? Will his congregation and the brave woman he's learning to care for be caught in the cross fire? In the end, John's life may be the only sacrifice he has left to offer. . .

Andrew Huff's thrilling debut is not only a riveting story of suspense, it's also a deep exploration of the moral quandaries that face those who choose to follow the Prince of Peace in a violent world.


My Thoughts: This book is an attention-getter. It has your attention from the very beginning and draws the reader into the storyline. It is well written and easy to read as the storyline flows along.



The characters are easy to relate to and the reader is pulled into the book and is always waiting for the next bit of action. The reader can see how the characters deal with faith, redemption, and forgiveness. I enjoyed the plot of this story, former CIA agent turned pastor. It shows the love of Christ for us all, and how we can change our ways with the help of Christ. It also gives the reader a glimpse of what is happening in the Middle East. This is a must-read story that I truly enjoyed.


Definitely a novel for those that love action and intrigue

This book starts with a bang and just when I thought it might get boring another bang happens.

This book started raising questions for me, like what would happen to John’s small church if the people that were after him got a hold of the church?

I loved the contrast of this war guy to the small town pastor, it really added an unexpected layer to the book.

I honestly wasn’t sure if I would like this book but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and looked forward to coming back to this book.


A copy of this book was given to me. All opinions are my own.

This book had non-stop action throughout the whole thing! I have to admit, it wasn't my typical style of book that I usually read. The action was good, and it kept my attention through most of the book. However, there was a little more description in the book than what I prefer. There were Christian elements throughout which I liked. It wasn't preachy or pushy. Therefore, I have mixed feelings about this book. However, for anyone who enjoys a clean, non-stop action read (which are kind of hard to find), I definitely recommend this book.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest opinion.

After a harrowing rescue, John Cross fully retires as a covert operative to live as a pastor, and to leave his old life in the past. However, an old assignment brings someone bent on revenge, and Cross is thrust back into the life he wants to leave.

Andrew Huff’s A Cross to Kill is a gripping story, and I had a hard time putting it down once I started. The action in the book is fast paced, but has sections that give you a break before it picks up again. I liked this style as it makes the plot easy to keep up with. Each character is described well enough to picture them, but not so much that it gets boring.

The value of the book goes beyond entertainment, as the message of forgiveness forms a central core. Cross is looking to leave a past of regrets behind and move forward as a pastor. He struggles with paying for his sins, as many of us tend to do, even after becoming Christians. This part of the plot illustrates a point that we all need to remember.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Mini Review of A Cross To Kill by Andrew Huff: I may or may not have stayed up way past bedtime, like 2 in the morning reading this, oops? NOT!!! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, there was romance, secrets, danger, a beating which wasn't great (who wants to see their pastor beaten up?), there were attacks, and more secrets, not a surprise, right? But there was a uniqueness to the story that completely set this apart from most suspense in a good way. I was somewhat surprised that the book mentioned so many different denominations of churches. The writing style could be slightly boring and too descriptive at points, in all it was all right.