Newly Finished Reads

I recently finished two mystery thrillers: James Rollins' Doomsday Key and Ted Dekker's BoneMan's Daughters. This was the first time reading both authors and I'm thinking I wouldn't necessarily feel out of sorts if I don't ever read them again. It's not that they're bad writers of the genre, or that their stories weren't interesting; it's more that I didn't feel like I absolutely had to get back to them once I'd put them down for the day. Usually I'll fall asleep reading a book I love, but not these. 

Here's what about Doomsday Key: two things: one, it's a bit too much like Dan Brown's DaVinci Code, with the religious ties and the attempt at revamping the religious traditions; two, Rollins shares too much of his politics. I mean, he, not the narrator, though in the guise of the narrator, preaches his agenda on various and sundry topics: the environment, DADT, religion, etc. As writers, I don't think we could ever write something we don't ourselves believe in truly. Our particular world views are our own, they distinguish us from everyone else, they define us, and we can't separate ourselves from them. But we don't have to shove these ideas down our readers' throats. To me, that's what so weakened Rollins' work.

On BoneMan's Daughter: it was a good enough read, but not extraordinary. Between the two, the more complex story belongs to Rollins, to be honest. Dekker's work was fair, but no more. I didn't identify, not even as a dad of three children, with the main character, Ryan. Too many coincidences to my liking. It could've been better if it had been shorter.