Isolation    by Travis Thrasher Order:  USA  Can Faithwords, 2008 (2008) Paperback, e-Book      Reviewed by Melissa Parcel James and Stephanie Miller, along with their two children, eight-year-old Zach and four-year-old Hannah, have just returned to the US after a harrowing time on the mission field in Papua, New Guinea. James is disheartened by things that have happened, and Stephanie isn't sure of anything any more - not her faith, and not even her sanity. Nightmares and horrible visions plague her sleeping moments, and have now started to creep into the times when she's awake. James feels that all they need is time to reconnect as a family away from all of the pressures of life. So they head to a mansion in the middle of nowhere in North Carolina. Stephanie is thrilled when her brother Paul comes to visit, but her visions continue and she is wondering more and more if she is crazy. Zach finds hidden rooms and passageways in the house, and they begin to uncover frightening truths about the person who built the house. When a blizzard traps them, evil starts to rear its ugly head and the family must cling to their tenuous faith to get them through. Isolation is an incredibly creepy book, definitely not one to be read late at night, even if you don't get scared easily. The author has a wonderful ability to portray the setting that puts the reader right in the midst of the action, even if you don't want to be there! The mansion takes on an identity of its own and almost becomes a character in the novel. The reader gets a good sense of the characters and will be able to identify with each one at some point during the narrative. Stephanie's struggles with her faith hit home and the ending showed how simple God's redemption is, despite our shortcomings. My one frustration with Isolation was that the background story of Stephanie and Paul, which we know is critical to understanding the underlying problems, isn't revealed in a very timely manner. Once the reader has all of the pieces, it isn't clear why the author didn't lay the cards on the table sooner. Overall, Isolation is an excellent story with the theme of good triumphing over evil. God's glory is revealed clearly, yet simply, and the reader cannot help but be amazed at what God can do in each of our lives. Travis Thrasher is a superb author, and his books continue to get better and better. Those who like suspenseful stories will certainly want to pick up a copy of Isolation. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews