I'll be the first to admit that Detective Jesus #1: Thou Shalt Not Kill is a tough book to promote. I think this review captures what I tried to do with the book and answers some questions without spoilers. This was left by someone named DJ on the book's Amazon page. _________________________________________________________________________
Upon first reading the cover and some of the first looks at this book; I had reservations. Being Christian (not in a holier-than-thou sense, but in that I try to model my life after the life of Jesus) I had reservations. There were some ice-breaking moments that showed the humanity of the lead character (who happens to be Jesus, yes I said it that way on purpose.) A little ways into the book, I noticed Jesus ate shrimp. (Now, being an unclean food, i wondered if this was author unaware or an insight into His (Jesus') humanity.) But that was quickly answered when questioned about His condiment of choice (hot sauce) He said essentially He was allowed to acquire new tastes (paraphrasing.) Besides, though He was raised Jewish, since His arrival and such...I suppose He'd no longer follow all of the dictates of Judaism? Rest assured though, this isn't a religious book nor does it comment really on Christianity, but instead sort of confirms who this lead character is.
The laughs are plenty and come at some funny times. Sometimes, I'll admit I thought to myself "should I laugh at this?" but, again, it brought humanity to the main character. The chief (no spoilers on who he is) exclaimed "Jesus Christ!" in frustration. Jesus was like, "huh?" (He didn't say that but responded as if someone called His name, just as you or I would respond.) The scene was funny. Mr. Kimble's comedic timing and his wordsmithery makes the book a joy to read.
Now that covers the main character. If you like detective shows, particularly from the 70's. Think Starsky and Hutch, Rockford Files, Chips and Mannix--or even modern day Bad Boys type show. Where the cops and detectives are all heart, but the chief is always breathing down their neck with expectations and timeline. So put who the main character is aside, and you have a crime (murder) that needs solving by some mostly (maybe sometimes) adept detectives and cops?
Based on the writing, I'd guess Mr. Kimble is a fan of these 70's cop shows, I see quite a bit of them in this story. Also, being as this is book #1 "Thou Shalt Not Kill," one has to wonder if there are going to be nine more installments (or maybe lump a few together?) Here's hoping. I will certainly be there for it. It is quality parody, well written and while there are Biblical references and even some of the teachings in a broad view, there are also "old fashioned" tidbits my favorite line is, "A smart mouth can get you out of trouble, but it can just as easily get you into it."
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