A Way Out of Hell

Author: Jim Baton
Genre: Thriller/Suspense

“Just tell me what you want me to do.” Abdullah braced himself for the worst.

The Intelligence agent leaned back in the chair with his hands pressed together tapping his lips. “If ISIS is indeed here, I want you to find their terrorist cell and take it down. And I want you to do this…” he paused, “…non-violently.”

ISIS is threatening to destabilize Indonesia. In the city of Banjarmasin, Abdullah will need all his experience as a former jihadist and as a reformed peacemaker to save his city. His adopted daughter, Sari, a Christian university student, is one of the targets. She’s also the only one who believes Abdullah can succeed in overcoming evil with good.

In this riveting sequel to Someone Has to Die, Jim Baton introduces us to the real people caught in the web of terrorism, with their wide variety of backgrounds and motivations, and the possibility that they, too, can change.

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Reviewer: Carol A. Brown

Abdulla, a former jihadist turned peacemaker, offers vulnerable young jihadists a way out of the hell of terrorism they have gotten themselves into. And the clock is ticking...and not just the one on the bomb!

I loved this book! Can you say you love a book about violence when you love people and hate violence and terror? Well, yes, you can, because in this book peace wins. A Way Out of Hell is the sequel to Someone Has to Die. Baton keeps the pages flying with non-stop action & intrigue interwoven with delicate threads of loving-kindness. He expertly juxtaposes Christian ideals of non-violence and overcoming evil with good, with the blind hatred and violence of ISIS in the milieu of the cultural confrontation between Christians and Muslims in Indonesia. The story presents a model for turning a revolution into a reformation.

Compelling. Gripping, and technically flawless. Baton’s characters are lovable, admirable, and honorable. They have such depth that you want to know these people and call them your friends. Of course, the bad guys are equally well depicted so you want them to fail in their mission to create national instability.

I would recommend this book to anyone who reads YA and adult books, those who are interested in social and political issues, especially the challenges presented with how Muslims and Christians can live in community. The complexity of the issues, as well as the violence, in my estimation would be above children but could provoke serious thought for older teens.

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