Dominion

Before Randy Alcorn left fiction writing, he penned a challenging murder/detective mystery novel, Dominion.

But Alcorn is not content to let us simply help unpack the clues of a mystery. He gives the main character, Clarence, depth, a man who is an enigma. A prominent columnist for the city’s liberal newspaper, Clarence is a black conservative who angrily remembers the racism of his youth.

The story is packed with characters who interact with Clarence, from his white best friend to the detective who also burdens under a painful past. Clarence’s father, a sweet elderly man. tenaciously holds to his hope in Jesus and forgives where Clarence struggles.

Clarence finds challenges in unexpected places and helps us understand both his pain and his anger. You’ll probably chuckle when Clarence’s wife deftly reveals that, even as he rages against racism, he has some himself, too.

Clarence is not a stereotype but struggles with inconsistent foibles just like the rest of us.

Alcorn brings perceptive insight to his characters and helps us understand many of the emotions racism. Clarence helps us understand much of the frustration of the black community as we join him in searching for his sister's murderer.

Dominion gripped me and opened my eyes to topics such as racism, forgiveness, family. Check it out.