May 19, 1948. The state of Israel is five days old. The city of Jerusalem is tenuously poised for a clash that will be critical in the life of the new country. Holding the keys to an Israeli victory is a diverse, rag-tag group: Peter Wallich, once a teacher of agriculture in the kibbutz, now instructing teens in the assembly of Molotov cocktails; the 74-year-old mother superior, who desperately wants to preserve her convent from annihilation; Commander Moshe Sachar and his wife Rachel, who cling together amidst the horrors of war; and an Arab street urchin, Daoud, who repays the kindness of the so-called infidels in the best way he knows how. Interspersed throughout is the appearance of a mysterious old gardener, with wounds on the palms of both hands.

In the Zion Legacy series, the Thoenes return to a cast of characters and themes from their bestselling Zion Chronicles series that earned them a sterling reputation and a faithful readership in the Christian fiction arena. This second installment, Thunder from Jerusalem, starts slowly as the characters are reintroduced, and the stage is set. Then, the pace accelerates. The lives of Muslims, Jews, and Catholics all intersect in a tale of romance and suffering, patriotism and betrayal. Here is solid historical research paired with dramatic storytelling, a combination that has won Bodie and Brock Thoene eight Gold Medallion Awards.

Those who enjoyed the bestselling Jerusalem Vigil, the first book in the Zion Legacy series, won't want to miss this latest offering from the pens of the popular Thoenes. --Cindy Crosby

Genre: Mystery