T. Davis Bunn
The Great Divide (2000)
Author: T. Davis Bunn
Genre: Thriller (Legal)/Christian
Plot Summary:
Attorney Marcus Glenwood moves to Rocky Mount, North Carolina looking to rebuild his life after suffering a series of devastating events leaving him without family and emotionally spent. Rather than the reprieve from legal work he expected after resigning from a prestigious legal firm, he finds himself aiding a family in need. The Halls, a couple in the local church, suspect that their daughter, Gloria, has experienced some foul play in her trip to China and have done everything to try to get her back. The case, appearing simple at the outset comes to involve quite a few more members, including an international clothing line, New Horizons and a mysterious Factory 101, believed to be an abusive prison factory in China. Marcus is threatened, hunted, and wounded as he pursues the truth behind Gloria's suspicious disappearance and New Horizon's involvement. As he becomes more involved, and therefore in more danger, the local church community surrounds him, offering support in any way possible. Though Marcus doesn't feel he has much of a case to stand on, he continues to fight for the truth. SPOILER: Marcus, with assistance from various members from Gloria's past life, is able to develop a case against New Horizon that not only involves the leadership of the company but also parts of the Chinese government. He finds that Gloria went to China planning to martyr herself within the abuse prisons in order to implicate a Chinese leader of the abuse prisons that would be in the United States and susceptible to scrutiny and punitive damages. With this information, Marcus is able to win the battle against New Horizon, bringing charges on the New Horizon staff and Chinese officials, exposing the abusive and manipulative manners of these individuals. They are unable to save Gloria, who has died for the cause, but they are able to begin implementing changes.
Geographic Setting: Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Time Period: Contemporary (2000)
Appeal Characteristics:
Bunn offers a variety of primary and secondary characters, with whom the reader becomes acquainted in different degrees. Marcus, the main character, is quite complicated, and often introspective. The reader watches him change from a quiet, broken man following his family breakdown into a vivid, headstrong and fearless attorney seen in the courtroom and in his courageous interactions with his ex-wife, love interest, friends, and opposing counsel. Secondary characters are intriguing as well, not only carrying extensive back story, but also undergoing changes within the text. As a legal thriller of sorts, the pace moves quickly with suspense. The courtroom strategy and case assist this pace, slowing only as the reader sees Marcus's character develop and change through interaction with the church family. Despite the quickened pace, the story is highly character-centered, revolving around Marcus's development as he becomes an intricate part of the community, accepted and challenged by those around him. The setting gives a small town feel, juxtaposing the busyness of Washington D.C. against the slower styles of porch sitting Rocky Mount. The neighborly feel defines the main tone, though it is interrupted by the bleak darker tone communicated through the courtroom and practices of greedy companies. The author draws out this dichotomy clearly. The writing style utilizes a lot of dialogue, developing a conversational style in most sections as Bunn develops character relationships, interjecting with dramatic courtroom language inherent in most legal thrillers.
Read-alikes: For another Christian courtroom thriller, try The Trial by Robert Whitlow. Mac, a depressed attorney in southern Georgia, is called to defend a man accused of murdering a college student, struggling to make a case. The southern church community frame and suspense filled pace make it a good match. Another suspense filled pace with in-depth characterization can be found in False Witness by Randy Singer. Three law students get in further than they planned when their free legal clinic turns out to be a protected witness. Holder of a dangerous algorithm, the witness is now being hunted by FBI, US government and Chinese government. The Will by Reed Arvin offers more of the small community feel and characterization as well as a suspenseful pace, filled with mystery. High power lawyer Henry Mathews returns to his small hometown to execute the will of the richest man in town, serving the millions to a homeless "birdman" rather than the expectant son. The birdman, unknowingly, turns out to be the key to a host of town mysteries. Another award nominee by T. Davis Bunn might also interest readers: Drummer in the Dark. In this financial thriller, Wynn Bryant is coerced into running for a congressional seat with the sole purpose of overthrowing a bill to provide financial debt relief to third world countries but finds much more behind this coercion. Another strong character, Wynn, like Marcus, is given depth as he sorts through moral issues in this suspense filled fast paced thriller. Those looking to venture further into legal thrillers, outside of the Christian fiction genre might try The Summons by John Grisham. In this novel, Ray is summoned home to find his father dead and more than $3 million unaccounted for money within the house. He tries to keep this a secret as he wades through attempts to find the origin of the money. The novel utilizes a small southern community setting that characterizes the novel, as well as a highly defined main character, experienced through his various decisions with the unknown funds.
Red Flags: Some violence
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