Amazon.com info for 'The Island Off Stony Point'

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Amazon.com reviews:

Rating: 5 Summary: The Island Off Stony Point
Comment A tragedy beyond comprehension has just taken place. Gunmen have just broken into Saint Luke's Basilica, killed one monk, and kidnapped three others. It gets worse, much worse. These heartless criminals have also stolen the Tabernacle, the earthy symbol of Christ.

The Island off Stony Point is an intelligent thriller that features perpetrators who undertake well thought out acts against the Catholic Church for a very specific reason. These acts in themselves are bone chilling not so much because of their violent nature (although there is plenty of violence especially at the start of the book) but because the criminals attack something thought of as sacred and untouchable.

This is the second novel that I have read by this author. The first book, The Oculi Incident, also included Father Martin and contained smart, seemingly incomprehensible, crimes against the Catholic Church. In both cases, the surprise ending left me shocked and filled with wonderment at the same time.

Rating: 4 Summary: Entertaining mystery
Comment Reviewed by Ellen Hogan for Reader Views (6/06)

St. Luke's Monastery has become the scene of a crime. Three monks and a tabernacle have been kidnapped. One monk was wounded and two other monks along with one of the thieves were killed. The first officer in the area was Jessica Harding and as she tried to stop the van and the pick-up, however, they raced away from the monastery. For her effort one of the tires was shot out on her car and another shot hit the gas tank. With help from a monk, she escaped without injury. Since the crime involved kidnapping the FBI sent agent Rob Dexter to work with Jessica. At first Rob acted arrogant and Jessica did not care for him. Eventually they came to an understanding and could work well together.

The original plan for the kidnappers was to take only the monks. Malena, the brains of the outfit, had a call from her sister Cynthia. She had run her company into bankruptcy and needed $35 million. Cynthia suggested to Malena that the church would pay big money for the return of the monks. Malena, her husband Sinteris, and Bartolo, were much greedier than that. They thought if the church would pay big for the monks, certainly they would pay bigger for the tabernacle. While they planned and carried out the ransom details, the last kidnapper, Stony, watched over the hostages. Stony was not a bad sort, he just fell in with the wrong kind of people. He became close to all the hostages but especially to Father Martin. After the first two monks were released it just left Stony and Father Martin. They talked about everything under the sun. Then a huge storm came and the cave where they were secluded started to erode. Stony was trapped, but Father Martin
got him out and saved his life. Then he tells Stony that he is not going to wait anymore to be rescued, he is going to get out on his own. Father Martin gets in the seaplane and says that he is going to fly out of there. Stony decides to go along with him.

Meanwhile, Jessica and Rob have figured out that Stony was part of the location where the monks were held. They take a trip and find out all about Stony the kidnapper. They also learn about the island and decide to rent a boat and check it out. They arrive after
Father Martin and Stony have taken off and just before Malena and Sinteris arrive. Because the cave is so eroded, when Malena and Sinteris start firing on Jessica and Rob more of the ceiling falls and kills the two kidnappers.

There is much more to the story than this and it is worth reading the book to find out everything that happens. I did not want to put it down once I started reading it, just had to find out what was going to happen to all involved.

Mr. Schilken's mystery is entertaining and captures your interest from the very first. Anyone who loves a good mystery will like this book.

Rating: 5 Summary: excellent
Comment The Island off Stony Point - Book Review

Keith Sinteris and his wife Malena (the brains of the operation) hire three skilled accomplices (Stony, Bartolo and Duane) to kidnap three hostages from a monastery along with the holy tabernacle containing consecrated "bread". For all her planning, Malena had no way of knowing just how awry the hostage taking could go.

Detective Jessica Harding and FBI Agent Rob Dexter are on the case. Strong willed and quick witted, Jessica puts the FBI agent in his place from the moment the two were introduced. Intrigued, Rob cannot get her out of his mind. With so few clues, the odds are stacked against the two "good guys", yet they struggle on while the immense ransom demands continue to haunt the Catholic Church.

This is a well-told story line involving a mysterious home on an island that has a distinctive secret. The author uses scenes such as the fantastic cave hideout, the lung-busting chore of stashing loot and a magnificent storm to heighten interest.

There are several unique aspects to this suspense-filled novel over others in the adventure crime thriller genre. For one thing, the two women are the strongest characters - both leaders and quick thinkers, but on opposite sides. The Island off Stony Point certainly conveys the inherent goodness of people but also shows the great lengths that desperate and driven people will pursue. I also thought it was interesting that this is actually the second novel involving the leading hostage character, a Father Martin - who was in Regis's first novel, The Oculi Incident.

Kudos to author Regis Schilken for this excellent novel!

Author: Regis Schilken
Publisher: Bridgeway Books
ISBN#: 1-933538-13-9
Pages: 220

~ Book Reviewer: Lillian Brummet - Co-author of the book Trash Talk, a guide for anyone concerned about his or her impact on the environment - Author of Towards Understanding, a collection of poetry. (http://www.sunshinecable.com/~drumit)

Rating: 5 Summary: Another Winner!
Comment Suddenly the monastery is under assault, monks die, three are taken along with their tabernacle host. The world is shocked, could someone truly be holding Jesus and His servants hostage and will the Catholic church pay for their return?
We meet Detective Jessica and FBI Agent Dexter, two fierce go-getters who follow the leads in this case and become more than co-workers. We also meet Stony, an African-American and part of the kidnapping gang whose soul is worth saving, or so Father Martin, the ancient monk who was kidnapped says. The stage is now set for our story.

In this read we are taken into the minds of those who are evil, have no respect for life or Deity; those who live for themselves and their greed. And we are taken into the heart of one Priest who sees with the eyes of God and whose faith certainly can move mountains. Not only does he land a sea-plane without water but he saves a soul and changes a life along the way. Not bad for a day's work.
This novel has suspense and adventure, a tad of romance,mystery and strong character development. Wrap it up with a breath-taking conclusion that proves even one soul is worth saving and you have a winner. Very well done, great read.
Shirley Johnson
Senior Reviewer
MidWest Book Review

Rating: 5 Summary: Don't Go on Vacation Without it
Comment Going on vacation any time soon? Looking for a book to read on the plane or train? Need a quick enjoyable read while lying on the beach or lounging on a cedar porch during a warm summer rain? Regis Schilken's new pot boiler, "The Island off Stony Point", is just the thing. Like most thrillers, the fun begins with an ugly crime that sets the stage for the action that follows. What distinguishes Schilken's novel from others in his genre is the fact that he's not pitting the bad guys against the good guys but the bad gals against the good gals.

Malena is the sexy, intelligent super criminal who leads her gang of tagalong toughies on a daring raid of a monastery in western Pennsylvania. In the process of stealing the tabernacle and kidnapping three monks, her clever plans go astray when some of the brothers fight back. The confrontation is brief and violent. The bandits flee with their prey leaving three dead in their wake.

Jessica Harding, a local police officer, is nearly killed trying to foil the gang's headlong dash for freedom. Like all action heroines, she escapes from her burning patrol car and leads the search for those who would steal the symbol of Catholicism in hopes of garnering a huge ransom. With all the dash and daring do of male gumshoes of yore, she stalks the kidnappers with grim determination while falling in love with her FBI counterpart.

Against the backdrop of these powerful and magnetic women, Schilken presents an array of male victims that range from the unlikable but strong Brother Stephen to the frail but clever Father Martin to the staid Brother David. With the exception of FBI agent Rob Dexter, the police fade into obscurity in the presence of the electric Jessica. The evil men who work for Malena are painted with the broadest of strokes. The gang is well-funded and competent. They carry out their deeds in James Bondish cars, trucks, boats and airplanes. They hide in luxurious surroundings and secrete their iconic booty in an elaborate and mysterious hideout. Their weapons are big and expensive, their intentions are ugly. Then there is Stony, a novice criminal with tender heart, who watches over the terrified holy men. He is especially drawn to the elderly Father Martin.

The plot unwinds at a breakneck pace. Jessica and Rob unwind the convoluted scheme coming ever closer to solving the case. Bad luck and rash decisions haunt Malena and her dangerous husband. Stony and Father Martin become unlikely partners in an adventure that will amuse and stun the reader in its audacity. In the end, "The Island off Stony Point" satisfies like a hot fudge sundae on a Tuesday afternoon. Enjoy.