Reviews for A sinful calling
Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
The Rev. Curtis Black extended-family saga returns with Black's son Dillon at the helm of a new megachurch in Mitchell, Illinois. Dillon may have a congregation of more than 1,000 souls at New Faith Christian Center, but he lacks something every minister ought to have: a true calling from God. Knowing quite well that he's a pastor called to the pulpit only by his own greed and his desire to avenge his father's refusal to acknowledge him as a child, Dillon nonetheless prays daily, although his hopes for a true calling are buried underneath several other pleas for fame and fortune. When Raven, Dillon's beautiful wifewhom Rev. Curtis has spurned for embezzling funds from his own churchdecides she has also been called to the pulpit, the wheels of jealousy and vengeance begin to turn. Dillon doesn't want to share his pulpit with anyone and certainly not with his wife. Nor does he want to give up the attentions of either his wife or his mistress, Porsha. Meanwhile, Dillon's sister Alicia is finally happily married to Levi, the man whose love not only drove her to infidelity, but also drove her and her previous husband, Phillip, to a fatal altercation over a gun. Phillip's death haunts Alicia, and she's begun to hear disturbing voices urging her toward suicide. Will Alicia's troubles and Dillon's plans for retribution finally bring down the Black family? With so many novels and novellas in the franchise, Roby (Best Friends Forever, 2016, etc.) must deal with a lot of back stories, which slows down the pace; in several scenes, Alicia and Dillon spend more time ruminating about their pasts than acting in the present. Fortunately, all the breathless exposition often works well to establish Dillon as a heartless villain/protagonist. Thrilling for fans of the series. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
The drama continues in the lives of Reverend Curtis Black's family in Roby's latest, following The Ultimate Betrayal (2015). Curtis' son, Dillon, now has his own church and an ambitious wife, Raven, the former financial head of his estranged father's megachurch. Despite her embezzling past, she now wants to be copastor. Dillon does not want to share that position, but he is distracted by his affairs, alcoholism, and growing desire for revenge against his father, who still wants nothing to do with him. Dillon's sister, Alicia, can't move past her grief over assistant pastor Philip's death, even though she is now happily married to her former boyfriend, Levi. She denies that she needs counseling, despite the scary voice in her head telling her to kill herself. The talented Roby keeps the surprises rolling in this tangled family saga, while emphasizing the importance of seeking help for mental illness. Fiction about preachers and African American churches remains highly popular, and Roby's strong and provocative series is a must.--Alessio, Amy Copyright 2016 Booklist
