Can you con a con? -- Shadow in Serenity

Shadow in Serenity by Terry Blackstock was an enjoyable way for me to pass the hours during a long ride back home from visiting family.  This was not what I would call a typical Terry Blackstock book -- not the "stay-up-all-night" suspenseful page turner like so many of her others -- but it was a story well worth my time!

"You can't con a con" -- or can you?  Logan Brisco smoothly works his way into the small town of Serenity, Texas, endearing himself to practically everyone in town as he lays the groundwork for his biggest con yet.  What he doesn't expect, though, is to run into the likes of Carny Sullivan, a free-spirited woman who grew up as the daughter of carnival workers and learned the art of cheating unsuspecting marks.  Carny appears to be the only one in town who can see through Logan's facade and tries to warn the friends she has made in her new hometown.  Carny sees Logan as a threat to Serenity, and Logan sees Carny as a challenge to his well-honed skills.  Will Carny be able to stand strong, or will Logan's scheming win her over?

My enjoyment of this story increased as I learned the "back story" of the book.  This was a rewrite of one of the last books Terri Blackstock wrote on the secular market, before she was convicted to only write stories that honor God.  By removing some elements and adding others, she was able to share a story that she loved in a way that (in Terri's own words) "more closely fit my worldview and my Christian conscience."  As a Christian who enjoys and appreciates the work of talented writers who hold true to their faith, I say, "Thank you, Terri Blackstock, for sharing your gift."  (Terri shares more about this story at her website:  http://www.terriblackstock.com/journal/.)