Congo Dawn

December 24, 2012
A number of Christian fiction authors have developed a broad worldview as children of missionaries living abroad. Raised by missionary parents in Colombia, Windle comes off a highly acclaimed pair of books on Afghanistan (Veiled Freedom, Freedom’s Stand) and moves into the jungles of the Congo. Robin Duncan, member of a global security force for a precious metals mine, learns she is meant for more than providing security for a multinational corporation. She must also overcome her personal grief and betrayal by Michael Stewart if, together, the two are to help liberate people oppressed in once-beautiful, smoldering rain forests that the government and corporate greed have laid to waste. The author doesn’t limit character development to Robin, but also deeply develops accessible and multidimensional African characters. Inverting the Heart of Darkness trope of self-discovery in the jungle, this story sheds light through a great faith struggle in Robin: “Am I so different from those rebels, from Governor Wamba or Jini, using the darkness as an excuse to turn from the light, wallowing in my own self-pity and self-absorption?”

February 15, 2013

Robin Duncan and her private security team have been hired to track down a killer in the jungles of the Congo. Deep within the rainforest, she also must face Michael Stewart, the man who broke her heart years ago. As they work together to help liberate indigenous people, they learn of a global conspiracy and don't know whom they can trust. VERDICT Windle's (Veiled Freedom) latest features a suspenseful plot, complex moral issues, and well-drawn characters. Readers who enjoy their CF set in exotic locations will make this a sure bet. It should also be enjoyed by fans of Ace Collins or William Carmichael.

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from January 1, 2013
The Congo, a place with a past as murky as the rivers trailing through its rain forest, is home to some of the world's best natural resources and worst treatment of its citizens. When former marine lieutenant Robin Duncan accepts a private contract to work as a translator in securing molybdenum mining rights for a large corporation, she presumes the mission to be straightforward. However, the warning of a local villager, Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, begins to ring true as Robin discovers the miseries the Congolese are suffering as a result of international corporate interests; hunts down a killer; and confronts her past when she meets up again with Michael Stewart, a fellow marine who betrayed her trust and who harbors his own painful memories. Congo Dawn marks another brilliant foray by award-winning Windle (Freedom's Stand, 2011), a child of missionaries, into the ambiguous worlds of war-torn regions. She effortlessly blends journalistic objectivity, humanitarian interest, faith-based inspiration, and the struggle of individuals to determine what is right. Windle's writing is engrossing, and this tale of moral suspense is a must-read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)