The Land Beyond the Portal by J.S. Bailey

Alone in an old house with no connection to the outside world, Laura replays the tragic accident over and over in her head.  The ring of a phone startles her from her thoughts and forces her to run toward the source of the ringing.  In her haste, she tumbles down the stairs, knocking herself unconscious.  When she awakes, she has no idea who she is, where she is, or how she ended up at the bottom of the stairs.  Little does she know, however, that her journey of intrigue has only just begun.

In her efforts to search the house, Laura stumbles upon a portal that transports her to a quaint village that harbors its own secrets and mysteries.  Overall, the people seem kind enough, but there is an undercurrent of malice and discontentment that forces Laura to seek out the truth, even if it means putting her own life on the line.

J.S. Bailey created a masterpiece with this spell-weaving tale of mystery, fantasy and science fiction.  The book was a real page-turner, and each page unfolded a new twist that made me cry, "Huh?"  Bailey literally dumps you in the middle of a story, giving you enough information to follow along, but not enough to figure out what's going to happen next.  And nothing could have prepared me for the ending!  Just when I thought the story was about to wrap up, Bailey threw in one last surprise.  The Land Beyond the Portal was one of those books that I just couldn't put down, but when I was done, I was sorry to have finished it so quickly.

I don't think I've ever read a book with such a thorough and well-balanced blend of Christianity, mystery, fantasy and science fiction.  Typically books fall into one genre or another, but somehow Bailey pulled off a blending that is sure to satisfy readers of all ages and tastes.

The only negative comment I have about the book is that a couple of the characters (even the "good guys") occasionally took the Lord's name in vain.  In my mind, that is the way of the world, and a Christian should know better than to disrespect God by using His name in such a way.  I feel it has no place in a Christian work, for as Christians, we should be set apart from the world.

All in all, however, if you're looking for a clean book with detailed characters and an intriguing plot, The Land Beyond the Portal is for you.  Get a copy today, but make sure you have plenty of time for reading, for once you start, you won't want to put it down!