Where Have All the Frank Peretti Fans Gone?

Christian suspense & Christian thrillers . . . are there any without FBI agents, end times plotlines, or serial killers?

If you grew up in the 80s or 90s you remember when Frank Peretti’s books hit the Christian bookshelves. This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness sent the Christian book publishing world—and many Christians—into a tailspin.

Though there was a lot of negative press about these books, thousands of readers read them, loved them, and were hungry for more.

Peretti went on to write a handful of other bestselling Christian supernatural suspense novels. Some were even made into movies.

But where have all these Frank Peretti fans gone?

Searching for other Christian supernatural suspense books, or even thrillers that don’t feature kidnapping, serial killers, FBI agents, or cross into the “romantic suspense” genre seems impossible. (Side note: why are serial killer tropes so popular in the Christian suspense genre? Am I the only one worried about this?)

While I like supporting fellow indie suspense authors, I’d like to promote great Christian thriller authors or fantastic Christian suspense authors.

But where are they?

Digging around online, I came up with a few resources you may find helpful.

Christian Fiction That Doesn’t Suck

This listopia via Goodreads was created by Veronica Leigh, an author, book lover, and apparently, fellow coffee-obsessed person. The list offers three pages of Christian fiction that’s perhaps a little edgier and more realistic than more traditional novels (Janette Oake, anyone? Okay, yes, she was a favorite of mine in childhood.)

While excitement over these Christian novels initially flooded my system it soon dried up like overcooked bacon. Not only was there only a small handful of Christian thrillers on the list, but the buzzwords I avoid like Pharoh’s plagues: “FBI,” “serial killer,” and “end times” were featured in nearly every novel’s description.

This isn’t to say there’s anything wrong with these topics. They are just not of interest to me.

So, I moved on to another potential Frank look-a-like.

TBR: Angel & Demon Books

Kassidy over at the Fruitful Reader had a very promising list of books. When I saw the “27 Riveting Christian Fiction Books About Angels and Demons” post I nearly swooned. But, remembering my disappointment at Goodreads, I checked my hopefulness at the door.

Lots of books talk about angels, less maybe about demons. The topic, however, didn’t guarantee that the books would be suspense or thriller novels.

In looking at the list Kassidy created (all with links for easy purchasing, btw), I was excited to see several potential winners.

Cloak of Light by Chuck Black features a college student, Drew, who suffers an accident that leaves him blind. His friend goes missing in the same accident and, when Drew suddenly gets his sight back, it’s, shall we say, amplified. Now, Drew can see shadowy invaders that no one else can.

Is he losing his sanity or is something supernatural going on?

On another college campus—this one Harvard—student Claire Rivers, experiences spiritual warfare when she and other Christian students’ Christian faith is attacked. Veritas Conflict by Shaunti Feldhahn explores the history of the college which was founded on Christian beliefs.

Will Claire and her friends get back to those roots or have they been too badly damaged by humanism and relativism?

Angelguard, by Ian Acheson is touted as a “fast-paced supernatural thriller,” in which the author “mixes faith and nonstop action to spin an unforgettable tale.”

The synopsis: after three weeks of unaccounted-for bombings, a wealthy businessman, helped by dark forces, plans to bring the world’s wealthiest nations to their knees. Jack, a grieving husband, and father who lost everything in one of the blasts, finds himself pulled unwittingly into the battle between good and evil.

Side note: I ordered this one and look forward to getting it soon.

While these look promising, none seem “quite like” Frank Peretti’s books. If you have suggestions, please let me know in the comments.

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J.P. Choquette is the author of suspense novels set in Vermont. Atmospheric pageturners, her novels are gothic inspired and frequently tie in the themes of art, nature, and psychology. Her 11 novels have been downloaded nearly 25,000 times across multiple platforms.