A piece of the moon

Fabry (War Room) delivers a powerful story of faith and the material things people hold dear. After millionaire Gideon Quidley's wife dies in 1974, Gideon feels led by God to hide all of his gold and silver--as well as thousands in cash--in a custom-built ark, bury it in the hills outside of Emmaus, W.Va., and leave only a list of cryptic Bible verses as clues to finding the treasure. Seven years later, after word about the ark has spread, Emmaus becomes inundated with treasure hunters--as well as others looking for a Christian revival who assume the story is Gideon's attempt to promote biblical literacy. Local radio broadcaster TD Lovett gets involved in the treasure hunt after his friend and local pastor Robby Gardner goes missing during his search. After TD finds Robby stranded in a cave with a broken leg, Gideon resolves to pay Robby's hospital bills and sets out to retrieve the treasure himself. But then a car accident leaves Gideon in a coma and NASA investigators arrive in town to find a moon rock Gideon supposedly hid with the treasure, kicking the frenzy up to a fever pitch. The winding narrative, which follows TD's transformation from unwelcoming skeptic to enthusiastic believer, elevates themes of community and faith in God's plan. This is Fabry's best yet. (Apr.)

Waite Evers oversees an eccentric cast of misfits at a dilapidated 1980s country music radio station in West Virginia's Hill Country. The main news of the day is a local legend about Gideon Quidley's treasure, supposedly worth enough to lift the whole town of Emmaus out of poverty. The unconventional Quidley hid the windfall in a replica of the Ark of the Covenant, which he then concealed somewhere in the mountains. In an effort to spark religious revival, Quidley left a series of Bible verse clues for the community, but when a local pastor is gravely injured searching for the gold, the radio crew feels responsible for feeding the treasure madness. Waite and his friends decide to solve the mystery to heal the division in their small town. VERDICT Every title by Fabry (Borders of the Heart) draws readers into the story with clear, honest writing in a similar style to Charles Martin and Lynn Austin. The rural South comes to life, with themes of forgiveness and second chances as highlights. The characters are both deeply flawed and immensely relatable, making this another hit for Fabry.--Christine Barth, Scott Cty. Lib. Syst., IA