The Immortal, by Angela Hunt. Recorded Books, L.L.C., 2000

June is National Audio Book Month, and this one's a winner.

This recording, read by Christina Moore, kept me listening in my car, sometimes sitting in parking lots, eager to hear what happens to our heroine next. Angela Hunt has become one of my favorite authors because of stories like this one: adventurous; unusual settings; strong characters, especially female; intricate plots.

I felt like I was walking the streets of Rome with Claudia Fisher as she tries to unravel the mystery of an ancient legend. The sights, the sounds, aromas are all vividly brought to life in this amazing tale.

Back home, in the U.S., Claudia, in her role as jury consultant, "reads" people for dubious defense lawyers. She's working her way to the top of her profession but realizes deep in her soul that she's helping guilty people go free because they've got enough money to buy the best attorneys. Both she and the attorneys are profiting, and they all try to keep quiet the voices in their heads that speak the truth.

A strange man enters Claudia's life with an even stranger career offer, and she must convince her fiancee and sister that she needs to accept the position. She ultimately does accept the job offer and moves to a new country and a new way of life. Her role as personnel screening consultant with an organization dedicated to world peace puts her in contact with a man she cannot read, even with all of her experience as a "reader" of people.

The story, at this point, becomes a page-turner--or, in my case, another excuse to go driving around. This mysterious man has a past. He is either who he says he is, or he is insane. In the search to unfold his past, Claudia is threatened physically and emotionally. At the same time, her life back in the states comes crashing down in one short phone call and one fatal email.

The ultimate answers Claudia uncovers teach her the lesson God planned, and she in turn has the one answer her mystery man needs to find the peace he's been searching for all his life.

Not only did The Immortal give me a thrill ride, it gave me insight to wonders I've never explored. If you love adventure that shows how God works in lives, this is a book you'll love.