A Sounding Brass

Shelley Bates
Warner Faith (2006)
ISBN 0446694924
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (6/06)


“A Sounding Brass” is a really good Christian fiction novel.  It is written for everyone, and would even be appropriate for teenage readers.   The story is engaging and well written so it can be enjoyed by people from all walks of life.  The main theme centers around the corruption that is involved with a toxic church. 

Claire Montoya is the heroine in this novel.  She is involved in a cult-like, strict Christian sect.  She finds the lifestyle to be suffocating, however, she stands firm to her beliefs and does not want to let the secular world drag her in.  When the head of her church is arrested for sexually molesting a couple of female members, Claire’s foundation is shaken and she begins to question her beliefs. 

A non-Christian investigator arrives in town around the same time as a charismatic radio evangelist.  The investigator tries to open Claire’s eyes about the evangelist.  The evangelist begins showing his true colors to her.  Claire discovers that he is not a good man and is bilking the community out of money.  The investigator, operating at his own end, discovers that this man has a really bad past and tries to intervene before he does any more damage.  As the story progresses, Claire begins to step out of her pious shell and adopt more “normal” styles of dress, such as wearing clothing colored other than black.  It is interesting to watch her develop into a more mature, confident woman. 

I highly recommend this book to women’s reader groups.  There is a reading group guide in the back of the book that can be used to facilitate discussions.  I read the questions before I started the book and they gave me a deeper perspective on what the story is really about.

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