In a recent The New Yorker article on the use of suspense in literature, this phrase, “preaching to the nerves,” jumped out at me. It was used by the highbrow critics in the nineteenth century to describe the “tawdry” and “ignoble” aspects of the rise in modern fiction of the time that appealed more to “provoking curiosity and excitement, rather than offering aesthetic fulfillment.” With my new novel, The Stranger at the Door, I plead guilty for preaching to the nerves, though there are many moments of “aesthetic fulfilment” along the way.
The main character, Maxwell Crane, has blood on his hands. The Mercy Seat church may be celebrating Christmas, but Pastor Maxwell takes no pleasure in the season. He is haunted by the accidental fatality of a Hell’s Canyon gang leader and the mother who grieves the loss of her son long after Maxwell took justice into his own hands.
When a mysterious young woman appears at the doorsteps of the church, Maxwell and his family are eager to take in the stranger, but this act of kindness leads to unexpected and dire consequences. The Crane sisters and the young woman go missing, their whereabouts unknown, until Maxwell receives a call informing him the three girls have been abducted by a ruthless cartel. The family gathers. Close friends are summoned. Plans are made, but the strategy for rescue is fraught with danger, one that could cost more in human life than in treasure.
Maxwell is confused and hurt by what he perceives as God piling more agonizing weight upon his already broken soul with the kidnapping of his daughters, but he cannot help crying out to God. He cannot help calling out, demanding that God pay attention. Don’t you see what is happening here? Don’t you care? Who else could Maxwell call upon? Who else might protect and save? His daughters might be lost to him, but are they lost to God? Maxwell would rush into the gates of hell to rescue his daughters, but would he get there in time?
The dramatic action of Stranger is designed to keep the reader turning the pages, timed out to create suspense. Life, like storytelling, is not solely about plot, but also meaning. There are uncertainties in everyone’s life that produce suspense. We want to know the future but live in the agitation of the moment, a dual state of anticipation and dread. Both emotional conditions reveal character, so while I enjoy agitating a reader’s nerves, the novel also offers the deeper meaning of each character’s response to the circumstances. If those responses are real, then the reader recognizes their humanity in each character and the combination of dramatic action and artistic satisfaction is achieved.
E.M. Forester wrote in his work Aspects of the Novel, that every work of fiction, no matter how lofty, must be built around a story… “and that story must have only one merit: that of making the audience want to know what happens next.” If you’re looking for a good novel to “preach to your nerves” and provide the pleasure of aesthetic fulfilment, may I humbly suggest The Stranger at the Door.
When a beat-up van screeches to a stop in front of The Mercy Seat church late one night and a young woman leaps out in an effort to escape her captors, Maxwell Crane and his family jump to her rescue. But is this desperate girl the innocent victim she appears to be?
The family’s act of kindness leads to dire consequences. When the young woman and the Crane sisters are abducted by members of a ruthless cartel out for revenge, Maxwell is yanked into yet another harsh reality of life in Hell’s Canyon.
There are no good options. All strategies for rescue could exact a terrible price. Still haunted by the tragedy he caused the last time he took justice into his own hands, Maxwell can only cast his broken soul upon the mercy of God. He would rush into the gates of hell to save his daughters, but will he get there in time?
Mr. Arnold received his B.A. from Pepperdine University and his Master of Fine Arts degree at U.N.C. Chapel Hill. His career as an actor/author spans over five decades with multiple stage and film credits. His most recent film is The Hiding Place. He has recorded over one hundred audiobooks and is the author of the multi-volume biblical/historical fiction series entitled The Song of Prophets and Kings (available in all formats wherever books are sold).
The Mercy Seat, the first book in his Urban Chronicles suspense series, pits an urban pastor against the forces of crime, poverty, and power elites. It releases in March 2024 with Mountain Brook Ink.
When not writing, he can be found hiking on a trail somewhere in the world.
He and his lovely wife Kay have two beautiful daughters, married to two handsome men, with three above-average grandchildren.
Get a more detailed look at his creative life by visiting www.henryoarnold.com
