Wrightsville Beach publisher's new novel explores time travel for Christians

Simply Francis Publishing, the local boutique book imprint, has published a time travel epic of Biblical proportions.

As his debut novel, retired police officer Kenneth Burnett gives us "Wisemen," clearly a story from the heart.

In it, three recently discharged Army buddies, Mark, Paul and Sy, are swept up by a super-secret tech company and whisked off to the Nevada desert (no doubt, not far from Area 51). There, they're offered the job of three lifetimes.

The trio had served in Special Forces as an extraction team, slipping into dangerous places to rescue secret agents or allies. This mission goes further.

The company has more or less perfected time travel. (There are still some bugs in the system, which come up later.) Now the CEO, the mysterious Jake Lepros, wants them to try the ultimate extraction: Go to ancient Judea, circa the year 33 and rescue Jesus being crucified.

The three would have authentic costumes, down to the sandals, and handy gear like an AI hearing aid that translates "Hebrew, Aramaic and Galilean." (But what if a Roman soldier walks up, yelling at them in Latin?)

Now, Mark, Paul and Sy are all Bible-believing Southern boys. Sometimes, they even say Grace. Theology, however, isn't part of their skill set, so it takes them a while to figure out the catch in this project: If Jesus does die on the Cross, as foretold by the prophets, what happens to salvation and atonement? If he doesn't die for our sins, are we all doomed?

When the machine lands them in Jerusalem, our heroes have some thinking to do.

All ends well, thanks to what English professors call a deux ex machina.

"Wisemen" obviously appeals to a Christian audience. Burnett, a first-time writer, could have used a little coaching. A New York editor or a creative-writing coach could have shown him how to streamline his narrative and work out a few plot kinks. It's hard to argue with sincerity, though. As a certain religious figure said in John 20:29, blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believed.

Book review

Wisemen

A novel by Kenneth Burnett

Wrightsville Beach: Simply Francis Publishing, $18.75 paperback

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: 'Wisemen' from Wrightsville Beach publisher explores time travel