Most biblical novels that I’ve come across have been rubbish. Stuck in the Christian ghetto, writing nice Anglo-Saxon stories that play to religious sensibilities. David Maine on the other hand writes with imagination, verve and wit. His stories follow the biblical narrative without deviation but they provoke, excite, challenge and stir one to think about the story behind the well known stories.

I first came across his writings with his first novel The Flood and this his second successfully gets him past that tricky second book milestone. It is just as good as his first and shows his creativity with an imaginative backwards telling of the story of the world’s first family.

God looms large in the background, His presence overshadowing all the events but it is the portrayal of the people that so intrigues as he delves into the human psyche and searches for motivation for jealousy, hatred, wonder, reverence, worship and murder.

I’ve no idea whether Mr Maine is a Christian or not but whatever the answer to that question I think he is the finest writer of biblical fiction around. His third book on Samson has just been published. It’s on my order list.