The Sacrifice – by Robert Whitlow (2012)

Author Robert Whitlow has written a number of legal suspense novels over the years, and is himself a lawyer living in North Carolina. Some people have compared him to John Grisham, with a spiritual focus added. Although both authors write about legal situations and lawyers, their style of writing is much different. Robert Whitlow’s books tend to have much more of a spiritual tone to them, and weave faith into whatever case is featured in the storyline.

In this novel, attorney Scott Ellis is hired to defend a 16-year-old white supremist who is accused of firing a gun at a group of black congregants during an outdoor baptism. The young man is not a very likable character at the beginning of the story, and it’s not hard to believe that he shot at the church members.

Another storyline runs parallel to the 16-year-old’s case. Scott Ellis and a former girlfriend, Kay Wilson, couch a team of local high school students for a mock trial contest against students of other schools. They meet with the team to teach them the etiquette and the rules of the courtroom.

The Baggage Handler – by David Rawlings (2019)

Three individuals are on the same airplane, each of them for a different reason. All of them spend the flight anxiously contemplating what awaits them at the other end.

Gillian is going to her niece’s wedding and will be staying at her sister’s house. Her sister is much more successful than she is, and Gillian feels inferior and resentful every time they are together. The sister is often overbearing when they are together, and Gillian dreads spending days with her.

Michael is a high school student traveling to an interview for an athletic scholarship. The coach who will be interviewing him is a friend of his father. Michael really wants to go to an art college, but his father considers art to be a waste of time.

David works for a company that is in the process of down-sizing their staff. He is on his way to make a presentation of his work and hopefully avoid being eliminated from the company.

When the plane lands, all of them grab what they think is their suitcase, only to later discover that each one has someone else’s suitcase. In a panic, they all call the airline, and are directed to a building where they can turn in the wrong suitcase and retrieve the correct one. Michael, David, and Gillian are each led into a different room, and told to wait.

The Baggage Handler comes in and talks to each of them. He says they can’t leave until they make a choice about the baggage they have been carrying around. He’s not talking about the physical suitcases, but rather the emotional burdens that have been weighing them down.