The Falling Away – by T.L. Hines (2010)

This was a strange read. I spotted the book at a local thrift store, and liked its unique cover. The back cover listed the book as “Christian/suspense”. Ok, that’s good, I thought. I won’t have to dodge nasty language or sexual content. But diving into the book, it did not read like any other Christian fiction novel I’d tried.

The main character is Dylan Runs Ahead, a Native American living in Montana. He is ex-military, and has chronic pain in his leg, thanks to a roadside bomb incident. He is addicted to prescription pain killers, and will resort to all sorts of ways to get them. His buddy Webb, who isn’t terribly smart, helps him get what he wants.