Author: Kate Wilhelm

Title: Heaven is High

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Given the sheer number of legal thrillers she's penned in the past decade, those who aren't already familiar with the "Barbara Halloway" series may be quick to dismiss Kate Wilhelm as nothing more than the proverbial John Grisham of the Christian market. 

But as anyone who's enjoyed her previous work already knows, that assumption is a crime of epic reading proportions. Not only is Wilhelm a master at spinning suspenseful tales that'll keep you intrigued (and guessing) right up to the end, but her stories inevitably transport readers to places they wouldn't likely experience otherwise. 

Now with Heaven is High, the intrepid attorney Barbara Halloway is in the middle of her own high-stakes journey. After her fiancé unexpectedly dies, Barbara eventually decides to leave her father's well-respected law firm for a quieter life of providing legal aid in Eugene, Oregon. 

Now plotting what her future is going to look like—professionally and otherwise—Barbara's life plans are suddenly put on hold when a former pro football player named Martin Owens and his wife Binnie hope she can help them with an immigration issue. 

As it turns out, the United States wants Binnie, who was born mute, deported sooner rather than later. But as Barbara quickly discovers, having Binnie leave the country has far greater implications than anyone could've ever imagine. In fact, Binnie says she'd rather kill herself than face the peril waiting for her in Haiti. 

Despite her lack of expertise in immigration law, Barbara can't help but want to help. And since time is particularly of the essence here, she takes the case, not even knowing how intense and complicated their lives will all become. 

Fast-paced, intense and sometimes downright frightening, Heaven is High is a provocative and thrill-a-minute journey that puts the reader smack dab in the middle of a human rights crisis. And like the best suspenseful tales, there's plenty of food for thought as you can't help but consider the often-fine line between right and wrong and how far you'd go in the quest for justice.

*This Review First Published 2/23/2011