Kirkus Reviews has called Ray Keating’s Pastor Stephen Grant “an engaging and multifaceted character” and “a consistently entertaining hero.” Lutheran Book Review says, “I miss Tom Clancy. Keating fills that void for me.” The retired host of KFUO radio’s BookTalk declares, “Ray Keating is a great novelist.” David Keene of The Washington Times calls these novels “great reads.” Another reviewer observes, “How I'd love to see Pastor Grant on Netflix!”
And BookSeriesinOrder.com declares, “Many noteworthy critics have given rave reviews to books of the series and have applauded the efforts of author Ray Keating in coming up with such an exciting series and unique character. Ray Keating has also received praise from his fellow writers for his mind-blowing work in the series. The first book of the series has succeeded in making it to the top 10 self-published books of the year by the World magazine. Other novels also followed and achieved great success. The worldwide success of this series helped Ray Keating in establishing himself in the ranks of the noteworthy authors of the spy thriller/espionage genre.”
And in an article titled “If James Bond Became a Pastor,” author and columnist Gene Veith notes, “Mr. Keating knows how to tell an exciting story. And these books, like the James Bond novels, are ridiculously entertaining. As for larger themes, there is vocation, of course. I see these books as honoring the pastoral ministry. Because in real life, pastors are heroes engaged in saving the world.”
Finally, in a 5-star Amazon review: “I've had the pleasure of reading four of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels, with others on my nightstand waiting to be read. I've thoroughly enjoyed reading each of these books thus far, with The River being my absolute favorite as of this writing. But I would be remiss if I did not give props to Warrior Monk, the first book in the series. Honestly, I was intrigued by the basic concept. A CIA operative turned Lutheran pastor finding himself being pulled back to his old skills seems to blend the James Bond thrillers with the Father Brown stories penned by G K Chesterton. Keating combines interesting theological concepts with action and personal interest, all the while taking the time to engage the reader with current events filtered through a Christian perspective. These elements come together to create a pitch-perfect novel, and as a fledgling author myself, I am envious that I hadn't written it first.”
