Friend Me by John Faubion

Are you ready for some suspense? Don't read this book late at night suspense?

It all started out so innocently. There was a sidebar advertisement on a social web site advertising virtual friends. And, well, Rachel was lonely after losing her best friend, Suzanne, to cancer. And her husband came home late from work so many nights. So she signed up for a virtual friend. And it went well. She uploaded a photo of Suzanne and the web site created a virtual person. She had Suzanne back. She someone to talk to.

So she showed her husband Scott. He'd been having a tough time at work and if it worked for Rachel, why not try it himself? So he signed up for a virtual friend too. When asked for a male or female, he opted for a female. She was just virtual, he thought. What harm could come from it?

But Scott finds out things are not always what they seem. When the woman who created Scott's virtual friend becomes infatuated with him, the situation quickly turns deadly.

This is a great novel of suspense. And it starts out so innocently! Or was it so innocent to rely on a web site for a meaningful relationship?

This novel is very timely in addressing the whole issue of social media and the reality of meaningful relationships. What about the ethics of virtual friendships? Is “virtual” sin different? What is a Christian to do with social media? Can it be dangerous? Should one ever reveal personal information through social media?

This is a page turning novel of suspense. It would be a good book for couples to read as it deals with the temptations they might face. There is an extensive discussion guide, making this a good choice for reading groups.

I'm taking part in a blog tour of this book. You can read other reviews of this book here.

Read an excerpt and purchase a copy here.

John Faubion spent many years in Asia as a missionary with his family. Returning to the United States he has worked as a senior software developer. He lives near Indianapolis with his wife and their daughter. This is his first novel. You can find out more at http://christiansuspense.com.

Howard Books, 368 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through a publicity group for the purpose of this review.