It's a formidable challenge to keep the attention of an audience midway through a projected 12-volume series, but with their trademark blend of humor and gripping suspense, authors Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye continue to captivate readers with The Indwelling, the seventh installment of the Left Behind series.

Carpathia's funeral takes a hair-raising turn for the 4 million people who attend. Over the crowd looms the centerpiece of a new world religion, a 24-foot bronze statue of Carpathia, belching black smoke and demanding obedience. Woven through the fast-paced drama are the ongoing stories of people struggling amid the end-times mayhem: Chloe Williams wrestles with the moral implications of killing her toddler Kenny to avoid having him fall into enemy hands; her father Rayford Steele is brought face-to-face with the consequences of his pride. Dr. Chaim Rosenzweig, a prominent Jewish Israeli statesman, ponders a conversion to Christianity.

The strength of the series comes from Jenkins's ability to keep the action moving and readers caring about the characters. And there's a hook: The end of The Indwelling promises, "If the last three and a half years are your idea of tribulation, wait until you endure the Great Tribulation." The bad news is just beginning. But, the Tribulation Force believes, good news is also on the way. --Cindy Crosby