Product Description

Your Days Are Numbered…And Clay Ryker Knows It.

Clay Ryker is a man with a dark past and an uncertain future. A failure in both business and marriage, he has come home after a decade away, hoping for a fresh start in the small Pacific Northwest town where he grew up.

But Clay harbors a terrible secret, one that even those closest to him don’t know. When increasingly sinister notes appear in the folds of his morning paper, Clay realizes that the truth is not so secret after all. Then people around him start dying and, with a serial killer on the loose, he discovers a terrible gift: he can foresee the timing of a person’s death–his or her expiration date.

As his newfound ability proves both a blessing and a curse, Clay’s foreknowledge could cost more than he can bear to lose. Working with ex-cop and investigator Vince Turney, Clay has no choice but to face up to the truth of his past. Will he find the courage to overcome an unspeakable evil, one that he himself may have empowered?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #611603 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-17
• Released on: 2005-05-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

Review
Endorsements for EXPIRATION DATE
By Eric Wilson


“With bravado and compelling prose, Eric Wilson is set to leave his mark on the world of fiction.”
–Ted Dekker, best-selling author of Thr3e and Black


“Eric Wilson is great addition to the ranks of Christian novelists. His exploration of God’s hidden workings and how they invade human lives is as needed as it is fun to read. Enjoy the adventure in Expiration Date, but don’t miss its ultimate question. Well done, Eric!”
–Jefferson Scott, author of
Operation: Firebrand–Deliverance 


“Eric Wilson is creating his own genre: one part factual history, one part present-day fiction, along with a potent dash of spiritual conflict. With plot twists and revelations that will make you hungry for the next chapter, Expiration Date is more proof that Eric Wilson and his unique storytelling style are here for the long haul. This book will leave you wondering how he comes up with such great stories–and how long we have to wait for the next!”
–Alison Strobel, author of Worlds Collide


“Expiration Date was more than a great read. I experienced this powerful story with the characters, my stomach knotting with each riveting plot twist. Eric Wilson is a master at weaving an intricate tale in which the stakes rise at every turn. Just when I thought I knew what to expect, another level of this multi-layered story would reveal even greater
spiritual proportions than first realized. Because of Expiration Date, Eric Wilson is now one of my favorite writers. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this talented novelist!”
–Tricia Goyer, author of From Dust and Ashes and Night Song



“With Expiration Date, Eric Wilson sets the bar even higher than he did with his debut novel, Dark To Mortal Eyes. Like a classic Hitchcock hero, Clay Ryker is an ordinary man caught in an extraordinary situation that forces him to risk everything to save his wife and child and even his own life. With a premise that won’t let go of you, Eric Wilson builds a story that twists and turns and keeps you going until the final, explosive climax.”
–Steven Womack, Edgar Award-winning author of By Blood Written



“Expiration Date is a first-rate thriller that provides page after page of skillful plots and sub-plots that climax to an electrifying conclusion. Eric Wilson is a masterful storyteller who lays a foundation of biblical truth on a canvas of contemporary culture and shows the clear blessings and consequences for those who follow or reject that truth.”
–Hamp Morrison, publisher, Nashville Christian Family Magazine

About the Author
Eric Wilson is the author of Dark to Mortal Eyes. A bible college graduate, he has a firm understanding of Scripture and doctrine, which he uses as a backdrop for the tough issues in his novels. Eric and his wife live with their two pre-teen daughters in Nashville, Tennessee.

Customer Reviews

Wilson delivers again!
Eric Wilson's latest thriller takes the concept of his first book up a notch. Clay Ryker finds himself with the "gift" of seeing the date of a person's death. Now he has to deal with it! Can he save the person, or is death inevitable for them?

Wilson continues to grow as a writer. While I enjoyed "Dark To Mortal Eyes", I found myself washed away in a tidal wave of characters right at the start. In "Expiration Date", Wilson paces things better, giving us time to meet the characters and learn about them before introducing another. I felt like I knew the character before they moved on. The action and story line in this one are also set at a faster pace. While DTME set up a sinister plot over time, Expiration Date moves us into action that never wants to let up. The climax of the book is great and really works!

One thing: you'll need to have read "Dark To Mortal Eyes" before this one to understand some of the significance of certain characters and items. It's obvious Eric's slowly building things up to a huge climax at the end of his "Five Senses" series. We're beginning to see pieces of it fall into place, though I'm betting he's saving the best for last. When you finish this one, you'll want to read his other work anyway, so start at "Dark" first.

All in all, if Wilson's writing continues to improve at the rate it did for this one, you're looking at the next big name in Christian Fiction. Highly recommended for fans of Dean Koontz, Frank Peretti, or Ted Dekker.

A great christian novel about faith and free will
What would you do if you had the ability to know when a person would die just by touching them?

Expiration Date is the second novel by Eric Wilson and part of a 5-book series that focuses on each of the five senses. Expiration Date focuses on touch because whenever Clay Ryker touches someone he sees the date they are going to die imprinted on his hands.

Ryker is returning to Junction City, the place where he grew up as a basketball star and a place where he and many others have many secrets they want to keep hidden. Ryker meets Henna, a former highschool classmate while returning home on a bus. Henna reads his palm, recites some mysterious words, and somehow gives Clay the ability to know when a person will die just by touching them.

The best Christian novels are ones that focus on relationships, and in Exiration Date Ryker is returning home because of the impending failure of his marriage to Jenni. Other relationships include his son Jason, his high school friend Bill Scott and his high school sweetheart, Mylisha.

Wilson weaves a complicated tale where most characters are hiding something. Some characters are given little background, like the "Sarge," but all have a place in the story. Wilson introduces the novel stating that he wanted to focus on the struggle between free will and predestination. Ryker embodies this test by knowing the date of death of many friends and family and struggling to keep the deaths from happening. He succeeds and times and he fails as well.

I enjoyed this novel a lot. Wilson states on his website he likes Dean Koontz and I can see a lot of Koontz in this book. At times, you'll wander whats real and what isn't but in the end everything gets resolved.

I enjoyed the realism of this Christian novel. All the characters have real problems, and there is a lot of implied violence, cursing, drinking, drug use and sex. Just like in real life. One part I objected to is midway through the book at the conclusion of Clay's hike. I don't want to reveal what Clay does but it seems like such a weak thing to do and I don't think he was in the frame of mind where an action like that would be necessary. Still, it had to be done to advance the plot and the story takes off from there. There is also an ongoing subplot revolving around Lenin, Rasputin, and the Russian revolution of 1917. At times, it seems like it really doesn't belong even though the book concludes with it and hints a possible sequel

Don't Pass Up Your Expiration Date....
Eric Wilson delivers proses and beautiful description with a tell tale story and great character development. Having read Eric's first book, Dark To Mortal Eyes, I knew that this work would be another expose, unfolding in a way that only this author can describe. I enjoyed every minute.

I must admin, however, that I was a bit disappointed with the ending. I found it somewhat anti-climactic. I believe that the part of two characters from Mr Wilson's first book appearing in this story gave it a nice, familiar feel, but I thought that more lose ends were left open then what should have been. It didn't really take away from the story, in fact it left it open for an inspiring sequel, but still I would have liked to see closure in a few more areas.

This book is going on my shelf and staying there, to await a second read one day in the future. I am an Eric Wilson fan and I will gladly add this piece to my collection and anxiously await his next addition. I will also enjoy discussing this book on my Christian book chat forum. Thanks for the story Eric!