CLS Christian Lawyer Magazine June 2014_Proofforweb.pdf Jun. 2014 | Page 23

Pascal’s Last Gamble, by Steve Oetting
and Justin Oetting (Createspace
Independent Publishing Platform, 2013)
REVIEW BY STACY TYLER

L

egal thrillers are a dime a dozen these days, but as with
most things, an increase in quantity means a decrease in
quality, and even the most intrepid reader is hard-pressed to
ind anything in that section of the bookstore that isn’t either
pure drivel or graphic sex and violence. For the reader hoping
for a genuine storyline, and maybe even—gasp!—a litle
mental stimulation, the pickings are slim. Enter the father and
son duo of Steve and Justin Oeting, who have writen Pascal’s
Last Gamble, a genre-bending allegorical novel that serves up
both in ample measure and leaves the reader asking for more.
Set in San Diego, the story follows the meteoric rise of a gited
prosecutor, Raj Pascal Rex, whose legendary trial skills are rivaled only by his ego. Rex has his eye on becoming the next
District Atorney of America’s Finest City, and no one doubts
he’ll pull it of; Rex always gets what he wants. It seems that
nothing can stop him. And then he meets Festus Green.
Green is nothing short of evil incarnate. Charged with the
cold case murder of young Lucy Martin, Green manipulates
the legal system beter than the most skilled defense atorney.
As Green games the system, Rex is forced to decide to what
lengths he will go to win.
As the trial quickly approaches, Rex struggles to maintain his
failing relationship with his girlfriend, Grace. Like Green, she

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seems to test him at every opportunity. But Rex either ignores
or is unable to understand what Grace wants from him.
A modern day Candide, Rex does more than simply tend his
gardens as he both skirmishes with Green and pursues Grace’s
afections. Rex searches for faith in a world that allows people
like Green to lourish. But irst Rex must come to terms with his
arrogance—the very quality that has allowed him to succeed.
Readers with an intellectual bent will appreciate the allegorical level of the story, and the philosophical references that are
studded throughout like hidden gems; indeed, the title of the
book itself is a nod to the seventeenth century mathematician
and Christian philosopher Blaise Pascal, whose namesake
“Wager” famously posited that belief in God simply makes
logical sense. But even for those of us who managed no better than a C in Philosophy 101, Pascal’s Last Gamble is a fastpaced, engaging read about a subject we can all relate to: the
search for faith, love and redemption in a secular world.
Author of the international thriller, he Source of All Good News,
Steve uses his experience as a career prosecutor to lend realism
and credibilit