Christ on a Bike

by Orla Owen

I bought this book because I loved the title and cover and had heard good things about it on Insta, and it didn’t disappoint. The Shirley Jacksoneque premise is intriguing: a young woman writes a prayer for a stranger and is rewarded by inheriting his luxurious home and money. But there are rules, and potentially deadly repercussions for breaking them. Are they imposed by the devil? Is the young man on a bike Christ? Is this a parable about love and happiness vs worldly goods? While Owen has a talent for using unexpected detail to build great characters, and coming up with gem-like phrases, I did find the protagonist’s self-reflection and questioning a bit repetitive. That said, I still raced to find out what happened.