Red Wing, MN -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/28/2012 -- Scooping Amazon Best-Seller status in three categories and a host of national awards (including the coveted Readers’ Choice ‘Best Book of 2010’), John L. Betcher’s ‘A Higher Court’ is proving compelling reading for anyone with an open mind about faith and science.

Official synopsis, in the words of the book’s protagonist:

My name is William Kensey. I have a wife and two great kids. Until very recently, I was a well-respected and financially successful trial attorney. I was also a man who was comfortable with his religion. I preferred it served at arm's length from the pulpit on Sunday morning. And would rather not discuss it the rest of the week.

The circumstances that led me to write A HIGHER COURT changed all that. The entire experience was both bizarre and unavoidable. You see, I was summoned to serve as a juror in an improbable trial -- a trial to determine whether God exists.

I know. You think that sounds ludicrous. I did, too . . . until the trial began.

Witnesses buried me under mountains of scientific evidence. My own eyes forced me to confront the reality of extreme human suffering. God seemed less and less relevant -- even absent -- as the trial progressed.

At the close of the trial, I had to render my verdict -- "God" or "No God." Affirm a new and deeper faith in a Creator, or confess the triumph of science.

A HIGHER COURT is the story of how I discovered my ultimate truth. If your mind is open, you can join me in this journey of self-discovery. Come along. You won't be sorry.

As the author explains, the book takes readers directly into the trial and into the middle of powerful debate.

“The reader serves on the jury while ‘experts’ make their cases for ‘God’ or ‘No God,’ and fellow jurors of varying backgrounds and beliefs debate the evidence,” says Betcher, who was also awarded a silver medal in the 2011 Readers Favorite Book Awards and a gold award in the 2010 eLit Awards.

He continues, “Valid arguments play out from each side of the evidence. Readers are left with a tough decision to make. Will it match the verdict of the jury as a whole? Who is really on trial here?”

Since its release, the book has garnered rave reviews.

“Thought-provoking – magnificent! After reading this book, these are the two adjectives which immediately popped into my head,” says S.L. Coelho – reviewing the book on Amazon.

Another reader, Ann Marie, was equally impressed.

“The ending was outstanding. It will reawaken your belief in God,” she says.

With Best-Seller status in Literary Fiction, Religious Fiction and Spirituality, ‘A Higher Court’ presents the perfect balance of thought-provoking fiction and real-life argument.

The book, published by John L. Betcher, is available now from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Follow the author’s progress via Facebook or Twitter, and learn more at his author website.

About the Author: John L. Betcher
Amazon Bestselling Author, John L. Betcher, holds a Bachelor's Degree, cum laude, in English from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Minnesota Law School in Minneapolis.

He has practiced law for more than twenty-five years in the Mississippi River community of Red Wing, Minnesota. In addition to ‘A Higher Court,’ Mr. Betcher has published an award-winning series of "Becker" suspense/thriller novels. The first four are THE 19TH ELEMENT, THE MISSING ELEMENT, THE COVERT ELEMENT, and THE EXILED ELEMENT.