Ken Cooper, who served four years of a 99-year sentence, later worked with four others to found Prisoners of Christ, a faith-based reentry ministry for the transition of inmates plagued with addictions. Now he heads up Ken Cooper Prison Ministries, involved in prison ministry organization development, consulting work, and education on overcoming addictions. Ken and his wife, June, live in Jacksonville, Florida.

While Ken Cooper lived with his wife and two children and worked as publicity director for a Christian college, he was leading a double life--as a felon.  
  
With a vivid, you-are-there style, this former gentleman bank robber takes readers on a journey through years of armed robberies, the dramatic shooting that ended his career, the horrors of prison, and a soul ultimately finding peace. Without fear or embellishment, Cooper openly shares the darkest moments in his life. Yet in these moments he finally meets God and ends up becoming a bright light in a horrendous prison system. From adrenaline-pumping true-life crime to an experience of God's gentle love, readers won't be able to put down this gripping memoir of transformation and God's grace.

Former felon describes a succession of armed robberies, getting caught and going to prison. He says Jesus Christ can ransom anyone held hostage by sin.

Cooper, Ken

Cover Page

Title Page

Copyright Page

Table of  Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgments 

Epilogue 

While Ken Cooper lived with his wife and two children and worked as publicity director for a Christian college, he was leading a double life - as a felon. From adrenaline-pumping true-life crime to an experience of God's gentle love, this is a memoir of transformation and God's grace.

While Ken Cooper lived with his wife and two children and worked as publicity director for a Christian college, he was leading a double life - as a felon. With a vivid, you-are-there style, this former gentleman bank robber takes readers on a journey through years of armed robberies, the dramatic shooting that ended his career, the horrors of prison, and a soul ultimately finding peace. Without fear or embellishment, Cooper openly shares the darkest moments in his life. Yet in these moments he finally meets God and ends up becoming a bright light in a horrendous prison system. From adrenaline-pumping true-life crime to an experience of God's gentle love, readers won't be able to put down this gripping memoir of transformation and God's grace.

Eden Customer

I found this book very powerful and encouraging. It is Ken?s testimony of God?s breathtaking redemption on his life, a life that he used to take women hostage as he robbed banks and a life that held him hostage in an addiction in his own mind. He uses his story to describe the inner turmoil of knowing right from wrong but the grip that the power of the flesh and the hand of Satan had over his life. There is no rhyme or reason for why he started robbing banks, it wasn?t the money, he had a job. As he unfolds his life on each page you can see the journey he went through, from the comfort that the adrenalin gave him to ultimately paying the price of prison for his misdemeanour and quite rightly too. But it is so wonderful to watch God?s amazing grace as your read about his road to redemption. I recommend this book for anyone trying to understand criminals and those wanting to be encouraged when all looks lost.

Review of Held Hostage from The Good Bookstall.org

The Good Book Stall

I found this book very powerful and encouraging. It is Ken’s testimony of God’s breathtaking redemption on his life, a life that he used to take women hostage as he robbed banks and a life that held him hostage in an addiction in his own mind. He uses his story to describe the inner turmoil of knowing right from wrong but the grip that the power of the flesh and the hand of Satan had over his life. There is no rhyme or reason for why he started robbing banks, it wasn’t the money, he had a job. As he unfolds his life on each page you can see the journey he went through, from the comfort that the adrenalin gave him to ultimately paying the price of prison for his misdemeanour and quite rightly too. But it is so wonderful to watch God’s amazing grace as your read about his road to redemption. I recommend this book for anyone trying to understand criminals and those wanting to be encouraged when all looks lost.

Held Hostage

Convicted serial bank robber Cooper steals the show in the road to redemption genre for 2009 with this gripping narrative about his slide from petty theft to hostage-taking bank heists. Shot down mid-robbery, captured and sentenced in 1982 to 99 years, the author takes readers into the prison with grotesque scenes of predators and brutality. In prison, Cooper reflects on the double life that led to his incarceration; he worked for a Christian college, but also robbed banks to medicate the loss of his wife. Finding freedom, even in lock down, and forgiveness for his crimes, including his disregard for God and his stepson, becomes a quest that will have readers hanging on till the end of this surprisingly well-narrated book. The power of God's love and prayer for enemies leads to the transformation of an entire cell block from heinous rape and sex games to a place of peace and love of neighbour. This new voice will be a runaway favourite for fans of the redemption narrative.

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