John Jordan Mysteries Series by Michael Lister
John Jordan Mysteries #5
John Jordan05 - Blood Sacrifice
Michael Lister
John Jordan Book 5 Florida Book Award Winner Following a particularly brutal and costly case, John Jordan goes to a secluded retreat center and encounters one of the most bewildering and haunting cases of his career--the suspicious death of a young woman undergoing an exorcism. Fighting a losing battle against a powerful undertow of violence and loss, John washes up on the shore of the coastal town of Bridgeport at St. Ann's Abbey, a retreat center carved out of the ubiquitous slash pines of the Florida Panhandle. Temporarily leaving behind the demanding duties of prison chaplaincy and the homicide investigations he is irresistibly drawn to, John comes to St. Ann's in search of serenity. He finds anything but. Dedicated to art, religion, and psychology, St. Ann's is operated by Sister Abigail, a wise and witty middle-aged nun who supervises the counseling center; Father Thomas Scott, an earnest, devout middle-aged priest, in charge of religious studies and spiritual growth; and the young Kathryn Kennedy, an acclaimed novelist responsible for artistic studies and conferences. While undergoing counseling with Sister Abigail because of his depression and self-destructive behavior, John resists the urge to investigate when the body of a young boy staying at St. Ann's is discovered in the Gulf. He is convinced by Sister Abigail that it is no longer just his pride or career or even his marriage, but his soul he is trying to save. But when Tammy Taylor, the highly sexual young heiress to the Gulf Coast Paper Company fortune, is savagely murdered while undergoing an exorcism by Father Thomas, John can no longer resist. He must find out how she really died and who killed her. And with Father Thomas looking increasingly guilty and the future of St. Ann's at stake, Sister Abigail asks for his help. Father Thomas, who appears to be the only one who could have killed her, claims Tammy's murder was the work of the demons inside her, but the skeptical Jordan suspects a human culprit with a far more earthly motive. And human suspects with hidden motives abound in this closed community. Among them, Ralph Reid, the lawyer representing Gulf Coast Paper Company whose job it is to close St. Ann's and reacquire the land; Steve Taylor, the victim's cousin and chief of police who refuses to turn the case over to FDLE; Keith Richie, an ex-con with more than previous crimes to hide; Brad Harrison, the religious zealot handyman who can't seem to quit committing "sins of the flesh" with the victim; and, of course, Father Thomas himself who is most likely to have committed the crime--and the person all the evidence points to. As evidence and bodies continue to mount, and more and more secrets come to the surface, John realizes he has far more questions than answers, and that the shocking truth may be far stranger than anything he imagined. A provocative thriller, Blood Sacrifice, is also an exploration into unseen realms of darkness and light--especially those of John Jordan's conflicted heart. Confronting the irrational, superstitious, and greedy, Blood Sacrifice delves into the rise of American exorcisms following their explosion in popular culture, and mourns the loss of Florida's final corner of unspoiled beauty. Blood Sacrifice is an exciting entry into one of the most unique series in contemporary crime fiction.From BooklistThis fifth book featuring prison chaplain (and former cop) John Jordan has an exorcism turned murder at the heart of its complex story. Jordan’s marriage has fallen apart for the second time, prompting him to seek counseling at St. Ann’s, an abbey in bucolic Gainesville, Florida, best known for being the home of the University of Florida Gators. Lister never mentions the college; instead, he shows us the rapidly dwindling, unspoiled Florida wilderness. The company that owns the abbey, an old abandoned paper mill nearby, and all the surrounding land wants to develop the property. An oversexed and deeply troubled young woman is murdered at the abbey, and the priest performing the exorcism is the chief suspect. Her cousin is the small-town cop investigating, and he asks Jordan for help. Intriguing characters populate the small town, and their relationships are integral to the mystery, as one red herring after another become stumbling blocks to a conclusion. Lister creates a dark and complex combination of religious and environmental mystery that should appeal to fans of Margaret Coel and Julia Spencer-Fleming. --Stacy Alesi ReviewPublisher's Weekly review of Blood SacrificeLister's strong fifth book featuring cop-turned-prison-chaplain John Jordan takes Jordan to the small Florida Panhandle town of Bridgeport, to undergo counseling at St. Ann's Abbey. Well-handled plot twists complement one of today's more psychologically complex religious detectives.
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