Maxy Awards Runner-Up, Best Mystery/Detective”…gives readers the excitement of the chase while taking them deep into the psyches of its diverse characters.” –KIRKUS REVIEWSThe ultimate betrayal. What would you do?Hard-nosed Detective Jack Bailey is back in Chicago with a serial killer on his hands. At first, Jack figures the murder of Sister Anne is a robbery gone bad. But when a Bible verse … murder of Sister Anne is a robbery gone bad. But when a Bible verse turns up with the body, he and his partner realize this is no random murder. The Bridgeport community is shocked; the popular nun taught generations of students. Within two weeks a young man’s body is found with a similar Bible verse. What is the connection between the two victims? And who is the so-called Bible Thumper perp?
Jack’s investigation is complicated by a demanding sergeant whose attractiveness is overshadowed by her abrasiveness. Moving back to Chicago after escaping to Texas for six years has forced Jack to face the family trauma that plagued him for twelve years, as well as his PTSD that compromised his job. Jack finds his large Irish family both a pleasure and a pain; when he discovers a buried family secret, his future could be affected.
After a third victim is discovered, Jack must make tough decisions while facing issues of abuse, betrayal from high places, flawed parents, unlucky love, and the tragic fallout from turning more than one blind eye.
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I thoroughly enjoyed this read. There was non-stop action and twists and turns aplenty. At times I felt like I needed a scorecard to keep up with everything that was going on, but I managed. Jack’s grumpy outlook on life can be wearing at times, but with his history, it is definitely understandable. The ending caught me by surprise because I was all ready to be angry about a cliffhanger and at the last moment Ms. Lelvis pulls it out of the hat. I know many readers will find the ending highly unsatisfying, but I liked it. I definitely recommend this book. I hope this is not the end of the series (I really haven’t looked yet to see) because there is so much more I would like to know about these characters.
Turning a blind eye is an idiom describing the ignoring of undesirable information.
Detective Jack Bailey and his partner Detective Karl Scherkenbach (Sherk) are called to investigate the murder of an elderly retired nun. They are thinking that this may have been a robbery gone wrong … until they find a slip of paper with a Bible verse written on it.
Two weeks later another body is found. This time it’s a young man, and a written Bible verse tucked under his arm. Again .. they can find no motive, no clues.
And then there is a third victim, a man who had once been accused of abusing young boys.
When Bailey and Sherk start seeing the connections, the only question left is who.
This is so much more than just a crime fiction and a race to catch a killer. The reader is drawn into their personal lives, their flaws, their issues. I really enjoyed how he and his partner interacted .. with humor and caring. Jack has a real problem with his supervisor .. and the amount of perfume she wears. They are constantly at odds and his anger and annoyance with her reach explosive levels.
The ending came as a surprise … although it seemed to be a bit abrupt. It’s a well-written story with well-drawn characters.
Many thanks to the author / Black Rose Writing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
There were so many subtle clues that kept the reader pointed this way and that as you follow Jack and Sherk on the case. I thought the ending was a great payoff and a good surprise; I had not quite guessed. This is the first time I’ve met Jack and I want to read more about him: complex and real without being cliche. Hard to do in this genre. Lelvis outdoes herself in this fact-paced, gripping, page-turner of a novel. You need to check this one out!