Part of Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus, book 9
First published 1996
Lieutenant Peter Decker faces his most complex case when prominent heart surgeon Dr. Azor Sparks is found brutally murdered. The community demands answers, but the investigation reveals a web of potential suspects. Sparks left behind six children, any of whom might have killed their father. His medical colleagues could have harbored deadly jealousy. Even his unlikely associates in a motorcycle gang become persons of interest. As Decker pursues these leads, his home life deteriorates. His wife Rina struggles with her teenage sons, who have grown difficult and rebellious. The case takes an unexpected turn when a Catholic priest emerges as a key figure, bringing with him buried secrets from Rina's past that threaten to destabilize her marriage to Peter. Decker must solve the murder while his personal world unravels around him.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Catholic Church
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
10 pages · Audio Cassette · Unabridged Library Edition
Content warnings: violence