First published 2000
Kurt Hauptmann enters his family's stained glass workshop to master an ancient craft meant to reveal God's glory to believers. His uncle Detlef runs the studio with mysterious intensity, having abandoned his work on cathedral roofs for dangerous secular projects. The Hauptmann family carries strange traditions passed down through generations, but Kurt discovers their holy rituals hide something twisted. Men begin dying in South Florida through bizarre, old-fashioned methods that echo forgotten times. Detective Jack Skelote investigates these unusual murders while Kurt searches for answers about his uncle's behavior and his family's true nature. The stained glass studio becomes the center of secrets that connect sacred art to profane violence. Kurt must confront the reality that his family's bond runs deeper than craft knowledge. Blood ties the Hauptmanns together, both their own and that of their victims. As Kurt and Skelote close in on the truth, they face a nightmare of murdered martyrs left without proper burial or blessing.
Genres: suspense, mystery, horror, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: dark-academia, unreliable-narrator
Setting: South Florida, Cathedral Roofs
Period: Forgotten Times
256 pages · Paperback · Tor Books
Content warnings: gore, violence