"True Believers"
This book, True Believers, was written by Jane Haddam. She has written sixteen previous books featuring the main character, Gregor Demarkian, an Armenian-American detective, formerly head of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit. Her work has been nominated in the past for both Edgar and Anthony mystery awards.
True Believers is my first experience with Gregor Demarkian, and I enjoyed it. This story swirls with controversy on several levels, and Ms. Haddam juggles them all with dexterity and an even hand. The story deals with the death of a young woman and her husband's subsequent suicide in the sacristy of St. Anselm's church in Philadelphia. One of the nuns believes that the young woman was murdered and the discovery of arsenic in her system convinces Demarkian to take on the case.
My first reaction after picking this book up was to walk away. I didn't think I would enjoy a novel that relied so heavily on the issues of the various denominations of churches and religions. In addition, there are a lot of other related issues regarding gays, Atheists, and the death penalty. But I really did get drawn into the story, and those issues were handled in a fair, informative manner. They didn't detract from the story, nor did they ever become strident or preachy.
I was pleased to meet Gregor Demarkian and like his character very much. He is level-headed and rather stoic, but he has a kind heart and is a determined detective in this case. I will be looking into other books featuring him and I anticipate more quality writing from Jane Haddam.
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