This guy wrote one of my favorite books ever - Balls. He's written a couple of others but now he's writing mysteries!! I was excited to hear it and not at all disappointed in his effort. This has great components - porn, hookers, a promise keepers like organization, police corruption… I mean it's got it all and it all works together to make a great tale.

The New Haven police department has a nightmare of epic proportions on its hands. A highly respected officer in the "Sons of God" religious movement has been found in a sleazy motel room with his throat slashed and it is obvious that the gentleman was engaged in a sexual encounter. When another of the group is found murdered in a similar manner a few days later it looks like someone wants to keep the religious group from moving their headquarters to New Haven's ninth square. Detective William Shute doesn't believe that the group is being targeted but, rather, the first man was killed by an escort in self-defense and the second man is a copy-cat murder. His theory is unpopular among the New Haven police brass, the mayor and local businessmen who will certainly make a good deal of money should the Sons of God move to their city. Shute is stripped of his badge and gun when he refuses to back down but he doesn't stop his investigation. Searching within the darker side of New Haven, Shute finds his own life in danger as he comes closer and closer to the truth.

I really didn't like this book at all. The only thing that saved it from being a 1 star rating is that I had no idea who the murderer was so that, at least, was a surprise. The characters are horrible people, the subject matter is distasteful, and the author's choppy sentences (i.e. "Another crash. Another explosion of flames. Turning. The case. Snatching it up. That was all.) made for a difficult read. Stay far, far away from this one.
( )