DCI Jim Sheehan and his team investigate when prominant Catholic figures are murdered. Not only murdered, but naked and displayed as strange shapes.
An enjoyable and interesting well-written murder mystery ( )

Tri den tine mass n. the Latin Eucharistic liturgy used by the Roman Catholic Church from 1570 to 1964. (Before Vatican Two)

I will turn my face against this man. I will make him a proverbial example. I will strike him from the midst of my people and you will know that I am Yahweh.. Ezekiel 14:8

Hell is empty and all the devils are here. William Shakespeare

The first thing I want to say is that this is a very well written and well research book. Some things bothered me – mostly too many exclamation points, which may be a factor of the author being from Northern Ireland. I have edited several books by English and Australian authors, and there are “quirks” that are expected from certain areas of the world. I am sure that there they find American “quirks” sometimes interesting, sometimes irritating. But other than that, the writing is mostly clean, which is quite positive in today’s rather “loose” grammatical styles of Indie writing.

Then there is the research portion of the book. The author knows his history, religion and the methodology of a police investigation, as I understand it to be handled in Northern Ireland. While I am no expert in Irish law and procedure, I am something of an expert on American police procedure, and found the procedure believable and enjoyable to read.

I also found the Catholic and religious knowledge to be intensive and well researched. While I am not certain of O’Hare’s exact training, the comment, “Any writing he has previously done was academic...very much restricted to a very specific readership” leaves me to believe that he has religious training. And hence the problem that I had with the book. There is a rather extreme element of sanctimony that I found very much not to my tastes. While giving lip service to a “loving” god and, “ . . . the spirit of tolerance that genuine Christianity espouses” there is a strong component of hatred and vindictiveness against modernization of the Catholic Church that runs through the storyline. Hatred of homosexuals (who are genetically predisposed to homosexuality), to divorces – even when the wife and/or children are being brutalized, and the mania for conversion of others no matter the cost to society - all the same issues that the Church has fought with a rabid obsession for centuries. Tolerance for all – except for anyone who isn’t a white Catholic male.

“And religion is a funny thing. Look at all the wars and devastation it has caused over the centuries because people took notions.” Detective Allen, The Doom Murders

Overall, the book will appeal to those who love a good procedural, and those who are very strictly old-school Catholic. “There are bishops and cardinals all over Europe, and America too, breaking away from Rome over this very issue.” Humans no longer live in the Dark Ages. Christians conveniently ignore the parts of their holy book that make them look bad. They say it is the unquestioned word of God, except for those parts that are taken out of context. I have, indeed, read the Bible, as well as several other religious texts. Below are several requirements of Christianity-that I certainly hope they are no longer following!

Psalm 137:9 Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones. (The Catholic Priests who traveled with the armies of Europeans who came to the U.S. used this methodology extensively. The babies and small children of Native Americans were grabbed up by the ankles and their heads smashed against rocks. Those were my ancestors.)

Isaiah 13:15-18 NLT Anyone who is captured will be run through with a sword. Their little children will be dashed to death right before their eyes. Their homes will be sacked and their wives raped by the attacking hordes. For I will stir up the Medes against Babylon, and no amount of silver or gold will buy them off. The attacking armies will shoot down the young people with arrows. They will have no mercy on helpless babies and will show no compassion for the children. Wow. Both Psalms and Isaiah encourage dashing baby’s heads against rocks . . .

Samuel 12:11-14 NAB Thus says the Lord: 'I will bring evil upon you out of your own house. I will take your wives [plural] while you live to see it, and will give them to your neighbor. He shall lie with your wives in broad daylight. You have done this deed in secret, but I will bring it about in the presence of all Israel, and with the sun looking down.' Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." Nathan answered David: "The Lord on his part has forgiven your sin: you shall not die. But since you have utterly spurned the Lord by this deed, the child born to you must surely die." What ever happened to: Exodus 23:7 Be honest. Don't kill the innocent. And 20:13 Thou shalt not kill.? And this whole rape in the name of god thing is just creepy

Deuteronomy 21:10-14 NAB "When you go out to war against your enemies and the LORD, your God, delivers them into your hand, so that you take captives, if you see a comely woman among the captives and become so enamored of her that you wish to have her as wife, you may take her home to your house. But before she may live there, she must shave her head and pare her nails and lay aside her captive's garb. After she has mourned her father and mother for a full month, you may have relations with her, and you shall be her husband and she shall be your wife. However, if later on you lose your liking for her, you shall give her her freedom, if she wishes it; but you shall not sell her or enslave her, since she was married to you under compulsion." (God loves him some female slavery and rape.)

Ecclesiasticus 22:3"...and the birth of ANY daughter is a loss.”

Numbers 31:1-18 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves. (Well, now we know why the Catholic Church condones pedophilia.)

Genesis 19:8 Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes. (Lot)

Leviticus 26:29 And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat.

Deuteronomy 28:53 And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters.

Jeremiah 19:9 And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend.

Isaiah 14:21 NAB Make ready to slaughter his sons for the guilt of their fathers; Lest they rise and posses the earth, and fill the breadth of the world with tyrants.

And we won’t even talk about Exodus . . .

This book was provided by the author for a realistic review. All thoughts and commentary are my own.
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