Back on Murder

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Back On Murder Bethany House (July 1, 2010)
by
J. Mark Betrand

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

J. Mark Bertrand has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston. After one hurricane too many, he left Houston and relocated with his wife Laurie to the plains of South Dakota.

Mark has been arrested for a crime he didn't commit, was the foreman of a hung jury in Houston, and after relocating served on the jury that acquitted Vinnie Jones of assault. In 1972, he won an honorable mention in a child modeling contest, but pursued writing instead. Besides his personal website, visit his Crime Genre website at http://www.crimegenre.com/.

The next book in this series, Pattern Of Wounds will come out in the summer of 2011.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Det. Roland March is a homicide cop on his way out.
A missing girl. A corrupt investigation. They thought they could get away with it, but they forgot one thing:

Roland March is BACK ON MURDER...
Houston homicide detective Roland March was once one of the best. Now he's disillusioned, cynical, and on his way out. His superiors farm him out on a variety of punishment details. But when he's the only one at a crime scene to find evidence of a missing female victim, he's given one last chance to prove himself. Before he can crack the case, he's transferred to a new one that has grabbed the spotlight--the disappearance of a famous Houston evangelist's teen daughter.

All he has to do? Find the missing teenage daughter of a Houston evangelist that every cop in town is already looking for. But March has an inside track, a multiple murder nobody else thinks is connected. With the help of a youth pastor with a guilty conscience who navigates the world of church and faith, March is determined to find the missing girls while proving he's still one of Houston's best detectives.

Battling a new partner, an old nemesis, and the demons of his past, getting to the truth could cost March everything. Even his life.


If you would like to read the first chapter of Back On Murder, go HERE.


MY THOUGHTS:
Buckle your seatbelt! This is a fantastic book. I was gripped by the struggles of Roland March as he endeavored to overcome some past mistakes and heartaches. The busy pace of the police department was fascinating. And since it was set in Houston, there were many streets and landmarks I am personally familiar with. I practically expect to see these officers out and about the next time I go to Houston! Though his heart is deeply scarred and his profession and experiences have made him a bit cynical toward Christianity, I can see God beginning to work in his life, and I'm glad this is just the beginning of a series focused on him. I look forward to the next book!

My fellow book reviewer and bloggy friend, Kim at Window to My World, posted a wonderful interview with Mark Bertrand earlier this month, which you can read here.