None without sin

None without Sin

A murder that rocks a small town as a real estate agent is left for dead in his home. But something about the murder scene is exceptional and odd. Why is there a loaf of bread left with the murder victim? Reverend Candice Miller is called to the home of the family to monitor the grieving wife and daughter when she realizes that there is something significant about the loaf of bread. Sun eaters is what she eventually discovers. Someone that eats the bread to absolve the sins of the dead person. 

Brian Wilder a local newspaper owner wants the scoop on the killing. Robbie 

Reynolds is the victim and when observing the crime scene, the word Cheater is on his forearm: Cheater. The investigation is stressful, and Candice is haunted by this as it’s her first murder . She is there to comfort the wife and help the daughter pack to stay with her grandparents. But there is something odd about the mother and when the investigation gets underway, and we meet Father Andrew Blake things become more complicated and events begin to unfold. 

Information about Robbie and his wife change the direction of many people’s thoughts as the significance of the word Cheater became known. Brian is smart and knows how to get information from many people. 

Brian and his photographer Jessica become part of the investigation and the photos that she captures enlighten him to a similar between Robbie Reynolds murder and a young teen named Denise. Meeting with her mother, they learn about her acting out, and lies. She even had romps with a boy in the back seat of a car. Which explains why he had Cheater on his forearm, and she had LIAR. But when an older woman who helps at the church named Agatha sees Candice what she confesses sets this in a different direction. 

Brian and Jessica are looking into the two murders and with the detective he’s close with might learn some inside information to find the killer. But, when Candice comes home after spending time with the mother of the teen and her daughter, who breaks into her house, threatens her and causes her to fall and hit her head? The police come and a report is filled out but why does she hide that she had a break-in and yet Brian finds out. Deena Cavendish and Robbie Reynolds connection? 

When Agatha confesses to murdering Sam Pyoeng, Candice seeks out the advice of Samantha Blackwell a counselor but when talking with her and walking who would run Samantha down with car? The fear is real, then Candice goes back to St. Matthews and finds Father Blake in a strange position and condition. Was he drunk?
Hoping to learn more about Sam Pyoeng, she contacts Brian Wilder to search for information before looking closer at Agatha and wondering why she would confess to a murder of these years. Did she really kill someone?

Hearing the voices of the many characters you wonder about their reasons for their actions and how Brian manages to hide his past and what happened to his family and why. Candace has her own sins to deal with and what if it comes out? Samantha is  seriously injured what will happen to her business? Lives are fragile and at stake and killer is loose. Added in the relationship that Brian has with the police which is positive and rare. 

As the deaths rise from Robbie to Deena and next Stephanie we learn more about the reasons behind the murders from the clues left on the victims. Then the unthinkable happens and a startling confession is made about a murder that happened in 1952 to Sam Pyeong and who was responsible and why. A revelation that is horrific and a well-respected person unburdened but will it stop there?

When Samantha is brutally beaten the links to all the murders will become clear and the killer has one more in mind, but Candace gets in the way and might pay with her life. A confrontation that is filled with hate, fire and sins to be punished for, cheater- Robbie, Liar -Deena- baby killer – Stephanie and one person linked to them all. Someone playing judge and jury and a final revenge that will shock you to the core. Everyone in this novel has sinned to some extent. Everyone will pay for their sins in sone way. But the ending lets you know there is more to come, and you the reader decide justified, forgive or arrest?

With the photos of the murders, Jessica’s insight and not giving up the ending is a surprise. 

Strong characters and one reporter you want more of as author Michael Bradley teaches many lessons in life and remember as the title says there is None  Without Sin.

Fran Lewis just reviews