A wife murdered.
A killer at large.
A man of God with a painful secret.

When Tom Greer’s wife Joan was murdered and her killer never caught, he left Myerton determined to leave the painful memories behind. Ten years later, now-Father Tom Greer returns as the temporary pastor of Saint Clare’s Parish in Myerton–where he married and mourned his wife. Assigned there for four months, Father Tom’s only desire is to serve God’s people quietly then leave again. He has no desire to revisit the past.

But the past won’t leave Father Tom alone…

Secrets uncovered and a mysterious encounter in the confessional forces Father Tom to confront painful truths about Joan and her murder. When a police detective–a woman from Father Tom’s own past–refuses to reopen the case, he decides to take matters into his own hands.

It turns out to be a fateful decision, for Father Tom has secrets of his own…

Fans of Father Brown and PBS’s Masterpiece series Grantchester will love this first book in a new mystery series featuring Father Tom Greer.

Targeted Age Group:: 18+

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
I got the core idea for the book about 2 years ago. I fell in love with the concept, and I kept toying with it but did not sit down to write. Then, a cancer diagnosis in 2018 helped me realize that if I was going to become a writer, I needed to write. After my cancer went into remission, I sat down in August 2019 and began the first draft of what became The Penitent Priest.

[Read more…] about The Penitent Priest by J. R. Mathis