Customer Reviews

Bleeder: A Mystery

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just finished reading John Desjarlais' fascinating work of fiction, Bleeder. From the initial pages of the book through it's great conclusion, this novel was action packed and quite thought provoking. The main character, Reed Stubblefield, finds himself in a small town looking to heal from his physical and emotional wounds. He strikes up a begrudging friendship with Father Ray, a priest who is widely believed to be a stigmatic and a miracle healer. When Father Ray dies suddenly during the Good Friday service, Reed finds himself accused of the murder of this beloved priest.

This book is incredibly well written, and enhanced by the inclusion of quotations and teachings of Aristotle - these fit into the story since Reed is a professor, on sabbatical, looking to write about Aristotle. The novel's Catholic setting is never heavy handed or preachy, but rather contributes to the richness of the story told and the mystery that unfolds. Reed, a skeptic who finds himself surrounded by believers, must question some of his long held beliefs and philosophies.

I loved Bleeder and raced to the end to learn "whodunnit". At this point, I will likely go back and reread the book again to enjoy Mr. Desjarlais' stunning writing and the intricacy with which he creates and shares the lives of his characters.

Strongly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great mystery!

Reed Stubblefield--a college professor on sabatical--is a wounded man...both physically by a student's random shot and emotionally by his wife's recent death. He retreats to his brother's remote cabin in the small town of River Falls, Ill. in hopes of writing a book on Aristotle. It's the middle of March and Reed expects the campsite to be empty; but he's both disappointed and aggravated when he finds that the campsite and town are overflowing with throngs of believers--sick pilgrims seeking a cure from "the stigmatist" priest. Not only that, but Reed suspects that his brother deliberately set him up for an encounter with "Fr. Ray" in the hopes that it would lead to his physical and spiritual healing.

Reed's skepticism and Aristotelian logic are an offset to the sometimes blind devotion of the believers. His natural curiosity and desire to find logical explanations are what leads him into becoming more embroiled in the frenzy going on around him. But when Fr. Ray dies suddenly in the middle of a church service, Reed's skepticism and unique physical ailments place him in the position of being a prime suspect in the priest's murder. Now he must rely on his intellect and training to find the real killer.

BLEEDER was an exciting read from the first page to its satisfying resolution. I found myself turning the pages quickly to see what would happen next. The story builds in a crescendo like a symphony--beginning with the muted strings of questions unanswered to the crashing cymbals of its exciting conclusion. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

This is a wonderfully crafted mystery with several unexpected plot twists just when you think you've got things all figured out. The characters are engaging, to the point where I wanted the story to continue after I got to the end of the book. The language used is beautifully descriptive and it's not at all gory as you might expect from the title. Being from a small town in Northern Illinois and teaching at a community college, I also appreciated the references to local geographical features as well as academic life. The first part does a very nice job setting the stage for the mystery; once the main event occurred, I was hooked into the mystery and had a hard time putting it down. I recommend it highly.

Reed Stubblefield's experienced a couple of serious traumas, both emotional and physical. Seeking a quiet place to write and reflect, he moves into his brother's cabin in the early spring, and develops tentative friendships with some of the locals. Any illusions of peaceful solitude are shattered, however, when the local priest dies in the Good Friday service. Stubblefield finds himself a suspect in the puzzling death and needs to uncover the real killer.

Bleeder: A Mystery is medical conundrum, a puzzling whodunit, and an exploration of the mysteries of faith and love. I didn't want to stop reading it and finished it in a couple of long reading sessions. Highly recommended!

There are many reviews of this book, and they all either summarize the general story or elaborate on how wonderful the novel is. While I won't provide any additional summary, I will say that this book is well-crafted and purposeful in its direction. As a reader, I never felt betrayed or one-upped by the unraveling mystery; as such, it's an engaging and personable novel. As well, although it is a Christian-themed novel, I never felt it being didactic or preachy in any manner--it's a great mystery for all.

I'm looking forward to the next installment in the series!

I just finished this book, and if you read this book you will learn on many levels! You will be entertained and educated, which in my opinion is the best way to be entertained. I love mysteries and this book is not to be excluded. Very well done, fast read!! Waiting for the next one. Bravo!!!

Reed Stubblefield is on his way to his brother's cabin in a small Illinois town. He needs time to recuperate from a debilitating injury, he is traumatized by his wife's recent death, and he is writing a book. A little peace and quiet are just what the doctor ordered, right?

Wrong.

Of course, Reed is plunged almost immediately into local controversies. Is the local priest a stigmatic? Can he heal with a touch? Why does a disconnected phone ring? And who is on the other end? Is the local Hispanic community up to no good? When the priest is murdered and Reed is the prime suspect, he must look for answers to these questions and more to find the real murderer.

Bleeder by John J. Desjarlais grabbed me by the throat and I read it in two days.

I liked Reed's skepticism about healing powers and his ambivalence toward religion in general. I also liked his conversations with priests, especially Monsignor DeMarco, who proved reasonable and understanding of Reed's opinions, but who still explained and defended the Catholic faith ... without being defensive.

I liked the way that the varying viewpoints were shown about the recently swelling illegal Hispanic population. Not everyone had a good point, but they all had a point to make. Just as in real life, where sometimes you can't argue with the local bigot down the road as much as you would like to because ... darn it ... there is a kernel of truth at the bottom of their reasoning.

I liked the way that the author skillfully would segue from one scene to another, often via dreams, and leave me thinking we were heading in one direction only to have me realize I was completely wrong a few sentences later.

I like the way that not every single thing was explained at the end, leaving readers free to their own thoughts about cause and effect. I also enjoyed the philosophical conversations that would come up, not lasting too long, but long enough to draw me in and give me something to think about.

I especially liked the way that Aristotle chimed in whenever conversation ran along lines which made Reed's mind turn to him. Author John Desjarlais' paraphrases showed me just how many things Aristotle can be applied to and I came to look forward to the little insertions of commentary.

In short, I liked this book. A lot.

I didn't guess the murderer but I rarely do so that was not a surprise. I did have one big overriding question through most of the book. The resolution to that question turned out to be the key to the murderer as well, although I didn't see it until it was explained to me. I did guess a few things but they were nothing which mattered much in the end.

John J. Desjarlais not only has a deft touch with mystery construction and story, but has a distinct gift for sketching characters. We know who we like and dislike, and find that the author often has reasons for those characteristics which affect us one way or the other, without being obvious in his methods.

John Desjarlais caught my attention from the begining of the book. I love a good mystery, and I love a well-written book. "Bleeder" was both. The author brought the characters to life with his words, so that the reader could empathize with them. He kept me guessing until the end. Great book!

Bleeder: A Mystery by John Desjarlais is an incredibly well-written book. This wonderfully crafted mystery immerses you immediately into the life of Reed Stubblefield, a professor on sabbatical, and the victim of a shooting, who is seeking physical and emotional healing; however, when the beloved priest of a small town is murdered, Reed's life hangs by a thread as he finds himself the prime suspect.

The book is not disgustingly gory, as I would expect from the title. Instead it is a well-written, engaging, and thought-provoking mystery with several unexpected plot twists. Also, the Catholic setting is not preachy or forced, but contributing to the setting, story and mystery. The inclusion of several quotes from Aristotle only enhances the writing.

This is a book you won't want to put down. An excellent climax - wow!

NOTE: When I purchased there wasn't any description listed for the Kindle, so I will post it here:

When classics professor Reed Stubblefield is disabled in a school shooting, he retreats to a rural Illinois cabin to recover and to write a book on Aristotle in peace. Oddly, in the chill of early March, the campgrounds and motels of tiny River Falls are filled with the ill and infirm -- all seeking the healing touch of the town's new parish priest, reputed to be a stigmatic. Skeptical about religion since his wife's death from leukemia, Reed is nevertheless drawn into a friendship with the cleric, Rev. Ray Boudreau, an amiable Aquinas scholar with a fine library -- who collapses and bleeds to death on Good Friday in front of horrified parishioners. A miracle? Or bloody murder? Once Reed becomes the prime 'person of interest' in the mysterious death, he seeks the truth with the help of an attractive local reporter and Aristotle's logic before he is arrested or killed -- because not everyone in town wants this mystery solved...

Professor Reed Stubblefield has had a rough go of things lately. His beloved wife, Peggy, succumbed to leukemia, and a short time after that, he was shot in the hip when he stepped into a student spat. Not fully recovered--physically or emotionally--Stubblefield takes a sabbatical to his brother's cabin in rural Illinois to spend quality time with his one remaining love: Aristotle. But his quiet retreat takes a strange turn when the good professor finds the camper park loaded with tourists out of season. The attraction? A modern day stigmatic priest who is said to possess the gift of healing.

With the vampire fad cycle at another peak, you might think that a book with a title like Bleeder would be just another tedious take on that genre. Well, if you thought that, you would be wrong.

Bleeder is a cleverly written old-fashioned murder mystery with a distinctly Catholic flair. I must say up-front that I do not usually seek out mysteries to read. But in the case of Bleeder, I am glad that I did. John Desjarlais is one of those rare writers who possesses the talent to conceive a good story, the skill to tell it artfully, and the knowledge to make it a fascinating read. Bleeder is undeniably engaging--so engaging that I blew through it in a couple days. The characters are realistic and sympathetic. The plotting is fast-paced and coherent. I especially appreciated the author's liberal and appropriate use of quotes from Aristotle and his obvious knowledge of the more mystical aspects of Catholicism.

In true mystery style, Bleeder keeps you guessing. Though I was able to figure out who did it before the jig was up, it was definitely fun getting there. I think Mr. Desjarlais was at a disadvantage in my case because, as a like-minded Catholic, I was able to eliminate possible suspects based on character types he would never tag as he culprit. Even so, the ending was a surprise and I enjoyed the understated bit of romance--just enough so that the average man won't break out into a rash.

Bleeder gets five stars. Very highly recommended. I'll be looking forward to reviewing his next book, Viper, when it is published. In the mean time, I'll have to get hold of Relics. Count me as a fan.