Pilate's Cross (John Pilate Mysteries) [Kindle Edition]

J. Alexander Greenwood (Author)

Book Description

Inspired by a true story, Pilate's Cross follows John Pilate, his sardonic imaginary pal Simon and lovely new friend Kate as they investigate the cold case mystery of a murdered college president. In too deep to wash his hands of the mystery, Pilate risks his life to uncover the truth of what happened in 1963 and why it's just as deadly today.

This is the first in the "John Pilate" series. It is the revised, second edition.
Scroll up and click on the "Look Inside" link on the left to get a
sample and see why this mystery thriller series is a fan favorite! The second and third books, Pilate's Key and Pilate's Ghost, are available now in ebook or paperback. 

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Our "hero" John Pilate is an average guy dealing with some above-average troubles: a broken relationship, getting his career back on track and oh yes--clinical depression that manifests itself in the form of a doppelganger only Pilate can see or hear.

This is exacerbated by Pilate's habit of accidentally slipping into trouble, by virtue of his curiosity, big mouth or both. And yes, there are some traits that I share with Pilate, but I'm not telling which ones.

I hope you enjoy the book and will read the sequels, Pilate's Key and Pilate's Ghost.

From the Inside Flap

In the early 1950s, a professor in tiny Peru, Nebraska strode into a college president's office and shot him dead, then killed himself. Though few remember this terrible event, it inspired J. Alexander Greenwood to write the novel Pilate's Cross.

The book cover by David A. Terrill was selected as one of three finalists in the Best Fiction Ebook Cover category of the 2011 Global Ebook Awards.

It was also nominated for a 2011 Global Ebook Award in the Best Mystery/Thriller category and in the Best Fiction Ebook Trailer category. You can view the trailer on Youtube or on the Pilate's Cross homepage.

Pilate's Cross has action, mystery, romance and adventure--all in one suspenseful read. Find out for yourself why washing your hands of murder isn't easy.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 505 KB
• Print Length: 224 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Caroline Street Press; 2 edition (December 13, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005C7UVEQ
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #555,635 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Intruiging September 13, 2011

By Karen

Format:Paperback

This is the story of John Pilate. He is a college professor, teaching at a college in the small midwestern town of Cross, Nebraska. (I live in a small midwestern town, only in Oklahoma....crime stories set in towns like mine freak me out!). Pilate isn't the most popular person in town, by any means, and he is bored....until he stumbles on a murder conspiracy from about 40 years previous (JFK Assassination era). Obviously the county sheriff gets his toes stepped on and is keeping a close eye on him. Eventually they begin working together, and find MORE strange things (I don't want to spoil anything!).

I don't want to say too much because I don't want to spoil the story, should you read it. While stories of this nature absolutely freak me out (and always have), I still love them and can't stop reading them (as in I always look for more, and once I start one, I stay up until I finish the book even if it's 3 am. Sometimes because I am too freaked out to sleep and have to know what is going to happen at the end!).

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining Read November 10, 2012

By Jeannie Walker

Format:Paperback

An unassuming college professor has a problem: he encounters his alter ego whenever he gets off his medication that is prescribed for depression.
Being a Gemini myself, I do believe people born in the Gemini sign have twins. I know my other personality sticks her nose into what I am doing from time to time, but I am not on any medication (maybe I should be?).
Okay, back to the novel: John Pilate has a rough go of it and takes a job at Cross College. He comes across information about a murder that happened at the college. You'll have to read the novel to find out what happens next. It was a good mystery and a good read, just had a few editing errors. The author has a lot of talent and I have no doubt his novels will get better with time. If you by chance have nowhere to go and nothing to do -Pilate's Cross is a four star good read!

Jeannie Walker - Award Winning Author of "Fighting the Devil" - A True Story of Consuming Passion, Deadly Poison, and Murder

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Pilate's Cross: A Total Winner October 31, 2012

By Michelle Stinson Ross

Format:Paperback

John Pilate's life is a total disaster. His wife, Samantha, left him. He's recovering from throat surgery after a cancer scare. Unemployed, broke, and off his anti-depressants, he's desperately in need of a second chance. But second chances aren't what they are cracked up to be when a new job offers the opportunity to start over again. The tiny township of Cross is anything but the sleepy little college town it seems to be. The loose ends of a 40 year old murder/suicide are triggering some strange events. The crypt of a prominent family is desecrated, and the local mortician is beat within an inch of his life. An outsider with no chance of ever fitting in, John Pilate finds himself in deep and will risk his life to uncover the truth in this gripping murder mystery by J. Alexander Greenwood.

For me, Pilate's Cross was a total winner. When I first read it several months ago, I was along for the ride with John Pilate, the title character. I was as in the dark as much as he was. Greenwood kept me guessing until the very end. I picked it up a second time to review and was thrilled all over again. Greenwood weaves a depth of detail throughout the book that can only be caught on a second reading once you know what's really going on. Full of humor and oh-so-quotable quips, it's a no-brainer purchase.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and Quick Read August 7, 2012

By Mtwillo

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I found Pilate's cross to be an entertaining, interesting, and a very quick read. I am looking forward to reading Pilate's Key.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent July 27, 2012

By jeangleason

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I was not sure what to expect when I started reading this book but was intrigued by the title and plot. As it turns out, I really enjoyed the mix of mystery and wit and could not wait to read the second book in the series. If you have not check them out, I highly recommend them!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars May I introduce you to John...John Pilate May 2, 2012

By Prairie Girl

Format:Paperback

I love quirky John Pilate. He just can't seem to stay out of trouble and his inner voice, Simon is a hoot with his "oh, behave" attitude (NOT!). The first in a series of mystery thrillers that is sprinkled with true crime references and family history, I enjoyed this introduction to Alex's storytelling and John Pilate's manliness and devil-may-care attitude.

If you want to get in on the ground floor and really get to know a character, Pilate's Cross is the way to go. It would be great for bookclubs, too!

See you in The Keys, John Pilate!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Quirky characters meet a great plot April 26, 2012

By LisaFD

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I downloaded Pilates Cross, after a friend recommended it- It was a great airplane read-a fast-paced plot, decidedly quirky characters, which are my favorite kind, and colorful descriptions that put the reader in the middle of of the frozen Midwest during the gray days of winter and early Spring- Greenwood has obviously lived in that part of the country!

This story is a fast read, that leaves the reader wondering what other adventures will befall John Pilate and his not- quite-real sidekick Simon- is Simon a hallucination? A ghostly help-mate? Or, as Greenwood describes, a vision born of skipping necessary medication? You hope this isn't the end of John's story-- He naturally attracts calamity and adventure - so I anticipate another tightly - crafted story starring John Pilate-

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Mystery! March 21, 2012

By Monique

Format:Paperback

This book will entertain you as well as keep you guessing until the very end! You will get attached to the characters and will not want to waste any time getting the next book in the series, Pilate's Key. Cheers and well done to J. Alexander Greenwood!

More About the Author

J. Alexander Greenwood is author of the award-nominated John Pilate Mystery Series; including "Pilate's Cross," "Pilate's Key" and "Pilate's Ghost."

Nominated for a 2011 Global Ebook Award, "Pilate's Cross" follows newly transplanted college instructor John Pilate, his sardonic imaginary pal Simon and new friend Kate as they investigate the unsolved mystery of a murdered president of Cross College. In too deep to wash his hands of the mystery, he risks his life to get to the truth of what really happened in 1963 and why it's just as deadly more than 40 years later.

The sequel, "Pilate's Key," was published January 2012. The book garnered positive reviews and was named a Kindle Book Award Semi-Finalist for Best Mystery/Thriller.

"Pilate's Key" follows John Pilate to the sands of Key West, Florida. On the mend from a near-death experience in the snowy Midwest, John Pilate is taking it easy on the sun-soaked beaches of Key West. Umbrella drink in hand, Pilate is writing a book and getting some much-needed therapy to deal with his imaginary friend Simon. He's also pondering the future with his new love, Kate. Life is looking up for John Pilate...until he is drawn into a world of murder, pirates, conch fritters and smart aleck remarks from invisible men.

One reviewer stated that "The book has an even better cast of characters than Greenwood's last book, 'Pilate's Cross.' Besides all the women mentioned above, Pilate befriends a quirky, local character, Taters, who joins up on his exploits. Taters adds humor and a nice balance to Pilate's neurotic charm. Of course, Simon (the voice in Pilate's head) continues to have a starring role in this book."

A third book in the series, "Pilate's Ghost," was released on Halloween 2012.

From the book jacket:

When a shadowy enemy seemingly rises from the dead, and the heavy hand of a guilty past begins weighing on his marriage, John Pilate must master his own fear and marshal all his resources to defend his family and his life. But he discovers that he isn't the only one fighting a desperate battle, and that not all of the ghosts from his past are hostile...

Greenwood won the 2011 Shelf Unbound Short Story competition for my short story "Obsidian" (available exclusively on Amazon.com).

"Greenwood offers a fresh take on the mystery thriller with his John Pilate Series. His novels are populated with flawed and neurotic--yet instantly-likable--characters who find themselves thrown into maddeningly entertaining situations. Greenwood writes fun, accessible fiction that leaves readers asking for more."

- Jason McIntyre, author of On The Gathering Storm and Thalo Blue
www.TheFarthestReaches.com

He also wrote the nonfiction bestseller, "Kickstarter Success Secrets."

For more information and for book club discounts and appearances, email Greenwood at author (at) pilatescross.com.