The Saints of God Murders [Paperback]

Charles Meyer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1995

Taking over an Episcopalian church in Austin, ex-prison chaplain Reverend Lucas Holt personally oversees the rehabilitated ex-cons of his new parish, until a serial killer begins plaguing the community.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (July 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425148696
• ISBN-13: 978-0425148693
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,658,499 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars DEATH BY THE HYMNAL, February 12, 2002

By 

Plume45 "kitka12345" (Westchester, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Saints of God Murders (Paperback)

Someone in Rev. Lucas Holt's rundown, Austin, Texas parish has chosen to ensure God's vengeance by dispensing his own Brand of Justice--don't groan: this book is filled with titillating puns.
But this serial killer has selected his victims based on the words of a Hymn--daring the police to catch him, for he leaves garish clues at each crimescene. Holt, an attractive middle-aged Episcopalian priest, was assigned to the down-in-the-chalice church of St. Margaret's; his sadistic bishop relishes the church's demise and that of its unconventional shepherd as well. Does the Bishop also realize that Holt exudes sex appeal to a variety of women: his church secretary, hookers, an aspiring female politician and not the least, a lady from his own past--tough police Lieutenant Granger.

But if Holt lacks divine guidance in this series of vicious murders, he is aided and abetted in his unorthodox investigation by the God Sqad--so dubbed by the exasperated and disgusted APD. This former

prison chaplain has earned the devotion of loyal excons, who naturally gravitate to Austin as soon as they are Out. Their street contacts and special "skills" prove invaluable to the Rev, while infuriating the official constabulary. Struggling to adapt to a high tech world, Holt has no problems in the Charm department, though he remains aloof from long-term commitment.
He devotes all his mental energies to save his parish, even though he originallh accepted the position with reluctance. He and his church both deserve a second chance.

Meyer's style involves switching scenes to present readers with unnamed characters, whom we sometimes misidentify. He must smrik at our justifiable confusion; not content with exploiting our ignorance by leading us on false trails, he falsifies the right ones. True, most of his victims are no loss to decent Society, but when did God delegate one person to act as his personal executioner? The denouement itself provides a twist in style; unlike the typical mystery where the clever detective assembles all the suspects in one room, to dazzle them with his deduction, concluding with a stunning revelation of the killer, Meyer has his murderer gather all the detectives together, to explain his rationale--proving who is in control all along, until the explosive ending. Himself a priest, the author has endowed his long-suffering but oversexed protagonist with great intuitive sleuthing abilities. One wonders if Holt the Hunk is his literary alter ego.

1.0 out of 5 stars An interesting life for a priest, April 13, 2007

By 

Anne Haehl "Catlover" (Lawrence, KS United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Saints of God Murders (Paperback)

Fr. Lucas Holt is a priest who never prays, never studies his Bible, and seems quite lacking in conscience. (He would like to help the poor of his parish, but the only motivation mentioned is that such projects will irritate the bishop.) He lies, steal, has--as mentioned--a highly active sex life--but also uses his former inmate "God squad" with no regard for the risk to their freedom or attempts to live a straight life. While it mentions counseling, wedding preparations etc.--and we even see him write a single sermon--the duties of his parish certainly don't keep him from playing detective the majority of the time. (While not all priests I know are holy, they are surely all BUSY.)

Also, no one expects the details of a procedural in this kind of work, but surely his police girl friend (as opposed to his other girl friends)would no longer be on the force if she participated in a tenth this nonsense.