Kathy Reviews: Confessions by Ryne Douglas Pearson

ISBN #: 978-0615458120

Page Count: 230

Copyright: 2011

Publisher: Schmuck & Underwood

Book Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

Three bullets. Two killers. A life taken.

Five years after his sister, Katie, was murdered, Father Michael Jerome has moved on with his life, but has never forgotten that terrible time. Has never stopped wondering who killed her.

And why.

When a dying criminal's confession points Michael toward answers to these questions, he embarks on a journey of discovery that leads him to Christine Wheeler, a friend of his sister's past who expresses doubts about the circumstances of Katie's murder. Doubts that force Michael down a path where revelations shatter a lifetime of illusions held about those closest to him, and uncover a web of deceit crafted to keep a dark truth from ever being known.

But every secret he uncovers, every lie he unravels, leads him to realize that someone is desperate for the past to stay buried.

Kathy's Review:

This is a fast-paced thriller that focuses on priest, Michael Jerome, who discovers a clue as to who killed his sister as he is attending the last rites of a criminal. The case had been dropped and had never been resolved, especially after Michael's father, a cop, retired from the force, mainly to care for his wife, who is suffering from Alzheimer's. Michael becomes obsessed with finding out the truth, and gets himself in over his head. Just when you think this story is headed down a cliche path, it completely changes course and delivers a twist you won't see coming - even though I'm telling you it's coming!

A short, 250-page read, this one will keep you guessing and turning the pages. The character of Michael is fairly deep and fleshed out nicely through his own memories and thoughts during the course of the story. The only thing I'm not sure I liked about this book is the many "sins" Michael commits as he is searching for his sister. Perhaps that's the point of the novel to have the priest slowly come unraveled, lie to his friends, family, etc. And then his relationship with his sister's friend, Chris(tine). Their relationship seems to be heading down a romantic path at the end of the novel. It just seems like his vows of priesthood are cast out of the window from the moment he hears the confession of the dying man, Erik.

Confessions could easily be turned into a movie and would probably be a blockbuster. The author, Pearson, does have a few other books that were adapted for the big screen, so this one could be next! If you are a fan of the thriller genre, I highly recommend you check this one out.