James Hartman – författare

Dr. Leslie Wilson, Major Nicole Brooks and Rev. Roxanne Clement have been through crises before. They’ve tracked a serial killer. They’ve lost friends and colleagues to violence. They’ve maintained their faith. Now a new killer is stalking their community, and the clues are confounding. A Jewish Temple is bombed. Two houses are destroyed. The bodies are piling up, and it’s harder than ever to determine what defines and drives the killer. With a case that defies logic, the women face multiple bodies, a mysterious missing person report, and a 30-year-old cold case. A diverse team of investigators probes the details and the clues, following the path wherever it leads – to an explosive collision of secrecy, conspiracy, and murder. The mystery, and the answers, lie deep within the ash.

When three bodies turn up in only three weeks – all on Sundaymornings – it becomes clear a serial killer is at work. With half thepolice force out sick and the sheriff mysteriously absent, it falls toa handful of investigators to solve the case as the killer claims morevictims and the violence hits close to home. As the murderer’s motivebecomes clearer, so does the secret the victims all had in common. Agroup of detectives, patrol cops, death inspectors, reporters and even apastor form a haphazard team to find out what’s driving the killer andtrack down the monster as the death toll continues to mount.Examining sin and redemption, touching on LGBT issues, exploringthe breadth of modern Christianity and offering a subtle critique ofsuburban isolation, The Cleansing is a page-turning thriller of suspense,violence and mystery, with a fast-paced style that will appeal to fans ofpolice fiction, LGBT readers, and those willing to experience the darkerside of suburban life.

When a faceless body is found in a car at a remote boat launch, investigators are faced with parallel mysteries: Who is he? Who killed him? And why can’t they find out who owns the car? Major Nicole Brooks juggles surprising conflicts of interest to conduct an already-difficult investigation in what could be the most confounding of her career. As detectives chase clues, Dr. Leslie Wilson’s autopsy finds even more mysteries on the dead man’s skin. But are the strange markings mere curiosities, or vital clues? Margaret Karikas leads a group of journalists and a young intern to pursue the news, sending her own team into more danger. Two mysterious buildings a few miles from the crime scene hide the clues, but are they also hiding the killer? They are determined to find what lies behind the walls. A strange visitor at Rev. Roxanne Clement’s church may be the key, but even what Roxanne knows won’t break the barriers of silence or completely unveil the complexity of secret, sacred oaths.