NOT a Dan Brown Novel

After reading "Bleeder" by John Desjarlais, I have good news and bad news: It's not a Dan Brown novel. At first, I expected that this counted as bad news against "Bleeder"--Dan Brown's suspense-filled blockbuster novels are hard to match for believable characters, thrilling plots, and fascinating setting details. But, of course, they're also filled with horrible prejudice and offensive misinformation about the Church.

"Bleeder", on the other hand, has lots of great Catholic stuff in it. The story is centered around a stigmatic parish priest who dies at the altar on Good Friday. The protagonist--Reed Stubblefield, a classics professor who is recovering from personal tragedy--finds himself accused of murdering the priest. In the process of discovering the truth of what happened, Stubblefield is forced to face his own questions about his faith, which makes for a fascinating and fun read.

What I didn't love about "Bleeder" was it's title, which I found a bit creepy, and some of the details and descriptions of the protagonist's background and feelings, which came across as a bit corny at times. These small negatives were far outweighed by the fun mystery and seamless integration of Catholic themes into the absorbing plot. I enjoyed reading the description of local details, as the story takes place in my own backyard (sort of). And I never would have guessed "whodunnit"!

Overall, I'd really recommend "Bleeder." It's fun. I very much look forward to reading more books by Mr. Desjarlais. If only more books like "Bleeder" could replace those "DaVinci Codes" on the best-seller lists!

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Bleeder and check out their great selection of Advent and Christmas items while you are there, as well as their terrific baptism gifts.


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