Monday, March 30, 2020

The Priest Review


Series:  Original Series #9
Publisher:  8th Circle Press
Release Date:  April 20, 2020
Updated Release Date: Mar. 19, 2020
Purchase Link:  Amazon

My Rating:  5 Tortured Hearts


*Many thanks to the publisher for an arc of this book.


Synopsis:
New Orleans, four months after the events of THE QUEEN...

Søren has been suspended from the Jesuits for a minimum of one year after confessing to fathering a child. To say he's struggling with his newfound freedom is an understatement.

Kingsley is about to be a father again and is convinced something very bad is about to happen. Nerves? Or is he right that the time has come for the Sinners to pay for their sins?

And if things couldn't get worse, a handsome private detective shows up and tells Mistress Nora that a priest has just committed suicide, and she was the last person he tried to call. He would like to know why...

She doesn't know, but Nora and her new detective friend will turn over the city to find out, meeting liars, vampires, and witches along the way. When she finds what she's looking for, she may wish she'd never stepped foot in New Orleans.

Review:
It's never safe to assume anything when reading a Tiffany Reisz book.  Don't assume you know where the twisted story will lead.  Don't assume your favorite characters will survive unscathed.  Don't assume the story will leave your heart and soul intact - it won't.  What you can assume (in fact you can take it to the bank) is that once you open the cover and step inside a Reisz book, you'll lose all sense of time and obligation until you read the final page.  This author's uncanny ability to take readers and characters on a twisted, tortuous, emotional journey is truly amazing.  With the flip of her wrist, Reisz casts a magical spell over everyone.  

As The Priest begins
, an investigation is opening into the death of a priest . . . one who tried to call Mistress Nora minutes before committing the ultimate sin.  She hasn't a clue who he is so why did he reach out to her before killing himself?  Intrigued and more than a little spooked, Nora is determined to solve the mystery in spite of the attention and risks it brings to everything and everyone she loves.  Including Soren.  To say this book touched and shook me to the core is an  understatement.  There's a lot I'd like to talk about, but I won't reveal spoilers. If you're a fan of the Original Sinners, you'll understand when you read The Priest.  If you haven't read the series, all I can say is begin with book one and prepare to have your mind blown.  Although the author does an excellent job of including background info, it'll be your loss if you skip reading previous books.  

As always, Reisz delves deep into the main characters psyche and is comfortable stretching boundaries, going places others would never dare.  Her writing is mesmerizing - it lures you in, holding you in a trance-like state until you lose yourself in the story with these characters.  Keeping a watchful eye out as they attempt to justify and balance their desires and needs against the consequences.  I felt Nora's pain as the horrific truth of this case hit a little too close to home, forcing her to take a hard look at her life and think about what and who brought her to this place at this time.  Did she choose her path or was it chosen for her?  Was it her destiny or fate?  Soren isn't the only one with a hard decision to make.  Nora's decision has the power to unravel and destroy the lives of  those she loves most.

The Priest is another brilliantly rendered saga in the Original Sinners world.  Reisz has delivered a tale of love, passion, truth, heartache, and forgiveness as the day of reckoning is nigh for some of our favorite characters.  I love that the characters and story have opened a new chapter by moving to New Orleans.  The author captures the spooky, illusive, other-worldly atmosphere of the city and people, expertly weaving it into the plot line, adding depth to this mysterious suspense story while driving it forward at a fast pace. Reisz introduces some new players in The Priest that I would love to see more of including Cyrus, Nora's new friend and fellow sleuth.  And as always, I loved every painful moment with my favorite characters from previous books.  Some serious revelations unfold in this one, especially between Soren and Nora.  I don't mind admitting I held my breath through the last third or so of the book, offering up a prayer or two to please make things work out as I wanted.  I won't reveal if my prayers were answered or not, but will just say my heart is still beating a little too fast, my soul is a bit bruised, and I still have chill bumps on my arms even though I finished this one last night.  As always, Tiffany Reisz entertained me while torturing and manipulating my heart.  The Priest is intimate, erotic, sometimes humorous, always emotional - with a shot of deceit and honesty all rolled into one fantastic addition to the OS series.  Remember - don't assume anything . . . just hold on to the remote possibility you'll survive this journey heart intact.  As for my recovery, the jury's still out.  Highly Recommended!

My Rating:  5 Tortured Hearts
Cross My Heart . . . xxx
Sandra



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