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John Jordan Mystery #3
The Body and the Blood
It’s known as the Protective Management Unit. It’s a closed society within a closed society, housing Florida state inmates who wouldn’t survive in open population at Potter Correctional Institution. In it, John Jordan witnesses the most baffling crime of his career—a seemingly impossible murder he would swear could not have happened had he not seen it with his own eyes.
John has come to the PM unit because of a note he received announcing a murder would take place during the Catholic Mass. As he observes the priest offering up the body and the blood, an inmate enters the unit, walks over to his cell, and is locked inside alone. A little while later, John notices a pool of blood spreading out from beneath the cell door. The inmate is dead, his body and his blood separated from one another.
The inmate, a talented artist and quite possibly an innocent man, was sensitive and kind, just a few short days from parole. Who would want to kill him and why? Before John can answer these questions, he’s got to figure out how he was killed.
Suspects abound, including the Catholic Priest conducting the mass, the two PM officers, the victim’s sister, who visited him just prior to his death—something she hadn’t done in four years—and a handful of inmates, one of whom was the victim’s lover.
As the investigation proceeds, John uncovers crime after crime, and an openly racists family with plenty they aren’t open about. After taking a closer look at them, John’s best friend, Merrill Monroe, disappears.
Attempting to balance his fragile reconciliation with his ex-wife and the high-stakes investigation, John is soon overwhelmed and wonders if the life he’s hoped for is even possible. Just when he think’s he can’t take anymore, a second disappearance brings with it the demand for a dangerous prison break and a daring exchange. When John finally figures out how the crime was committed and who’s behind it, an exciting climax follows that reveals the shocking solution, sees someone close to John shot, and carries for John the ultimate personal price—one he’s not sure he can pay.
John has come to the PM unit because of a note he received announcing a murder would take place during the Catholic Mass. As he observes the priest offering up the body and the blood, an inmate enters the unit, walks over to his cell, and is locked inside alone. A little while later, John notices a pool of blood spreading out from beneath the cell door. The inmate is dead, his body and his blood separated from one another.
The inmate, a talented artist and quite possibly an innocent man, was sensitive and kind, just a few short days from parole. Who would want to kill him and why? Before John can answer these questions, he’s got to figure out how he was killed.
Suspects abound, including the Catholic Priest conducting the mass, the two PM officers, the victim’s sister, who visited him just prior to his death—something she hadn’t done in four years—and a handful of inmates, one of whom was the victim’s lover.
As the investigation proceeds, John uncovers crime after crime, and an openly racists family with plenty they aren’t open about. After taking a closer look at them, John’s best friend, Merrill Monroe, disappears.
Attempting to balance his fragile reconciliation with his ex-wife and the high-stakes investigation, John is soon overwhelmed and wonders if the life he’s hoped for is even possible. Just when he think’s he can’t take anymore, a second disappearance brings with it the demand for a dangerous prison break and a daring exchange. When John finally figures out how the crime was committed and who’s behind it, an exciting climax follows that reveals the shocking solution, sees someone close to John shot, and carries for John the ultimate personal price—one he’s not sure he can pay.
264 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 25, 2005
145 people are currently reading
585 people want to read
About the author
Michael Lister
185 books234 followersNew York Times bestselling and award-winning novelist Michael Lister is a native Floridian best known for his literary suspense thrillers as well as his two ongoing mystery series, the prison chaplain John Jordan "Blood" series and the hard-boiled, 1940s noir Jimmy "Soldier" Riley Series, and the post-apocalypic suspense thriller Cataclysmos.
Visit www.michaellister.com for more information, or follow his youtube channel - Writing and Life at https://www.youtube.com/user/MichaelL...
The Florida Book Review says that "Vintage Michael Lister is poetic prose, exquisitely set scenes, characters who are damaged and faulty" and Michael Koryta says, “If you like crime writing with depth, suspense, and sterling prose, you should be reading Michael Lister," while Publisher's Weekly adds, “Lister’s hard-edged prose ranks with the best of contemporary noir fiction.”
Michael grew up in North Florida near the Gulf of Mexico and the Apalachicola River in a small town world famous for tupelo honey.
Truly a regional writer, North Florida is his beat.
Captivated by story since childhood, Michael has a love for language and narrative inspired by the Southern storytelling tradition that captured his imagination and became such a source of meaning and inspiration. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in theology with an emphasis on myth and narrative.
In the early 90s, Michael became the youngest chaplain within the Florida Department of Corrections. For nearly a decade, he served as a contract, staff, then senior chaplain at three different facilities in the Panhandle of Florida—a unique experience that led to his first novel, 1997’s critically acclaimed, POWER IN THE BLOOD. It was the first in a series of popular and celebrated novels featuring ex-cop turned prison chaplain, John Jordan. Subsequent books in the series include BLOOD OF THE LAMB, FLESH AND BLOOD, THE BODY AND THE BLOOD, BLOOD SACRIFICE, and RIVERS TO BLOOD, and each takes readers through the electronically locked gates of the chain-link fences, beneath the looping razor wire glinting in the sun, and into the strange world of Potter Correctional Institution, Florida’s toughest maximum security prison. Of the John Jordan series, Michael Connelly says “Michael Lister may be the author of the most unique series running in mystery fiction. It crackles with tension and authenticity,” while Julia Spencer-Fleming adds “Michael Lister writes one of the most ambitious and unusual crime fiction series going. See what crime fiction is capable of.”
Michael also writes historical hard-boiled thrillers, such as THE BIG GOODBYE, THE BIG BEYOND, and THE BIG HELLO featuring Jimmy "Soldier" Riley, a PI in Panama City during World War II. Ace Atkins calls the "Soldier" series "tough and violent with snappy dialogue and great atmosphere . . . a suspenseful, romantic and historic ride."
Michael Lister won his first Florida Book Award for his literary novel, DOUBLE EXPOSURE, a book, according to the Panama City News Herald, that “is lyrical and literary, written in a sparse but evocative prose reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy.” It is a contemplation of life and death, art and meaning, set deep in the swamps of the Apalachicola River, a thriller about a wildlife photographer whose camera traps capture a crime, that shows the beauty and danger of the Panhandle paradise.
His second Florida Book Award was for his fifth John Jordan novel BLOOD SACRIFICE.
Visit www.michaellister.com for more information, or follow his youtube channel - Writing and Life at https://www.youtube.com/user/MichaelL...
The Florida Book Review says that "Vintage Michael Lister is poetic prose, exquisitely set scenes, characters who are damaged and faulty" and Michael Koryta says, “If you like crime writing with depth, suspense, and sterling prose, you should be reading Michael Lister," while Publisher's Weekly adds, “Lister’s hard-edged prose ranks with the best of contemporary noir fiction.”
Michael grew up in North Florida near the Gulf of Mexico and the Apalachicola River in a small town world famous for tupelo honey.
Truly a regional writer, North Florida is his beat.
Captivated by story since childhood, Michael has a love for language and narrative inspired by the Southern storytelling tradition that captured his imagination and became such a source of meaning and inspiration. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in theology with an emphasis on myth and narrative.
In the early 90s, Michael became the youngest chaplain within the Florida Department of Corrections. For nearly a decade, he served as a contract, staff, then senior chaplain at three different facilities in the Panhandle of Florida—a unique experience that led to his first novel, 1997’s critically acclaimed, POWER IN THE BLOOD. It was the first in a series of popular and celebrated novels featuring ex-cop turned prison chaplain, John Jordan. Subsequent books in the series include BLOOD OF THE LAMB, FLESH AND BLOOD, THE BODY AND THE BLOOD, BLOOD SACRIFICE, and RIVERS TO BLOOD, and each takes readers through the electronically locked gates of the chain-link fences, beneath the looping razor wire glinting in the sun, and into the strange world of Potter Correctional Institution, Florida’s toughest maximum security prison. Of the John Jordan series, Michael Connelly says “Michael Lister may be the author of the most unique series running in mystery fiction. It crackles with tension and authenticity,” while Julia Spencer-Fleming adds “Michael Lister writes one of the most ambitious and unusual crime fiction series going. See what crime fiction is capable of.”
Michael also writes historical hard-boiled thrillers, such as THE BIG GOODBYE, THE BIG BEYOND, and THE BIG HELLO featuring Jimmy "Soldier" Riley, a PI in Panama City during World War II. Ace Atkins calls the "Soldier" series "tough and violent with snappy dialogue and great atmosphere . . . a suspenseful, romantic and historic ride."
Michael Lister won his first Florida Book Award for his literary novel, DOUBLE EXPOSURE, a book, according to the Panama City News Herald, that “is lyrical and literary, written in a sparse but evocative prose reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy.” It is a contemplation of life and death, art and meaning, set deep in the swamps of the Apalachicola River, a thriller about a wildlife photographer whose camera traps capture a crime, that shows the beauty and danger of the Panhandle paradise.
His second Florida Book Award was for his fifth John Jordan novel BLOOD SACRIFICE.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
June 17, 2014
After I read Blood Sacrifice, which is No. 5 in the series featuring North Florida prison chaplain and former cop John Jordan, I loved it so much I knew I wouldn't stop until I'd read others - even if it meant reading them out of order. If my experience with that one taught me nothing else (except what a terrific writer Michael Lister is), it's that these books can stand alone (read my review of that one at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...).
Since I'm always looking for bargains, I didn't rush out to buy another one, though, and as it turns out I'm glad. Not long after I finished Blood Sacrifice, I was notified of a credit to my Amazon account as a result of a class-action settlement regarding Kindle book pricing, and I was able to snag two more of the series including this one. It's No. 4, and I had zero problem with reading it even though I'd already read the one that follows.
And happily, it didn't disappoint. This one takes place in the Potter Correctional Institution's Protective Management Unit, which houses inmates who, for various reasons, aren't likely to live long and prosper in the "regular" part of the prison. Jordan is here because he received a note claiming that a murder will take place during the Catholic Mass. Just after the elderly priest serves communion - the body and blood - Jordan sees an inmate enter a cell alone, and shortly thereafter blood begins to spread out from under the locked door.
Sure enough, the inmate is dead - his throat cut quite recently - but no one else entered or exited the cell. It turns out that the inmate, a very talented artist, may have been an innocent man - and a man who, for a different reason, was to be released in a few days. One question, of course, is why he was killed, but an even more puzzling one is how. It seems impossible that anyone could have gone in or out without being seen.
As the story moves along, still more crimes turn up, and the number of suspects grows as well. On the list of possibilities are a couple of unit officers, the victim's sister, a few inmates (one of whom is the victim's lover) and even the elderly priest. Meantime, Jordan is trying to get his jumbled personal life in order, having recently entered into a tentative reconciliation with his estranged wife Susan.
Interspersed is a bit of humor - in his car being followed by two suspicious characters, for instance, Jordan muses that if they catch him, he'll have to pull out the only weapon he has at hand - a Barry Manilow CD.
Lister has another winner on his hands, and now I can't wait to start the other one I have (Rivers to Blood, which is book No. 6.
Since I'm always looking for bargains, I didn't rush out to buy another one, though, and as it turns out I'm glad. Not long after I finished Blood Sacrifice, I was notified of a credit to my Amazon account as a result of a class-action settlement regarding Kindle book pricing, and I was able to snag two more of the series including this one. It's No. 4, and I had zero problem with reading it even though I'd already read the one that follows.
And happily, it didn't disappoint. This one takes place in the Potter Correctional Institution's Protective Management Unit, which houses inmates who, for various reasons, aren't likely to live long and prosper in the "regular" part of the prison. Jordan is here because he received a note claiming that a murder will take place during the Catholic Mass. Just after the elderly priest serves communion - the body and blood - Jordan sees an inmate enter a cell alone, and shortly thereafter blood begins to spread out from under the locked door.
Sure enough, the inmate is dead - his throat cut quite recently - but no one else entered or exited the cell. It turns out that the inmate, a very talented artist, may have been an innocent man - and a man who, for a different reason, was to be released in a few days. One question, of course, is why he was killed, but an even more puzzling one is how. It seems impossible that anyone could have gone in or out without being seen.
As the story moves along, still more crimes turn up, and the number of suspects grows as well. On the list of possibilities are a couple of unit officers, the victim's sister, a few inmates (one of whom is the victim's lover) and even the elderly priest. Meantime, Jordan is trying to get his jumbled personal life in order, having recently entered into a tentative reconciliation with his estranged wife Susan.
Interspersed is a bit of humor - in his car being followed by two suspicious characters, for instance, Jordan muses that if they catch him, he'll have to pull out the only weapon he has at hand - a Barry Manilow CD.
Lister has another winner on his hands, and now I can't wait to start the other one I have (Rivers to Blood, which is book No. 6.
December 6, 2020
4 Stars
The Body and the Blood (John Jordan Mystery Book #4) by Michael Lister .
Full review to come.
The Body and the Blood (John Jordan Mystery Book #4) by Michael Lister .
Full review to come.
August 20, 2016
4.5 estrelas
Gostei muito, mais uma vez. Tanto do caso de homicídio de um prisioneiro como de ver a relação de John Jordan com a mulher, Susan, a seguir em frente.
Quando perto do fim é revelado o assassino, nem quis crer! Isto acontece-me muito nesta série. Fala-se aqui um bocado em Lei e Justiça e nalguns assuntos é um assunto que me deixa pensativa.
Merrill protagonizou as partes que mais gostei. Adoro-o!
Não consigo resistir, tenho de seguir para o 5º livro.
Gostei muito, mais uma vez. Tanto do caso de homicídio de um prisioneiro como de ver a relação de John Jordan com a mulher, Susan, a seguir em frente.
Quando perto do fim é revelado o assassino, nem quis crer! Isto acontece-me muito nesta série. Fala-se aqui um bocado em Lei e Justiça e nalguns assuntos é um assunto que me deixa pensativa.
Merrill protagonizou as partes que mais gostei. Adoro-o!
Não consigo resistir, tenho de seguir para o 5º livro.
October 29, 2016
I have to say, I'm enjoying the progression of these novels. Not only are the characters presented in more depth (as the reader gets to know them better), but so is the author's writing. Not, by any means, that he was a poor writer in the beginning. I'm truly enjoying his witty turns of phrase and his unique metaphors, skills he is honing with each novel. His talent with weaving a mystery is also quite evident in this story. A jail cell murder seems almost impossible to solve - because it seems to have been impossible to commit. The warp and weft of plot and subplot leave the reader wondering if this murder will ever be solved. But it is - at the very end, in quintessential Hitchcock manner. I was totally surprised, yet it all made sense. Lister is a true mystery marksman!
On to book #5.
On to book #5.
April 1, 2020
Finally made it round to reading next in series about John Jordan. This is number 4 in the series which I think gets better by the book.
Set again in the Prison ,this one deals with a crime that looks like it could not have happened.And it us up to John ,Merrell ans Anna to figure out who did it.
Really good idea,week written as usual,and I will get onto the next one soon.
A good series of books that keep on giving.
Set again in the Prison ,this one deals with a crime that looks like it could not have happened.And it us up to John ,Merrell ans Anna to figure out who did it.
Really good idea,week written as usual,and I will get onto the next one soon.
A good series of books that keep on giving.
August 13, 2019
Every series has to have a locked room mystery, and this one is John Jordan's. An inmate in the Protective Management Unit has been murdered in a locked cell, but there are signs his body was moved after he was killed, and John Jordan himself was there to see him go into his cell just about half an hour before. With a plethora of suspects and motives to confuse the reader, it's an interesting case.
While the mysteries themselves are good, I have to confess I'm not really connecting with the protagonists of this series. I understand that flaws in a character make them more human and therefore more relatable, but I haven't been able to care very much for the troubles that Jordan goes through, especially his problems with the two women in his life. I'm hoping he'll grow on me more as the series goes on, but the books are rather dark and I need a break after reading four in a row.
My rating is 3.5, but I'll round up because the ending kicked it up a notch for me. The killer was not exactly a surprise, but the way the puzzle was put together in the end was admirable.
While the mysteries themselves are good, I have to confess I'm not really connecting with the protagonists of this series. I understand that flaws in a character make them more human and therefore more relatable, but I haven't been able to care very much for the troubles that Jordan goes through, especially his problems with the two women in his life. I'm hoping he'll grow on me more as the series goes on, but the books are rather dark and I need a break after reading four in a row.
My rating is 3.5, but I'll round up because the ending kicked it up a notch for me. The killer was not exactly a surprise, but the way the puzzle was put together in the end was admirable.
May 12, 2020
John had gone to the PM unit because he had received a note that a murder was going to take place during the Catholic Mass. when the priest started to offer up the body and blood an image walks to his cell and the door locks. After a while John notices a pool of blood spreading out from under the door.
The victim was a talented painter and it was possible an innocent man who had been set up. John was not sure how the murder had been committed but was going to find out.
His sister had visited him earlier for the first time since he was at the prison. There were a few suspects including his lover and John was determined to find out who had committed the murder .I
As the investigation proceeds John uncover lots of different crimes including a racist family.
The victim was a talented painter and it was possible an innocent man who had been set up. John was not sure how the murder had been committed but was going to find out.
His sister had visited him earlier for the first time since he was at the prison. There were a few suspects including his lover and John was determined to find out who had committed the murder .I
As the investigation proceeds John uncover lots of different crimes including a racist family.
September 5, 2018
This is about the fourth book in this series that i've read and i find myself enjoying each one. Unlike a lot of mystery books, in these the main character struggles with his humanity. He's a prison chaplain and a former cop. He's also a recovering alcoholic with an estranged wife, whose father is his boss, a woman at work who he also yearns for, and he has violent tendencies that he has trouble suppressing in a prison situation. This time he's trying to solve a murder inside the prison. There is much mystery, much angst, much self-doubt before a resolution is reached.
March 26, 2021
While John and his wife, Susan are working out their differences she finds she is pregnant. This may be the only reason they stay together, or not.
When an inmate is murdered in a locked cell John finds himself thrust into a bad situation, not only with Susan's family because her dad is the sheriff investigating the murder but because that same man has vengeance on his mind for a particularly gruesome rape that his wife endured.
Somehow it is all connected and John must find out how.
When an inmate is murdered in a locked cell John finds himself thrust into a bad situation, not only with Susan's family because her dad is the sheriff investigating the murder but because that same man has vengeance on his mind for a particularly gruesome rape that his wife endured.
Somehow it is all connected and John must find out how.
April 19, 2025
This book introduces some new characters and shows us a different part of the prison. It's ironic that John's intuition serves him well at times but at other times he can't sense what is going on in people very close to him.
One detail was left unresolved. The sister said she finally knew her brother was innocent. We are never told how she knew. I wonder if someone, like Tom Daniels for instance, "leaked" that to her to muddy the water and make sure there was a visitor.
One detail was left unresolved. The sister said she finally knew her brother was innocent. We are never told how she knew. I wonder if someone, like Tom Daniels for instance, "leaked" that to her to muddy the water and make sure there was a visitor.
July 28, 2025
This is the third book in this series, and I am hooked on John Jordan. What a great well written character. The prison chaplain life is such a delicate balance and the author does a great job capturing the many burdens and difficult decisions the main character is faced with. Love this series so far. Not something I would normally get into, but these are just really well written with great story lines.
January 18, 2018
I enjoy the John Jordon works by Lister, but I was REALLY disappointed with the quality of the first six series anthology. There are formatting errors which actually distract from the reading experience.
I decided to BUY the #4 volume again as a stand alone, so as to not mar the reading experience.
I decided to BUY the #4 volume again as a stand alone, so as to not mar the reading experience.
January 23, 2019
John Jordan is a complex, conflicted clergyman in a state penitentiary. His ability to switch between his former profession as a cop to his current profession as a chaplain leaves him in a personal no-win situation. This is a great book series and this #4 is an indication that the stories to come will be thought provoking and exciting. Love it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2021
I hope I can remember not to order any more of this series. It is way too preachy with characters who are too self-absorbed. Some of his research into technical details is great, but other descriptions are overly long and needlessly detailed. It didake chores go faster but do would a lot of better books.
April 14, 2021
Wow! The plotting! This one is full of surprises. A dead body in the locked Protective Management Unit of the penitentiary where John Jordan works. So many suspects! You'll never guess who. Side story is he's getting back together with his wife while still in love with another woman. Plus of course lessons in Christianity.
October 3, 2025
There's one point towards the end of the book where one of the characters says "I’m just ready to be done with this one"... and I realised that's exactly how I had felt for about three quarters of this book. I can't quite put my finger on why but it was a snooze fest for me. I just couldn't care about any of the characters.
January 1, 2018
An impossible murder! Who do you call? John Jordan, of course!
So many twists, and everyone is a suspect. But Michael Lister takes us through everything so easily.
I will be reading more of them.
So many twists, and everyone is a suspect. But Michael Lister takes us through everything so easily.
I will be reading more of them.
January 25, 2019
Very good book from author Michael Lister. Kept me involved for the last couple of days just trying to figure out whodunit and then it didn't play out quite the way I thought. Well worth my time and now I'll figure out where I go from here.
October 6, 2020
Twist and turns
Keeps you guessing. You think you know who and what's next and then BAM it blind sides you. You start and you can't put them down. I definitely recommend this book series. John Jordan just keeps going!
Keeps you guessing. You think you know who and what's next and then BAM it blind sides you. You start and you can't put them down. I definitely recommend this book series. John Jordan just keeps going!
March 15, 2021
I am continuing to read the Michael Lister books I downloaded in a bundle. This one was long and not as riveting as most of this series has been; but it was a good read. There were editing issues (verb-tense errors, words left out, etc.) that didn’t affect the flow of the story.
August 16, 2019
Awesome!
These are a well-written series of books, particularly this one! Great characterization, action and detail. I look forward to reading them all
These are a well-written series of books, particularly this one! Great characterization, action and detail. I look forward to reading them all
July 8, 2020
A good read. John Jordan remains a complex and likeable character. The storyline meandered a bit and got muddled at times but arrived at a good finish.
January 12, 2025
Hadn't read this series for a while. Excellent storyline.
July 6, 2020
THE BODY AND THE BLOOD by Michael Lister. We find John going to the PM (protective management ) in which inmates that haven't long to live, for one reason or another. The nightly mass, communion is given, symbol of the blood and body. John had gotten a note saying there was to be a murder, at the mass.Inmate goes into a cell alone, the next thing John sees is the blood coming out from under cell door. Puzzle of HOW as John try's to figure out. More crimes pile up as well as suspects. Another pace paced story with a touch of humor, by John. Well done, enjoyable for all who want a good mystery. Given ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion.
May 9, 2015
This was my third Michael Lister mystery but the first of the John Jordan series. The Body And The Blood has a creative plot that makes you want to keep reading until the exciting end. A terrific book!
May 8, 2017
Emotions were all over the place
One of the best yet!!! I found myself cheering, holding my breath, and was practically mentally yelling......NO!! This one moved faster than the rest and I loved the ending! Now I'm going to have to get Book 5 to see what happens next!
One of the best yet!!! I found myself cheering, holding my breath, and was practically mentally yelling......NO!! This one moved faster than the rest and I loved the ending! Now I'm going to have to get Book 5 to see what happens next!
March 18, 2013
What can I say besides "I love John Jordan". He is a one of a kind hero. There has never be a book about him that wasn't awesome and this is no exception. The Body and the Blood is excellent.
July 11, 2015
This book is very near and dear to John Jordan because he sees someone really close to him kidnapped and someone else later on shot so he feels like he has to solve this crime in a timely manner
January 7, 2016
Slam dunk wow! Never expected that one!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews