Blood Sacrifice

John Jordan Mystery #4

by Michael Lister

Following a particularly brutal and costly case, John Jordan goes to a secluded retreat center and encounters one of the most bewildering and haunting cases of his career-the suspicious death of a young woman undergoing an exorcism.

Fighting a losing battle against a powerful undertow of violence and loss, John washes up on the shore of the coastal town of Bridgeport at St. Ann's Abbey, a retreat center carved out of the ubiquitous slash pines of the Florida Panhandle. Temporarily leaving behind the demanding duties of prison chaplaincy and the homicide investigations he is irresistibly drawn to, John comes to St. Ann's in search of serenity. He finds anything but. Dedicated to art, religion, and psychology, St. Ann's is operated by Sister Abigail, a wise and witty middle-aged nun who supervises the counseling center; Father Thomas Scott, an earnest, devout middle-aged priest, in charge of religious studies and spiritual growth; and the young Kathryn Kennedy, an acclaimed novelist responsible for artistic studies and conferences.

While undergoing counseling with Sister Abigail because of his depression and self-destructive behavior, John resists the urge to investigate when the body of a young boy staying at St. Ann's is discovered in the Gulf. He is convinced by Sister Abigail that it is no longer just his pride or career or even his marriage, but his soul he is trying to save.

But when Tammy Taylor, the highly sexual young heiress to the Gulf Coast Paper Company fortune, is savagely murdered while undergoing an exorcism by Father Thomas, John can no longer resist. He must find out how she really died and who killed her. And with Father Thomas looking increasingly guilty and the future of St. Ann's at stake, Sister Abigail asks for his help. Father Thomas, who appears to be the only one who could have killed her, claims Tammy's murder was the work of the demons inside her, but the skeptical Jordan suspects a human culprit with a far more earthly motive. And human suspects with hidden motives abound in this closed community. Among them, Ralph Reid, the lawyer representing Gulf Coast Paper Company whose job it is to close St. Ann's and reacquire the land; Steve Taylor, the victim's cousin and chief of police who refuses to turn the case over to FDLE; Keith Richie, an ex-con with more than previous crimes to hide; Brad Harrison, the religious zealot handyman who can't seem to quit committing "sins of the flesh" with the victim; and, of course, Father Thomas himself who is most likely to have committed the crime-and the person all the evidence points to.

As evidence and bodies continue to mount, and more and more secrets come to the surface, John realizes he has far more questions than answers, and that the shocking truth may be far stranger than anything he imagined. A provocative thriller, Blood Sacrifice, is also an exploration into unseen realms of darkness and light-especially those of John Jordan's conflicted heart. Confronting the irrational, superstitious, and greedy, Blood Sacrifice delves into the rise of American exorcisms following their explosion in popular culture, and mourns the loss of Florida's final corner of unspoiled beauty. Blood Sacrifice is an exciting entry into one of the most unique series in contemporary crime fiction.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Ebooks, Crime, Amazon, Mystery Thriller

271 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 7, 2012

About the author

New 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.

Reviews

[Monnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

No doubt about it: Books are expensive. Even the discounted versions for ebook readers like my Kindle Fire can get very costly when you read as many books as I do. That's why I've signed up at websites that offer free and low-cost choices, like BookBub.com, BookGorilla.com, or Lendle.com.

More often than not, the selections are from lesser-known writers, and a number of the free offerings don't cost more than three or four bucks to begin with - sometimes for good reason. So as I've said before, it's always a good idea to check customer reviews before you hit the download button (reviews with ratings of 3 stars and below get most of my attention, because I'm more interested in why someone didn't like the book than reading gushing comments).

Way more often than not, I've done well with my selections. And when I find a real gem, I want to tell the world. This one, a winner of a Florida Book Award (one of two for author Michael Lister), is one of those gems. For the record, the annual Florida Book Awards, which honors the best work of Florida authors, is coordinated by the Florida State University Libraries and co-sponsored by several other relatively impressive organizations. Medalists in nine categories are announced each February.

It was that award, in fact, that clinched the deal for me; at the time, this book had only nine reviews, mostly 5 stars - and even I have enough family and friends who would gladly award my book top honors in exchange for a six-pack of beer. Of course, the description didn't hurt; this is the fifth book in a series featuring prison chaplain and former cop John Jordan. Also for the record, Lister was named the youngest chaplain within the Florida Department of Corrections back in the early 1990s and served as a chaplain at correctional facilities for nearly a decade, so I figure he's got a good handle on that end of things.

I'm always a bit leery, though, of not starting with the first in a series; will I be able to follow what's going on, and will the book stand alone? I'm happy to say yes to both those issues, and even happier to report that I plan to get my hands on the rest in the series as fast as I can.

Here, Jordan has come to retreat center St. Ann's Abbey in the Florida Panhandle to shore up his own emotions after a nasty previous case (which I assume happened in the previous book). It doesn't take long for strange things to happen - first the apparent murder of a young boy, followed by the ghastly death of a young woman who had been undergoing an exorcism at the hands of an elderly priest who is one of the Abbey's founders. When he becomes the prime suspect, one of the nuns asks Jordan, who is here to get counseling himself and is reluctant to get involved, to well, get involved.

There's no shortage of suspects as Jordan - who is Protestant, by the way - begins his investigation, including the chief of police, an attorney who represents a large corporation intent on getting the land on which the Abbey is located and a beautiful young novelist (you really didn't think there would be no potential love interest, did you)? Untangling the ties that bind all these folks together and finding the culprit doesn't do much to drive out Jordan's personal demons, but the process sure is a treat for readers.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Blood Sacrifice (John Jordan Mystery Book #5) by Michael Lister.

Full Review to come.

[Sonia Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este é o primeiro livro cuja ação decorre fora da prisão e não está relacionado com a prisão ou com prisioneiros. Depois de se ter separado pela segunda vez da ex-mulher, John Jordan recolhe-se na abadia da Irmã Abigail (que já conhecemos na short-story Flesh and Blodd) para pensar e encontrar um equilíbrio entre as suas atividades de capelão e investigar. Mas só JJ poderia esconder-se num local de retiro e deparar-se com homicídios!

Numa história bizarra com acontecimentos estranhíssimos que envolvem exorcismo, vozes ameaçadoras sem ninguém estar por perto, velas que se acendem assim do nada, um homem crucificado e personagens muito suspeitos, este foi outro mistério que me envolveu e surpreendeu.

Apesar de ter suspeitado que Kathryn era filha do tal dono das terras da fábrica de papel, não pensei foi que a Irmã Abigail fosse a mãe ou que o Padre Thomas fosse realmente o pai, apesar de Abigail ter atribuído a paternidade ao outro velhote. Não pensei que a Irmã e o Padre estivessem juntos no assassínio de Tammy, ela mais que ele, sempre com a intenção de salvarem e protegerem a filha.

De certo modo senti a falta do ambiente da prisão, vá-se lá entender.

[Robert C. smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very entertaining, fast-paced mystery!

Michael Lister has been added to my favorite author list! His most enjoyable, believable and fast-paced writing style with lots of surprises keeps the pages turning. I look forward to reading his other novels and hope they're also as thought provoking. Thanks, Michael.

[K.j. · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a free download, this was an enjoyable read! I do wish there was more "Demonic Influence", as was suggested by the description. It was a good mystery read and I probably will read another by this author.

[Jamie Eastman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

This was a pretty good who done it, it clipped along at a pretty good pace, and had some pretty good turns. I'd recommend this book for sure.

[SoulSurvivor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Survival in a dystipian world not my genre . Early description of what an EMP is would have helped a lot . Living in the area of the plot helped me enjoy the characters and action .

[Denise Zendel · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a more brutal than usual and emotionally costly case, prison chaplain John Jordan goes to a retreat center in the Florida Panhandle to rest and reflect and find serenity (he thinks). Instead, he encounters the suspicious death of a young woman undergoing an exorcism.

The retreat center is operated by Sister Abigail, a wise and witty middle-aged nun who supervises the counseling center; Father Thomas Scott, an earnest, devout middle-aged priest, in charge of religious studies and spiritual growth; and the young Kathryn Kennedy, an acclaimed novelist responsible for artistic studies and conferences. John seeks counseling for his depression and self-destructive behavior. He attempts to resist investigating the suspicious death, fearing it’s something he's using to distract himself from his real mission to save his own soul, but he just can’t stop himself. The investigation hits close to home and has far reaching effects.

This story was a wild ride. Well-written, brimming with detail, complex characters and, surprisingly, so much action I was completely consumed trying to figure out who did what to whom and why. I enjoyed earlier books in this series, although I was a bit put off by the religious overtones. Were the religious aspects germane to the plots? Yes they were, but I found the author’s approach a bit heavy handed. By book four, he seems to have found his niche, with the religious angle becoming more subtle, less preachy, more a part of the story.

This was a satisfying read that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading it, and I found myself thinking about the characters and what was going on with them when I wasn’t reading it. You could read these books out of order (although I generally advocate for reading them in order, as it deepens the enjoyment in the reading experience). I’m glad there are so many more in the series for me to experience.

[annapi · Rating 2 out of 5]

John Jordan is on vacation, and spending time at St. Ann's, a retreat house where he is getting counseling to try to cope with the breakup with his wife after the events of the last book. He ends up helping in the investigation of a young girl who appears to have been killed by demons possessing her.

I did not like this story. It ends unsatisfactorily, and is too full of the protagonist's chaplain side wrestling with his investigator side. Through five books I have not been able to get into this character, I just watch from outside and can't feel very much for him. In this book he puts religion front and center, which I was just not keen on. The worst was when he's racing against the clock to find someone, and he prays, and "God answered". Talk about eye-roll - is that the definition of deus ex machina?

I might read the next book, because I have an omnibus ecopy of books 1-6, but I'm not sure if I will continue with the rest of the series.

[Ellen White · Rating 5 out of 5]

BLOOD SACRIFICE. By Michael Lister # 5 in John Jordan series
A brutal case has taken toll on John, battle of crime day after day, death of his marriage, depression, drowning in life. His soul is, when he washes up on shore by an Abbey. He relinquishing all, he goes to this retreat, to find peace and serenity. The wisdom of the Sisters, for counseling Father for religious and spiritual training. If he looked into the boy's death, it would take his mind off, of what he should be dealing with. Time spent at the Abbey is revealing of the demons, secrets, of many who are there. Another killing, a confession, or was it just guilt. A gripping plot, characters well defined, taking one inside the Abbey. It didn't give John the serenity he was
looking for. Given ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 5th book in this series i've read. The protagonist is John Jordan, a prison chaplain and sometimes detective. In this book, he's at a retreat trying to decompress and straighten out some of the conflicts in his life. Unfortunately, a murder occurs at the retreat when a poor girl is killed while an exorcism is being performed on her. Jordan can't resist getting involved in finding the culprit.
What sets these books apart from most mysteries is the inner thoughts of John are just as important as the mystery plot. His turmoil, doubts, spiritual and personal conflicts are all given as much weight as the who-dun-it parts of the book. If you like mysteries I highly recommend this series.

[elizabeth hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Least favorite so far

This is my least favorite book in the series so far. I thought the story dragged a little more than normal and did not pull together as cleanly. The ending was a little more predictable than it normally is (I don't try to figure who did it, just enjoy the story and how it unfolds, but had who killed the victim figured out half way through). Still a good story, just not as good as the previous ones.

[Diana L. Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twist and Turns All the Way to the End

A very good who-dun-it. The main characters are well developed and the protagonist is likable, a former policeman now a prison chaplain. An abbey that is a retreat for those seeking clarity. Not sure if sex, an exorcism and the evils of greed nurture peacefulness or mindfulness. The author recommended in another of his book “Beneath a Blood Red Sky” that this book be read first.

[Krissi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have liked all of the John Jordan mysteries so far, but this one was a little boring. At first I was disappointed that the setting had changed, then I came to like it. I will say all of the theories I had formulated turned out to be correct, but there still were a few surprises. This is the fifth book I have read, and I'd rank this one the lowest of the JJ series. Looking forward to the next in the series and hope the setting returns back to the prison.

[Murrel Lowry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read from author Michael Lister. Kept me reading from 1st page to last and some good parts and some, not so much. Very good characters and takes place on the forgotten coast of Florida, a place I have had the privilege to see up close and personal. Soon will gave to gather up the next episode to see where we go from here.

[GW · Rating 1 out of 5]

Blood Sacrifice

I hated this book. It's kind of a 'Wolf in sheep's clothing'. Using the main character, who is a chaplain, it basically pushes the idea that sex between all people is good and dresses it up as acceptable behavior for Christians. Sorry, that's not what the Bible teaches.

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay who-done-it about a prison chaplain/detective working with his sometimes adversary on a murder that is being blamed on the real adversary, aka the devil himself. A lot of twists and turns and a few surprises.

[Misty Weeks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had potential, but fell short. Characters were pretty static. Some sections sounded like they were regurgitated from science or law text - caused me to skip parts and that’s not typical for me. Felt odd how little was really done with the possession piece.

[Florence Primrose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Former policeman, now prison chaplain, John Jordan is taking time away at a small abbey to “recharge”. But suddenly a young woman undergoing an exorcism dies.

John Is caught in the investigation as many in the abbey are under suspicion.
Interesting story.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Who Done It!!

Lister delivered with impact. Very impressed that he has kept up a great pace delivering the mixture of relgion, crime, forensics, and human foibles. Loved from start to finish and the ending kept me guessing. Great job Lister...read it!!

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fifth novel in the series I downloaded in a bundle of Michael Lister’s John Jordan series books. I liked this one a little less than some of the others, but it is a well-written and interesting read.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating combination of detective work and Christian teachings. In this one, John Jordan, prison chaplain and former policeman is on retreat to recharge spiritually. Then there's a drowning and a murder by demon or exorcism or a person. Who knows. Anyway, nice plotting.

[Michael cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a Great Read!

Once again, Mr. Lister has wowed my imagination!
I was so excited and shared the books with my Oldest Granddaughter,
she's hooked too 🤗😎
Looking forward to read more

[Nanette Edmonds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Demons?

This was an interesting read. I have had a hard time figuring out who the killer is in the first few John Jordan books, and this was no different. The author is certainly talented in the storytelling. Giving four steps because of the errors in editing.

[Loretta K. Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complex and complicated

Great mystery complex characters and relationships
Keeps you guessing and reading
All is not what it seems or is it?

[Michael A Zaffiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great characters and ever changing plot. John Jordan is an interesting character. This is the fifth book in the series. I have read and will continue to read more.

[Val Hasselman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good mystery

This was one I never figured out before I got to the end. Very well written and leaves you guessing.

[Cindy B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disturbing plot and characters. Mixture of religious beliefs that make for a antichrist brew. Ruined effort. Author’s better than that. Sad.


Warning: Not Christian - at all. Rating is generous.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book one of the best so far in series

[Mary Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bit out there, exploring evil and exorcism. A long treatise on personal belief in evil.