Deadly Harvest

Father Mark Townsend Mystery #4

by Brad Reynolds

A dedicated Jesuit priest, Father Mark Townsend is closely involved with the people of St. Joseph, and the young parishioner's letter sounds desperate. Angelina Sandoval Ybarra is a journalist writing a story about the mysterious end-of-the-world preacher Brother Gabriel, and Father Mark loses no time in heading for Yakima Valley where the faithful are gathering. Brother Gabriel's preaching has drawn flocks of converts, many from the Catholic church. There have been tales of visions of the Virgin Mary, the second coming of Christ, and the Rapture that has already begun. Most disturbing is the mysterious disappearance of dozens of Latino farm workers, supposedly "raptured up into heaven" from a locked room in a sealed building. The priest believes the new religion has all the earmarks of a scam-perhaps a deadly one. And as he digs deeper into the dark mysteries that surround the preacher and his followers, Father Townsend discovers his fears are well founded. For while the believers pray for salvation, someone has made murder a part of the creed.and there's no way to tell the saints from the sinners.

Genres: Mystery

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 1999

About the author

Brad Reynolds, S.J. is a Jesuit priest at Portland, Oregon, where he served as the executive assistant to the Provincial for the Jesuits. Like his creation Father Mark Townsend, he used to live in Alaska, and writes about native life there with real understanding. He is the author of the four books, and has had over 300 articles published in numerous magazines and newspapers, including National Geographic, America, Alaska and American Scholar. These are often illustrated by his own photographs. In Fall 2006 he was artist-in-residence at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. His work for National Geographic helped form the basis for his first book, The Story Knife. He has described himself as "introvert and melancholic".

Reviews

[Phoebe · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only reason I'm rating this is to tell you it was terrible.

[Amanda J · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a pleasant read, exactly what I’d expect from this genre. Enough to keep you intrigued, but not convoluted or difficult to follow. Well done.