The Martyring

by Thomas Sullivan

Kurt Hauptmann will learn to make stained glass to help men see the glory of God, one of the many bizarre heritages handed down from his ancestry. But the family has other, more frightening secrets. The path to God runs through darkness as well as light. And the bond of a family is blood, its own and that of its enemies. What is the strangeness in Uncle Detlef, head of the stained-glass studio? Why has he descended from his cathedral roofs to steeplejack the perils of a secular world? What are his secrets? Why do the family's holy rites seem perverse? Most of all, why are men getting killed in bizarre, archaic ways here in South Florida? As Kurt gropes toward the truth, so does the tough and cynical cop, Jack Skelote. What lies before them is a limbo of murdered martyrs, unblessed, unholy, and unburied.

Genres: Horror, Speculative Fiction, Gothic

256 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 1998

About the author

Hello, fans and friends. If you're new to this page, I am a writer with some 90 published novels and short stories. My work is broadly ranged from a USA Today Bestseller to a Pulitzer Prize nommed literary satire (THE PHASES OF HARRY MOON, hardcover, Dutton) to thrillers in print, audio and e-books, including my new blockbuster original CASE WHITE in e-book. Links for all my novels are on my web site below. I’ve spoken on writing in broadly ranged venues from American schools to the House of Literature in Oslo, Norway.

Recreation is a big part of my life. I spend a couple of hours a day in the woods, cc skiing, blading, hiking or in the pool working out. I also write a free monthly column over on Storytellersunplugged.com and send out a free newsletter (Sullygrams...) once a month as well. Both can be accessed at my author's web site, along with photos and more bio. If you'd like to visit my web page, here’s the link: http://www.thomassullivanauthor.com/ You can also friend me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thomas.sulli... .

Thanks for your interest...

Best, Thomas "Sully" Sullivan

Reviews

[Carole Lanham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a book that immerses you in an off-kilter world that is a little bit familiar and a whole lot of weird. In The Martyring, that weird world is made out of stained glass. Gothic and beautiful, Sullivan's tale of family secrets unfolds in a way that made me feel like I was peering at a mystery through rippled panes of cobalt glass. To be sure, everything looks a lot more holy than it really is when glimpsed through a window of blue.

The prose, like the author, is completely original, but the sense of isolation and the bizarre family traditions reminded me of books like We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson or The Other by Thomas Tryon.

Absolutely lovely!

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a good example of a contemporary incarnation of the Gothic genre. It centers around the Hauptmann family, a German clan of stained-glass makers who practice a mysterious brand of religion alongside their craft in Florida, and Jack Skelote, a cop who becomes involved with and even fascinated by the investigation of a series of increasingly gruesome murders. Sullivan does well with the atmosphere. He's also good about revealing just enough of what's going on to make the ending satisfying while still leaving the reader with plenty to mull over. Best of all, the conclusion can be interpreted as either redemptive or really creepy.

[David Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was interesting on multiple levels. The history and depth of family "weird" was intense, and the mystery riding on top of it all was intriguing. The characters were very believable, no superhuman killers, or forensic doctoral candidate detectives. This walks a thin line between horror and mystery - possibly thriller. Very enjoyable. I listened to this in audio, by the way, narrated by Bob Walter, who did a fabulous job of bringing it to life.

[Mark Lacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked up this book because it looked interesting from the cover, and it wasn't so long that I couldn't risk the experiment of giving it a try. For a ways into the book, though, it moved slowly and I almost gave up on it. But then it picked up. I have to agree with one of the reviewers on Amazon that said (1) the author didn't take enough time to develop his characters, (2) people were killed off too fast, and (3) the author has a great way with metaphor and simile.