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Pastor Matt Hayden Mystery #1
The Preacher's First Murder
He was a good cop until he ran into a bad one. Then, to save what was left of his family and his sanity, Michael Hogan, Jr., entered the Fed's Witness Protection Program and became Pastor Matthew Hayden. Just out of seminary, Matt takes a church in rural Texas, looking forward to peace, quiet and a good dose of humility. What he doesn't antipate is his new next door neighbor to be a red-headed, bar-owning bombshell. Matt might be a man of God now, but he is still a man.
Wilks, Texas, is not what he expected either. The town seems ruled by the past and Angie, the beautiful bar owner's daughter, is murdered.
When the second body is discovered, the authorities assume this murder was revenge and arrest Angie. Matt knows full well she didn't do it. She had been with him that night. Matt is forced to put on an old hat--his cop's hat--and discover the truth to save the one person he loves but cannot have.
Wilks, Texas, is not what he expected either. The town seems ruled by the past and Angie, the beautiful bar owner's daughter, is murdered.
When the second body is discovered, the authorities assume this murder was revenge and arrest Angie. Matt knows full well she didn't do it. She had been with him that night. Matt is forced to put on an old hat--his cop's hat--and discover the truth to save the one person he loves but cannot have.
251 pages, Paperback
First published February 24, 2012
About the author
K.P. Gresham
7 books214 followersK.P. Gresham is an Illinois girl gone Texan. Her stories are based on her wide-range of experiences from living in Chicago and small town Illinois to making the move to Texas where's she’s called both Houston and Austin home. K.P. was a law school media librarian, taught literature to middle school students and conducted K-8 as well as adult choirs. Besides her novels, she has written two musicals, several plays and has worked in theatre since graduating from Illinois State University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
November 6, 2021
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
A former cop turned Lutheran Minister finds himself heading a church in small town Texas. Just relocated, he doesn't know what's what.
The small town is a regular Peyton Place, with a bar right across from his church. When the bar owner's mother, a woman tormented by Alzheimer's Disease, disappears, he helps with the search. The old lady is found in a deer lease, shot by a Yankee Hunter who is too stupid to live. Then there's another murder...
A bit cliched, but not too bad.
A former cop turned Lutheran Minister finds himself heading a church in small town Texas. Just relocated, he doesn't know what's what.
The small town is a regular Peyton Place, with a bar right across from his church. When the bar owner's mother, a woman tormented by Alzheimer's Disease, disappears, he helps with the search. The old lady is found in a deer lease, shot by a Yankee Hunter who is too stupid to live. Then there's another murder...
A bit cliched, but not too bad.
July 8, 2018
My daughter has met this author and her husband, so I bought the book out of curiosity. Happily, I loved it!
Pastor Matthew Hayden—Matt—has just arrived in the rural Texas town of Wilks to pastor its Grace Lutheran Church. Grace is the home church to many of the town's power brokers, and Matt immediately learns they expect to control him too, especially the elderly Miss Olivia Novak and her son, James W., who is also the town's sheriff.
But Matt has a secret past. He was an undercover cop in a previous life—Michael Hogan, Jr.—until the terrible night when his world came apart as a sting operation went south and his father, Captain Michael Hogan, Sr., was killed in the bust-gone-wrong. Michael had to be hustled away into a witness protection program as Matt Hayden. He followed a genuine call to the priesthood and graduated from seminary before being sent to Grace Lutheran.
Matt soon meets the beautiful and spirited Angie O'Day, the proprietress of the Fire and Ice House, a saloon and "house of ill repute" embarrassingly close to the church. Angie's elderly and confused mother is missing and Angie seeks the sheriff's help in looking for the Alzheimer's patient. Matt recruits volunteers from the pulpit and a search ensues.
He quickly learns about the various town residents—good and bad guilty and innocent—and also of the various ties going back at least three generations, many resulting in "bad blood" today.
As one dead body turns up—and then another—Matt's cop instincts kick in and he tries to help the sheriff without revealing his past.
When Angie O'Day is arrested for murder, Matt is forced to confront his very strong attraction to her. He must dig into the church archives and go to a previous pastor to get to the bottom of the dangerous confusion.
This book had a great plot, well-developed characters, and a refreshingly natural insertion of Christian values and ethics as Matt's character relies on his faith, his instincts, and his training as a cop to solve the multi-layered mystery.
Fast-paced and thoroughly enjoyable. Can't wait to read the next in the series.
Pastor Matthew Hayden—Matt—has just arrived in the rural Texas town of Wilks to pastor its Grace Lutheran Church. Grace is the home church to many of the town's power brokers, and Matt immediately learns they expect to control him too, especially the elderly Miss Olivia Novak and her son, James W., who is also the town's sheriff.
But Matt has a secret past. He was an undercover cop in a previous life—Michael Hogan, Jr.—until the terrible night when his world came apart as a sting operation went south and his father, Captain Michael Hogan, Sr., was killed in the bust-gone-wrong. Michael had to be hustled away into a witness protection program as Matt Hayden. He followed a genuine call to the priesthood and graduated from seminary before being sent to Grace Lutheran.
Matt soon meets the beautiful and spirited Angie O'Day, the proprietress of the Fire and Ice House, a saloon and "house of ill repute" embarrassingly close to the church. Angie's elderly and confused mother is missing and Angie seeks the sheriff's help in looking for the Alzheimer's patient. Matt recruits volunteers from the pulpit and a search ensues.
He quickly learns about the various town residents—good and bad guilty and innocent—and also of the various ties going back at least three generations, many resulting in "bad blood" today.
As one dead body turns up—and then another—Matt's cop instincts kick in and he tries to help the sheriff without revealing his past.
When Angie O'Day is arrested for murder, Matt is forced to confront his very strong attraction to her. He must dig into the church archives and go to a previous pastor to get to the bottom of the dangerous confusion.
This book had a great plot, well-developed characters, and a refreshingly natural insertion of Christian values and ethics as Matt's character relies on his faith, his instincts, and his training as a cop to solve the multi-layered mystery.
Fast-paced and thoroughly enjoyable. Can't wait to read the next in the series.
October 3, 2024
This is a very different plotline; Matt Hayden left the police force as a member of the Witness Protection Program. He goes to the seminary for three years and lands in a small town in Texas. The characters are quirky and unique. This is a well-written story, and I enjoyed it very much. I can hardly wait to find the next story in this series (see below).
Pastor Matt Hayden Mystery
** 1) The Preacher's First Murder
2) Murder in the Second Pew
Pastor Matt Hayden Mystery
** 1) The Preacher's First Murder
2) Murder in the Second Pew
January 11, 2026
I will read more of this hero. Matt becomesfriends with the local cop and helps him to see what the evidence is actually pointing at. Angie is not liked in town and neither is her mom. When her mom is murdered and another body is found, connected to the same land that Angies mom was found, Angie is arrested. Matt determined that Angie is actually****SPOILER*** the daughter of the high and mighty matriarch in town. She wanted anyone who knew that her husband had been in love with Maeve , Angies mom to die. Texas was a common law state and if Angie belonged to her husband then she gets half of the wealth. She couldnot have that. She killed Maeve and the land lord of the property, he was best friends with her husband Cash and knew of the affair and birth. Cash died in Maeves arms. It was covered up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2019
Matt decided to go to another town and become a preacher after his dad was killed in the line of duty as a cop. Starts out with an elderly woman disappearing. They later found her dead in a field. She walked a lot every day and wasn't of sound mind all the time. Matt says it was murder the officer said it was an accidental shooting. He meet Angie a woman who was born to a prostitute who later died. Matt decided to investigate on his own. He sort of had a hankering to this woman.
Small town always lots of gossip. Family against family. Threatening to tell others secrets. But all toll is seems this town and the people decided enough is enough lets start all over in a good place. So does Matt go after Angie or forget about her.
Small town always lots of gossip. Family against family. Threatening to tell others secrets. But all toll is seems this town and the people decided enough is enough lets start all over in a good place. So does Matt go after Angie or forget about her.
March 30, 2023
An intriguing mystery that was a clean page turner. An ex-cop turned pastor, an illegitimate daughter running a bar, shunned by the town's elite, and given an undeserved unsavory reputation, and last, but definitely not least, two deaths that look more like murder than accidents. I enjoyed the twists and turns, especially because the plot was not marred by irreverent language and/or illicit sex.
This is my first read by this author, but will not be my last. I really appreciate an author that has the confidence to carry a good story without feeling the need to include smut to carry her audience.
This is my first read by this author, but will not be my last. I really appreciate an author that has the confidence to carry a good story without feeling the need to include smut to carry her audience.
March 13, 2023
#1 in the Pastor Matt Hayden mystery series.
A former cop(attempting to save what was left of his family and his sanity, enters the Fed's Witness Protection Program ) turned Lutheran minister finds himself heading a church in small town Wilks, Texas as his first position after finishing seminary hoping for peace, and quiet. Instead, he finds a small a town ruled by the past and the Wilks family. Then an old woman murdered whose daughter, Angie O'Day (considered the town's undesirable), Matt is strongly attracted to and then another murder takes place.
A former cop(attempting to save what was left of his family and his sanity, enters the Fed's Witness Protection Program ) turned Lutheran minister finds himself heading a church in small town Wilks, Texas as his first position after finishing seminary hoping for peace, and quiet. Instead, he finds a small a town ruled by the past and the Wilks family. Then an old woman murdered whose daughter, Angie O'Day (considered the town's undesirable), Matt is strongly attracted to and then another murder takes place.
April 16, 2019
Loved it
This is a good mystery.From the beginning you wonder what is going on in this small town. You have the ones who stand in judgement of others.Then you have those who will kill to keep their secrets.This has an ending that you really don't see.An unexpected killer.Great first book by this author for me.Will read more.
This is a good mystery.From the beginning you wonder what is going on in this small town. You have the ones who stand in judgement of others.Then you have those who will kill to keep their secrets.This has an ending that you really don't see.An unexpected killer.Great first book by this author for me.Will read more.
August 20, 2020
Love Pastor Matt!
Love the characters and all their flaws in this first of hopefully many murder mysteries! Well written, fast-paced, funny, sad, and of course mysterious, the sheer pleasure of reading a mystery without foul language, sex, and political correctness is so very much needed! Thank you KP!
Love the characters and all their flaws in this first of hopefully many murder mysteries! Well written, fast-paced, funny, sad, and of course mysterious, the sheer pleasure of reading a mystery without foul language, sex, and political correctness is so very much needed! Thank you KP!
September 14, 2022
Entirely too descriptive, when it's really not necessary but I read this in two days so I can only say it moves along.
Romance from a male perspective.
Main character is a Lutheran minister with a past, but a solid love for people, even dicey ones. You could consider this a Christian romantic mystery.
But not a preachy one.
Romance from a male perspective.
Main character is a Lutheran minister with a past, but a solid love for people, even dicey ones. You could consider this a Christian romantic mystery.
But not a preachy one.
January 5, 2024
Great storytelling!
This book will leave you wanting more. Several twists and turns will make you wonder who done it and why. Every page is full of excitement that has you wanting to read until the end. It was hard to put the book done and I finished it in one setting. Can't wait to read the next book. Great writing K.P. Gresham!
This book will leave you wanting more. Several twists and turns will make you wonder who done it and why. Every page is full of excitement that has you wanting to read until the end. It was hard to put the book done and I finished it in one setting. Can't wait to read the next book. Great writing K.P. Gresham!
January 24, 2024
Secrets Uncovered
Pastor Hayden comes to a small Texas town to be the new preacher. What he finds is a tangled web of secrets and deaths. Can he untangle this web? Angie, owner of the local bar is accused of murder. Did she do it? Can she prove her innocence, even though all the evidence seems to point to her? This is a well written tale full of twists and turns. A great read.
Pastor Hayden comes to a small Texas town to be the new preacher. What he finds is a tangled web of secrets and deaths. Can he untangle this web? Angie, owner of the local bar is accused of murder. Did she do it? Can she prove her innocence, even though all the evidence seems to point to her? This is a well written tale full of twists and turns. A great read.
April 6, 2024
Multiple Mysteries
As you read the novel you don't realize how many different mysteries are being revealed. Thank goodness the author clears up all of them at the end.
This was a very entertaining tale from the beginning until the end. Even with all mysteries solved, the was yet another ending with a promising future.
I can’t wait to read the other books in this series.
As you read the novel you don't realize how many different mysteries are being revealed. Thank goodness the author clears up all of them at the end.
This was a very entertaining tale from the beginning until the end. Even with all mysteries solved, the was yet another ending with a promising future.
I can’t wait to read the other books in this series.
July 31, 2019
This is my first book I have read by K.P. Gresham. First, I wanted to say I love the book! I loved that the author kept me guessing who committed the murder. The reason I gave 4 stars is cause it has some language other then that a great book! Will be reading more books by this author.
September 24, 2021
Excellent Story
I enjoyed this story very much. The author took the many strands of characters' lives weaving them and presenting them in a story about family pride and the secrets that shatter the illusion of perfection that the family wants others to see.
I enjoyed this story very much. The author took the many strands of characters' lives weaving them and presenting them in a story about family pride and the secrets that shatter the illusion of perfection that the family wants others to see.
October 7, 2021
Couldn't finish it. Too much swearing, too much unbelievable stuff and an unsettling relationship beginning between the preacher and a woman who runs a brothel. Hmmm. It may turn out okay in the end but I can't wade through it all to get there.
October 9, 2021
Grey, Black and White
The story is well constructed with down to the earth folks. All things are arranged logically. The characters are lovely with vivid descriptions. The grey characters made black and white ones easy to the readers.
The story is well constructed with down to the earth folks. All things are arranged logically. The characters are lovely with vivid descriptions. The grey characters made black and white ones easy to the readers.
October 20, 2021
Great Story!
Secrets, secrets, secrets! Everyone in this small town has a secret to tell. Murder, love , and lies Grace the pages of this book. However, time will tell and secrets revealed!
Secrets, secrets, secrets! Everyone in this small town has a secret to tell. Murder, love , and lies Grace the pages of this book. However, time will tell and secrets revealed!
October 22, 2021
The story of a cop in the witness protection plan who becomes a Lutheran pastor in a small Texas town has everything - small town intrigue, characters so real that I feel like I know them, and a quick pace. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.
October 30, 2021
The Preacher's First Murder is a fast-paced murder mystery with realistic characters. I loved it! I hope K. P. Gresham writes many more books. A series with the Preacher as the main character would be excellent!
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
November 9, 2021
The good book always wins!
A slow start with a whirlwind finish. Just enough twist,s and turns to keep the pages turning. Would be a shame not to read this series.
Yeah, Mikey liked it!
A slow start with a whirlwind finish. Just enough twist,s and turns to keep the pages turning. Would be a shame not to read this series.
Yeah, Mikey liked it!
January 29, 2022
REALLY awesome book!!!
So at first I thought this was not going to draw me in. But then the characters started taking on a life truly recognizable to persons in our own cliques. The story kept you guessing and wondering right to the end. Absolutely loved this read!!
So at first I thought this was not going to draw me in. But then the characters started taking on a life truly recognizable to persons in our own cliques. The story kept you guessing and wondering right to the end. Absolutely loved this read!!
February 22, 2022
Read and enjoyed this story in one night.
Such a great mix of new spirituality, past career history and the family secrets that I just couldn't put the book down. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
Such a great mix of new spirituality, past career history and the family secrets that I just couldn't put the book down. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
May 22, 2022
Unexpected mystery, hard to put down
Unexpected mystery, hard to put down, but a bit too many names and characters to keep straight, got a bit confused a few times. Ending was a bit convoluted.
Unexpected mystery, hard to put down, but a bit too many names and characters to keep straight, got a bit confused a few times. Ending was a bit convoluted.
Read
August 10, 2023Good mystery
This story kept you guessing until the end. Never would have suspected who the killer was, quite a twist. Loved the romantic connection between Matt and Angie. Good read!
This story kept you guessing until the end. Never would have suspected who the killer was, quite a twist. Loved the romantic connection between Matt and Angie. Good read!
February 10, 2025
A Great Mystery Solved
This is the first book I have read by this author.
The plot was so well conceived that you are kept guessing the outcome until the last pages. A page turner and cleverly conceived. I look forward to reading more by this author.
This is the first book I have read by this author.
The plot was so well conceived that you are kept guessing the outcome until the last pages. A page turner and cleverly conceived. I look forward to reading more by this author.
September 12, 2019
I can't believe I waited so long to read this book! I loved it, can't wait to read the next one.
October 1, 2019
Just didn't grab me couldn't finish
August 2, 2020
Very different.
October 24, 2021
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I was going to. Definitely want to read the next book. The story changed direction a few times and kept me interested throughout.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews