Second Advent

Nick Bertetto Mystery #1

by Tony Perona

Illustrated glossy board covers with matching Dj. Signed and inscribed by author on title page. First Edition, First Printing. 8.75 x 6 with 285 pp.

271 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2002

About the author

Tony Perona is a former General Motors advertising/public relations manager who became the first man at GM to take the corporation’s two-year leave-of-absence policy to care for his children. While at home he kept up his writing by becoming a newspaper correspondent and columnist. When the company could not reinstate him, he opened his own business, Tony Perona Writing, to service the writing, marketing, and public relations needs of other companies. Perona’s first novel, Second Advent, was labeled a “distinctive first novel” by Publishers Weekly and termed a “winning first novel” by Mystery Scene magazine. The follow-up, Angels Whisper, was cited as “the second in a series to watch” by Booklist. Saintly Remains is the third in the series about stay-at-home dad/freelance reporter Nick Bertetto. Perona also served as co-editor for the mystery anthology Racing Can Be Murder, a series of nineteen short stories revolving around the Indianapolis 500 race. It was a finalist for the 2008 Indiana Book of the Year, fiction division.

Reviews

[Watchdogg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second Advent (Nick Bertetto Mystery #1) by Tony Perona
First published in 2002

brief summary -
“Second Advent” by Tony Perona is a mystery novel that combines murder, visions of a pregnant Virgin Mary, a charismatic preacher, body-building enthusiasts, battling beneficiaries, and a reluctant investigative reporter.

When the beloved patriarch of investigative reporter Nick Bertetto’s hometown commits suicide, Nick decides to take a closer look. As he delves into the case, he uncovers a dark picture of fanaticism, con artists, cult religion, and cold hard cash. The investigation leads him closer to a killer.

My thoughts -
A satisfying mystery, but a tad implausible and a little too much hype and hysteria. Still, better than most, so a solid 3 stars consonant with my review ratings.

[Francisco Rojas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good mystery/drama. Simple read to enjoy during breaks at work.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

great mystery

Good balance of whodunit with lots of twists and character enmeshment that kept the pages turning. I am looking forward to the next in the series.

[Donna Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

out of the three Tony Perona books I read, this one "Second Advent" was my favorite --- why? it flowed more smoothly than the others. And I didn't guess the solution to the mystery until more than halfway through the book, so it kept me guessing. I didn't like all the religious stuff , but it wasn't preachy and the religious story line was effective because it kept the reader guessing ---- on the surface many of us don't believe in the bleeding statues and the apparitions that miraculously appear to certain people --- but then down deep, many of us aren't really sure because there seems a lot of unexplained things happening. That's what premise this book plays on, and I have to admit, it kept me reading. There seemed to be more variety to the places and people that the investigative reporter covered here. I DID miss the character of his wife (she never made a physical appearance here) but dad took on more prominence and I liked that character a lot. On the whole, I'd recommend this.