- ASIN: B0CKNRZ2TH
- Publication date: November 1, 2023
- Language: English
- Print length: 138 pages
- Page numbers source ISBN: B0CLJ9J2CZ
- Genre: Christian Crime Action & Adventure
The BookViral Review:
A powerfully inclusive and timely adventure, complete with another gritty mystery in true Ray Keating style, Christmas Bells at St. Mary’s is a welcome addition to the Pastor Grant series, this time in the form of a Diary.
Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and the community comes together to celebrate with various gatherings, culminating in an evening of food and performance.
Despite welcoming different faiths in an effort to create a unified body of worship, not all seem eager to embrace the concept. Brother Cooper is mistrustful of other believers, whilst Jeremy, the son of a kindly and talented couple, is openly hostile.
When tragedy strikes in the form of a double murder, Pastor Grant draws on his previous skills as a SEAL and a member of the CIA, whilst using his religious and ethical knowledge to solve a complicated case.
With two equally weighted suspects remaining at large, moving from one tense episode to another, Pastor Grant, with his trademark calm and caring persona, stumbles on a motive, which has been aided and abetted by none other than a pseudo evangelist with his hoax words of rejection and lack of forgiveness and compassion.
Keating’s gripping narrative is perfectly balanced by his Christian beliefs, as he uses the plot to drive home a shared human responsibility to take mastery over our own path. Despite our inherent imperfection which drives us to sin in thought if not deed, Christmas Bells at St. Mary’s carries a strong warning not to allow traits of self-obsession and narcissism to take over our lives, but rather make a cognisant decision to live with Christlike qualities.
Despite its strong message and deadly content, the warmth of Christian living shines through, as Keating uses the vehicle of supportive relationships and anecdotes, with the theme of Christmas films woven charmingly through its pages.
Keating’s ability to deal with both good and evil, whilst maintaining moral integrity is a tightrope he negotiates expertly, resulting in another thoroughly immersive and engaging 5-star read.
