THE RECTOR

Combine a suspenseful murder mystery with theology (the study and explanation of religious faith, practice, and experience) ,and you have The Rector&mdash,with an allegory of Christ&rsquo,s ministry! Martha McRae is a widow living in a small Mississippi Delta town in the 1950s. She&rsquo,s obsessed with the sudden death of her Episcopal church&rsquo,s young rector. A murderer could go free if she doesn&rsquo,t investigate. But Martha is torn. If she pursues the suspect, her Bible study friend&rsquo,s awful secret could be revealed. It would be devastating, and ,life-changing. When the new rector arrives, she encounters a new puzzle--one that takes her into Parchman Penitentiary, where she comes face to face with evil. , &ldquo,Michael Thompson offers a tantalizing murder mystery filled with chilling explorations of hypocrisy, true faith, and small-town secrets. It&rsquo,s about sin and redemption. It&rsquo,s about the search for truth, in both the physical and spiritual realms. And it&rsquo,s all wrapped up in a puzzle that keeps even skeptics on their toes. The writing is compelling with a plot that grows ever thicker and offers even ardent mystery fans delightfully unexpected twists and turns. The intrigue is well developed with well-placed clues and cliffhangers. The characters are multidimensional and fascinating. The faith themes are so masterfully woven in that those who aren&rsquo,t religious should simply find the novel to be top-notch suspense.&rdquo, Diane Gardner, ForeWord&rsquo,s Clarion Review. The Editor-in-Chief, ,Southern Writers Magazine, writes