Be careful what you wish for, his mother used to say. Yet how many times has Monty Collins wished for a client who is intelligent, articulate and tattoo-free? Now he has one, but it’s not long before his mother’s warning comes back to haunt him. Father Brennan Burke is the prime suspect in the killing of a foxy young girl whose body was found carved with a religious sign, a sign that points straight to the priest.

With Burke remaining tight-lipped and evasive about his relationship with the victim, Monty has no choice but to secretly conduct a probe into the life of his own client. Never has Monty been so lost for answers, until a long-forgotten incident takes on new and ominous meaning . . .

Winner of the 2006 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel