Last week, I mentioned attending a [really beneficial] novel writing workshop by master storyteller Steven James.

While I was there, I also had the privilege of hearing another instructor, NY Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni. Before the last session I snagged a copy of one of his most recent titles, The 7th Canon.

Father Thomas Martin, a priest who runs a shelter for troubled boys, has a past of his own. When one of the teenagers is murdered right in the shelter, the evidence points to Father Martin as the killer. An overzealous homicide cop with an attitude has tainted that evidence and injured a witness. Still, things look pretty bleak for the priest.

Young attorney Peter Donley ends up handling the case. Inexperienced in criminal cases, he’s in way over his head. Father Martin refuses a plea bargain, insisting he is innocent. Donley believes him and decides to do what no one else is doing: try to figure out who the real murderer is.

This story is a wild ride full of honor, skulduggery, loyalty, risky behavior (with the resulting imminent danger), and plenty of plot twists. I already want to read it again, making it a shoo-in for my “Great Weekend Reads” list.

Thanks for reading,
Jan