Deus X

August Snow, a former Detroit police officer, is prepared to risk his life to keep a friend out of reach of a modern order of Templars who regard protecting the Catholic church's reputation as their highest duty.

Father Michael Grabowski, a Franciscan who has served the spiritual needs of Detroit's Mexicantown for four decades, has abruptly retired. August has known the priest all his life, and he finds the timing unsettling, especially after the suspicious suicide of another local priest. What is Father Grabowski hiding from his past?

The danger grows when a mysterious priest and combat veteran calling himself Francis Dominioni Petra shows up at the Detroit diocese. He has come from the Vatican, and his armored guards are steadily moving toward Father Grabowski and the people around him, so August sets out to learn why. A serious crime has been committed in the name of faith, and he must determine who is pursuing justice and who wants the truth buried along with anyone who could testify to it. August also questions his own beliefs and the family he has chosen. This is the fourth book in the Hammett Prize-winning series, and it includes plenty of action.