Raw and gritty with dark undertones, this is a mystery steeped in the church, the supernatural, and the most savage and brutal aspects of the time we live in. This is the second in the ‘Father Gilbert Mystery’ series, the ex Scotland Yard detective turned Anglican priest manages to find trouble wherever he goes, or does trouble find him? Tough subjects abound, yet the matter of fact delivery and humanity of Father Gilbert allows entry to this world. Paul McCusker doesn't pull his punches, this feels very realistic and even the twists of supernatural are grounded rather than bizarre. ‘Death in the Shadows’ is so very readable and an entirely captivating mystery. ~ Liz Robinson
When Father Gilbert traded in his detective's badge for an Anglican priest's collar, he never expected he would be pulled into a different kind of mystery - the mystery of the spiritual world. Even attending a conference in a seaside town provides no escape as he has yet another supernatural encounter, this time with a murdered girl who worked at a local massage parlour. Details of the murder lead Father Gilbert to approach the police with clues in common with other cases, bringing him into contact with a detective from his days with Scotland Yard. Meanwhile, a local monastery has been vandalized, with grotesque images and profane graffiti defacing the altar and walls. The head of the monastery, from whom Father Gilbert received spiritual direction a couple of years before, is distressed by the attack, accusing the local sex trade industry of retaliating against his outspoken stand against it. Then, one of the brothers at the monastery is found dead in the local red light district. All evidence points to his having been a regular at a massage parlour - the same one where the murdered girl had worked. Intertwined within this web is a young woman who sees the same apparitions that Father Gilbert thought only he could see, plus an obstinate runaway, a distraught father, and a deep corruption pervading the town. And, whether he likes it or not, Father Gilbert is at the centre of it all.
Paul McCusker has sold more than a million books and twenty million audio dramas. His name is also heard daily on radio stations all over the world, and by at least two million listeners every weekend through the Adventures in Odyssey series. He was previously the Creative Director of Focus on the Family.