September 11, 2023
Jones’s ripping fourth August Snow thriller (after 2021’s Dead of Winter) sees the former Detroit detective facing off against a shadow organization intent on burying the secrets of the Catholic church. Shortly after taking out a target in Norway, Snow receives a call from an old friend that sends him racing home to Detroit’s Mexicantown. There, he finds one priest dead of an apparent suicide, and Father Michael Grabowski, whom Snow has known all his life, suspiciously retired from the church he’s served for 40 years. Snow learns that Grabowski has been compelled to quit by Father Dominioni Petra, who was sent to Detroit by the Vatican and a mysterious group known as Deus X. After some digging, Snow discovers that Deus X targeted Father Grabowski because, while serving in Mexico, he helped a cartel leader kill sexually abusive priests. To save his friend, Snow must untangle a well-funded conspiracy to protect Catholic bad actors. Jones never lets his foot off the gas, and he brings Snow’s Detroit to vivid life, populating the city with memorable characters and wringing atmosphere from its crime-steeped history. This one’s a blast for newcomers and series fans alike. Agent: Stephany Evans, Collins Literary.