Preacher Fakes a Miracle

Praise for the Evan Wycliff Mysteries Kudos for Preacher Finds a Corpse (#1) 2020 New York City Big Book Awards WINNER in Mystery 2020 Independent Press Awards Distinguished Favorite in Mystery 2020 Eric Hoffer Awards Finalist in Mystery Praise for This Book (Preacher #2) 2020 New York City Big Book Awards Distinguished Favorite in Mystery As anyone who’s spent time in a small town the American Midwest knows, there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes than you’d expect. Or suspect. And there are plenty of suspects in the latest Evan Wycliff mystery by Gerald Everett Jones. Preacher Fakes a Miracle haunted my dreams as I read it, in the way that a good story about a bad situation should. I’m looking forward to reading the next installment of the Evan Wycliff mystery series. Pamela Jaye Smith, Mythworks, Award-Winning Writer-Director-Producer This is not your mother’s preacher. Gerald Jones has created a character who can discover a corpse, kiss a girl, solve a crime, and get back to his trailer in time to say grace over Sunday dinner. David Drum, Author of Heathcliff: The Lost Years This time the Preacher digs even deeper, faster, and funnier than his prize-winning debut. It’s just what you’d expect, except everything you expect is wrong because the Preacher, in the very talented hands of Gerald Jones, is always at least a step ahead in this very satisfying second time out of the gate. Morrie Ruvinsky, Author of Meeting God or Something Like It and The Heart and Other Strangers A fast-moving mystery with twists and surprises that take you in unexpected directions. Jones is adept at creating unique and fascinating characters. His mystery sleuth is a part-timer with lots of heart who splits his time between religion, skip tracing and sometimes the metaphysical. The hero's search for a missing girl and his interactions with various eccentric individuals in the small town make him both sympathetic and compelling. A bit of a shock to learn what's really going on with the abducted young unwed mother... and amazing how it relates to real stories in the news today. M.J. Richards, Coauthor of Dishonor Thy Father Praise for Preacher #1: This is literature masquerading as a mystery. Carefully yet powerfully, Gerald Jones creates a small, stunning world in a tiny midwestern town, infusing each character with not just life but wit, charm, and occasionally menace. This is the kind of writing one expects from John Irving or Jane Smiley. Marvin J. Wolf, Author of the Rabbi Ben Mysteries, including A Scribe Dies in Brooklyn This is an excellent read. Such an engaging storyteller! It really sucked me in. That last page did cause a triple-take, quadruple-take, and whatever comes after, up to about eight. Jones is definitely one of my favorite authors. John Rachel, Author of Blinders Keepers and The Man Who Loved Too Much A smart, thoroughly entertaining, and suspenseful mystery novel, which is not so much a who-done-it as a how-and-why. The characters are universally well-drawn and quirky, and the relationship between Evan and Naomi is fresh and romantic. I loved it. Roberta Edgar, Coauthor of The Perfect Play: The Day We Broke the Bank in Atlantic City The constant shifts in trust and tidbits of new information kept me guessing until the end who was friend or foe and the ‘need’ to find out kept the pages turning. Many of the common stigmas, questions, and feelings suicide deaths leave in their wake were also addressed in a responsible way, which will help the conversation around suicide in general. Ruth Golden, Writer-Producer, The Silent Goldens: A Documentary About Suicide and Talking About Suicide with Mariette Hartley Preacher Finds a Corpse is an absolute pleasure to read. Reminiscent of Charlaine Harris’s mysteries and Barbara Kingsolver’s early novels like Animal Dreams and The Bean Trees, it’s full of quirky characters who animate the small town in which they live. Evan Wycliff is a complex and compelling protagonist, conflicted and lost in his own life but nevertheless fiercely dedicated to uncovering the truth about his friend Bob Taggart’s death. Jones manages to infuse a deceptively simple story with suspense, angst, and whimsy, as well as surprise. His command of setting, history, and behavior is beyond exceptional. I can’t wait for the next book in the series. Paula Berinstein, Author of the Amanda Lester Detective series and Host of “The Writing Show” podcast From the secret contents in a rusty tin fishing box to clues that lead Evan further into danger, Gerald Everett Jones weaves a tense thriller peppered with references to Evan's ongoing relationship to God and prayer. When the clues boil down to a final surprise, will forgiveness be possible? Jones does an outstanding job of crafting a murder mystery that romps through a small town's secrets and various lives. His main protagonist is realistic and believable in every step of his investigative actions and setbacks; but so are characters he interacts with; from his boss Zip to a final service which holds some big surprises. With its roots firmly grounded in an exceptional sense of place and purpose, Jones has created a murder mystery that lingers in the mind long after events have built to an unexpected crescendo. Murder mystery fans will find it more than a cut above the ordinary. D. Donovan, Donovan’s Bookshelf