Calvary Casino

Special operations cop Levi Talbot was already furious after learning that his estranged brother Jimmy, an evangelist whose previous ministry was brought down by a scandal, would be returning to Las Vegas to open a Gospel-themed casino. Levi is all the more enraged when his commanding officer assigns him to lead an investigation into rumors that a bomb has been hidden somewhere in Jimmy’s new casino, ever since its wildly-successful opening day. Levi’s vow to quit the Department rather than take a single step into Calvary Casino-or speak a single word to his brother-seems less than convincing, especially in view of his preoccupation with the string of grisly murders he’s already investigating. When the murders and the bomb threat turn out to be connected, the violent incident that drove Levi and Jimmy apart decades ago suddenly emerges as the key to solving both cases.

With the help of Jimmy’s personal secretary, a seemingly innocent beauty who hides her own dark secret, Levi must confront not only the past that now links rather than divides the Talbot brothers, but the depth of emotion he’s suppressed for too long. Calvary Casino is a streetwise crime novel, an insightful commentary on the kind of religion that mistakes the medium for the message, and ultimately a parable of reconciliation and redemption.

Note: The new softcover edition features an appendix that includes a study guide for personal reflection or group discussion on the issues raised by the novel. Readers will also find pages for note-taking, along with a fascinating author interview about the writing of Calvary Casino.