A Prison Chaplain, a Private Detective, and a Former Reporter . . . Meet 3 of the most compelling and intriguing series detectives in contemporary crime fiction—John Jordan, Jimmy "Soldier" Riley, and Merrick McKnight—in the first novel in each of Michael Lister's seminal series: POWER IN THE BLOOD, THE BIG GOODBYE, and THUNDER BEACH. POWER IN THE BLOOD John "J.J." Jordan was a cop who hit bottom (too much booze and violence) and then decided to become a man of God. But a cleric’s collar doesn’t shield him from the seedier side when he finds himself as the prison chaplain of Potter Correctional Institution. His past life creeps even closer when he is coerced into investigating the bloody death of an inmate, a death he witnessed. Things seem to be picking up a bit when he meets Laura, an overnight delivery girl, who apparently has a gleam in her eye for him as well. Such personal travails take a backseat to his investigation, however, when J.J. learns that a Pottersville banker has been murdered. Lister, a prison chaplain himself, gives his leading character the depth and shortcomings of a "regular guy," a refreshing change from the typically flawless clergy found in much pop fiction. Considering the scarcity of mysteries featuring prison chaplains, the competent, authentic tale carves a nice niche for itself. —-Booklist "Power in the Blood provides an unflinching and disturbing look at contemporary prison life, and prison chaplain John Jordan makes for a convincing and altogether appealing detective/protagonist. An auspicious debut." —Les Standiford, author Presidential Deal "Lister, a real-life prison chaplain who knows his turf, delivers gritty portrayals of inmates and prison workers." —Publisher’s Weekly "Lister’s descriptions of a prison setting, as well as the situations Jordan encounters, are about as real as it gets—and it’s not surprising. Power in the Blood is the first novel for the North Florida resident who spends his days working as a chaplain for the Florida Department of Corrections." —Orlando Sentinel "Michael Lister’s Power in the Blood is a promising first novel." —Library Journal "Power in the Blood, is a first novel that takes a uniquely uncompromising view of grace." —Kirkus Reviews "A breakout of mystery writer: A Panhandle prison chaplain weaves an engaging debut set on familiar turf—behind bars. Power in the Blood is a laudable debut, and shows potential for a continuing series ... Taut, highly readable story that manages to deliver a few surprises and a unique hero. John Jordan is committed to his faith, but he is no saint... A refreshing use of religion as a background for narrative which the author never overdoes." —Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel THUNDER BEACH “With taut, passionate prose, Lister takes you on a page-turning journey through the seedy strip of Panama City, introducing you to characters you won’t quickly forget along the way. Thunder Beach is absolutely riveting.” Alafair Burke THE BIG GOODBYE Walk The Mean Streets Of Wartime Panama City With Jimmy "Soldier" Riley, A Wounded, Woman-Haunted Knight Errant In Michael Lister's Resonant New Series. "Stylish, retro, and highly entertaining. Michael Lister's PI Jimmy "Soldier" Riley is a compelling new noir hero." Jason Starr "A seductive mix of sudden violence and raw emotion, Michael Lister's THE BIG GOODBYE is a much-welcome contribution to the hardboiled, P.I. tradition. Cool stuff.
Author
New York Times bestselling and award-winning novelist Michael Lister is a native Floridian best known for his literary suspense thrillers as well as his two ongoing mystery series, the prison chaplain John Jordan "Blood" series and the hard-boiled, 1940s noir Jimmy "Soldier" Riley Series, and the post-apocalypic suspense thriller Cataclysmos. Visit www.michaellister.com for more information, or follow his youtube channel - Writing and Life at https://www.youtube.com/user/MichaelL... The Florida Book Review says that "Vintage Michael Lister is poetic prose, exquisitely set scenes, characters who are damaged and faulty" and Michael Koryta says, “If you like crime writing with depth, suspense, and sterling prose, you should be reading Michael Lister," while Publisher's Weekly adds, “Lister’s hard-edged prose ranks with the best of contemporary noir fiction.” Michael grew up in North Florida near the Gulf of Mexico and the Apalachicola River in a small town world famous for tupelo honey. Truly a regional writer, North Florida is his beat. Captivated by story since childhood, Michael has a love for language and narrative inspired by the Southern storytelling tradition that captured his imagination and became such a source of meaning and inspiration. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in theology with an emphasis on myth and narrative. In the early 90s, Michael became the youngest chaplain within the Florida Department of Corrections. For nearly a decade, he served as a contract, staff, then senior chaplain at three different facilities in the Panhandle of Florida—a unique experience that led to his first novel, 1997’s critically acclaimed, POWER IN THE BLOOD. It was the first in a series of popular and celebrated novels featuring ex-cop turned prison chaplain, John Jordan. Subsequent books in the series include BLOOD OF THE LAMB, FLESH AND BLOOD, THE BODY AND THE BLOOD, BLOOD SACRIFICE, and RIVERS TO BLOOD, and each takes readers through the electronically locked gates of the chain-link fences, beneath the looping razor wire glinting in the sun, and into the strange world of Potter Correctional Institution, Florida’s toughest maximum security prison. Of the John Jordan series, Michael Connelly says “Michael Lister may be the author of the most unique series running in mystery fiction. It crackles with tension and authenticity,” while Julia Spencer-Fleming adds “Michael Lister writes one of the most ambitious and unusual crime fiction series going. See what crime fiction is capable of.” Michael also writes historical hard-boiled thrillers, such as THE BIG GOODBYE, THE BIG BEYOND, and THE BIG HELLO featuring Jimmy "Soldier" Riley, a PI in Panama City during World War II. Ace Atkins calls the "Soldier" series "tough and violent with snappy dialogue and great atmosphere . . . a suspenseful, romantic and historic ride." Michael Lister won his first Florida Book Award for his literary novel, DOUBLE EXPOSURE, a book, according to the Panama City News Herald, that “is lyrical and literary, written in a sparse but evocative prose reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy.” It is a contemplation of life and death, art and meaning, set deep in the swamps of the Apalachicola River, a thriller about a wildlife photographer whose camera traps capture a crime, that shows the beauty and danger of the Panhandle paradise. His second Florida Book Award was for his fifth John Jordan novel BLOOD SACRIFICE.
