Last Breath

April 14, 2003
Ex-cop Chloe Ryder, the inscrutable heroine in Lee's (With Malice; Breaking all the Rules) issues-oriented thriller, is an attorney with a heart of ice—except when it comes to the Catholic Church and her beloved Father Brendan. So when Brendan's protégé, a young gay man named Steve King, is found crucified at Brendan's church and Brendan starts receiving threatening calls, she rushes to his defense. Chloe's cold demeanor distances her from other characters (and readers), but she reluctantly joins forces with Matt Diel, a detective who once defended her when her abusive husband was murdered. Ignoring the passion simmering between them, Chloe and Matt dig up evidence indicating that King's death, and the death of another gay man from Brendan's past, may be part of a government conspiracy. The nature of the conspiracy is partially illuminated through scenes featuring characters known as "The Killer" or "The Man with the Cigar," but Chloe and Matt never unmask all the key players. In the end, Chloe speculates that God may have played a role in the strange events. While this explanation may be enough for some readers, others will end this brisk, too-short tale feeling more than a little cheated.

March 15, 2003
Someone has hung a real corpse on the crucifix at St. Simeon's, and the police are accusing the church's much-loved priest, Father Brendan Quinlan, of the heinous murder. Fast on the heels of the accusations come rumors of a scandal, seduction, and sexual misconduct. But Chloe Ryder, parishioner, attorney, and former cop, is a big fan of the priest, believes in Father Brendan's innocence, and insists on helping the police with the investigation. Unfortunately, the detective assigned to the case, Matthew Diel, is also Chloe's former lover, and the two of them have a lot of history to work through before they can function as partners. A church is desecrated, faith is challenged, and love is rekindled in this outstanding thriller by the multi-talented Lee, who also writes first-rate romantic comedies as Sue Civil-Brown.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)