The Abbot's Brother (Saint Anselm Mysteries Book 1)

A Murder. A Mystery. A Truth Buried Since the Resurrection.

When the Abbot of Saint Anselm Monastery is found murdered, Vatican investigators Dylan Taggert and Nia Grayson are drawn into a chilling case that soon becomes much more than a simple homicide. Their search for answers unearths secrets hidden for centuries—secrets that threaten to upend the foundations of the Church itself.

As they follow a trail of clues buried beneath Vatican tradition and secrecy, Taggert and Grayson uncover long-suppressed truths about the power of women in the Church and a conspiracy rooted in ancient prophecy. What they discover challenges everything they thought they knew—and some truths, they learn, are kept hidden for a reason.

Start the Saint Anselm Mysteries series today with The Abbot’s Brother by Mark Reps.

Excerpt from the book

Sacrifice

Events which portend history are often bathed in the blood of murder. Sometimes the taking of a human life is deemed a calling from a higher power. At this moment, when destiny was in the offing, fate held the weapon. Circumstances rooted thousands of years in the past would define the future. The Director knew that a supreme personal sacrifice must be made.

The sensation of cool metal caressing his excited flesh sent pure pleasure chemicals racing through Brother Adam’s brain. He was certain this newfound lover was about to elevate him to unparalleled heights of sexual bliss. The smooth hand that stroked his freshly shaved chest perked the Brother’s nipples into a state of heightened attention. The whispering lips of his supplicant nuzzled so closely to his ear that their warmth flushed the Brother’s face.

“Heaven is always so close at hand.”

Brother Adam quivered with rapture. How true were his lover’s words. Even blindfolded, by his own hand, Brother Adam knew that in front of him stood the altar of Saint Anselm and the crucified body of Christ. In his wildest fantasies, he had never considered the possibility of being offered a young virgin male upon the altar of God. The soft hands that fondled him lit a blazing fire in the darkness of his injured soul.

“Yes,” he trembled. “God is near.”

The passionate voice once again oozed into his ear. A damp tongue tasted his earlobe. A lifetime of sexual fear and panic was being absolved in a single act. Brother Adam prayed to the god of his whimsy, thanking him profusely.

“Are you there, Brother Adam? Are you close to God?”

The unseen lover sensed in Brother Adam’s quivering body that ecstasy was nearly upon him.

Brother Adam’s voice suddenly changed its diffident tenor to one of demand.

“I am ready for you now. Are you prepared to give yourself to me?”

Brother Adam reached for the encumbrance that prevented him from viewing his solicitor. From the touch, he imagined him to be a young man, thirteen, fourteen years of age, ripe for the plucking. When Brother Adam’s hand was halfway to his face, at a point when his ribs were keenly separated, the knife pierced his flesh, leaving but a trickle of blood. With a singular, deft motion, the well-honed blade drew through the sinew and, with an effortless tug, easily severed the spinal cord. Brother Adam’s knees buckled as he crumpled to the floor. Twisting at the waist, he collapsed onto his back, further jamming the weapon of death into his lifeless body.

The killer uttered but three words.

“Body of Christ.”

The future was, for the time being, secure.