The Avenger has struck again! Once again, a woman had been
murdered and in the blunt words of the police officer
calling, he affirms it is the same M.O. as had been used in
the previous killing. Homicide Detective Troy Evans of the
Columbus Police immediately knows this modus operandi - the
woman had been killed, then her body is arranged in a cross
like position with a Bible left on her chest. Why is this
happening? What is the significance?
As news of the "Bible Butcher" makes the headlines, Lead
Detective Troy Evans is under heavy pressure to find the
killer before another woman gets hurt and killed. He has
set his sights on the pompous Reverend Eric Freeman of the
unusual Tabernacle of Jesus Church as being the murderer,
but even he can see that the profile is just not fitting
for him. Is the profile right or not?
Meanwhile, Troy's beloved wife Natalie, normally very
understanding of the demands of his job is getting a little
testy as she has to pick up more of the demands on the home
front, especially in caring for Nate, their almost three
year old son. How much more of this can she take?
After the successful publication of her first three novels,
Yolonda Tonette Sanders has launched WAGES OF SIN as the
first mystery in her new Protective Detective Series.
Sanders has a very easy to read style that quickly pulls
you into the plot and then captives your attention with a
fast moving and exciting storyline peppered with clues that
lead to a surprising ending.
One of Sanders' talents is her character development. With
a quick sketching, each character, both main and secondary,
is easily visualized and springs to life. Sanders is also
very effective in describing the tensions between people as
Troy works with his team and interviews people in the
search for the serial killer. The work situation is offset
by the issues on the home front and one can quickly get
caught up in the juggling act that both Troy and Natalie do
to support each other; yet, at the same time, nicely
mirrors how misunderstandings and small resentments can
arise.
The story highlights the truth that in relationships,
people tend to remember anger and pain from hurtful and
negative incidents with a far stronger intensity that the
joy and thankfulness gained from love and kindnesses. The
story also gives a strong message of how love can be eroded
and the power of hope and forgiveness. Issues of faith and
belief in God are a key focus in the novel and Biblical
verses are frequently quoted throughout the story as well
as being reflected in the title. WAGES OF SIN is a
promising start to this new series and I look forward to
the next mystery! Fans who like police procedural and
mystery books are sure to find WAGES OF SIN a very
satisfying read!
In the first novel in a juicy and thrilling mystery series,
homicide detective Troy Evans desperately hunts down a
serial killer.
Troy Evans believes in God, but he’s seen enough evil on his
job to shake his faith. Nonetheless, his loyalty to his
family never wavers, and he would do anything to protect
them—one of the reasons he is a workaholic.
Natalie loves her family, but she’s becoming increasingly
frustrated with Troy’s job. His schedule is often hectic and
unpredictable, and she’s also helping her best friend deal
with some serious issues— and struggling to come clean about
a secret she’s hiding from Troy.
While Natalie deals with her issues, Troy spends the
majority of his time searching for a serial killer who
abducted and murdered several women without rhyme or reason.
Desperate to stop the murderer before more women die, he
works diligently, but the killer always seems to be one step
ahead of him. Then Troy comes to the awful realization that
he and the killer have something in common—something that
instantly sets him on a mission to end the terror…or die
trying.