The Monk

The bestselling author of The Search for Joseph Tully "will keep you up all night" with this paranormal thriller of heaven and hell, sinners and saviors ( The New York Times).   In a masterful blending of myth and reality, the eternal conflict between good and evil comes to life in this modern-day love story. It ostensibly begins twenty-five years ago with the birth of Brendan Davitt in County Clare, Ireland, to American parents. Brendan's arrival is accompanied by strange portents: the scream of the shrike, the banshee's wail, the sighting of an evanescent priest called the Magus and his white bull mastiff.   But in fact, the novel begins eons ago, when the angel Lucifer challenges God's authority and falls from heaven. In retaliation, Lucifer corrupts Eve and so brings death to men. God is angry, and this is his judgment: The angel Timothy, only a temporary traitor in the heavenly war, will be punished by having to wander the earth in the guise of a priest. He must look for a human with a purple aura, a sign of saint-like benevolence, who will forgive Timothy for his part in the heavenly rebellion. If the priest is forgiven, Lucifer—now called Satan—and his friends will be destroyed.   "An endlessly compelling story, energetically told . . . One fun ride, with scenes of brilliantly conceived suspense, and a hypnotic, dreamy atmosphere." —Storyteller