J. R. Mathis
ABOUT ME
ABOUT ME
STORY BY J. R. Mathis
The Framed Father
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My wife’s killer finally caught, I was content to leave Myerton to serve in the isolation of the same monastery where I found my call to the priesthood. The temptations of the past still occupy my mind, but behind these walls I’m safe from them.A call from the Archbishop sends me back to Saint Clare’s, to find out if a young priest has broken his vows. Confident I’ll find nothing wrong, I’m content to return.Then a young woman is murdered, and the priest stands accused. Helen is on the case, and I must work with her again to find the truth. But the feelings we left unspoken before are harder to avoid, and I find my heart struggling with my head. Can I save a young man’s life without risking my soul?
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The Penitent Priest
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My wife died in my arms, the victim of a nameless killer"s bullet. I should have died with her. But God had other plans for me. Fifteen years later, I"m back where it all happened. I just want to forget, but the past won"t leave me alone.Now, I"m asking a woman who I left broken-hearted twenty years before to catch my wife"s killer.I"m Father Tom Greer, a Catholic priest, and I"m playing with fire.
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The Fatal Fall
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Is stolen money buried somewhere on the campus of Myer College? A newspaper article by Nate prompts a frenzied hunt for the ill-gotten gain. But when a hundred year old skeleton is found buried in a gorge, Father Tom and Helen try to solve a mystery hidden in the mists of time.
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The Haunted Heritage
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Excitement is building as the opening of the Acutis Society’s Fairy Tales and Frights haunted house approaches. The members of Saint Clare’s gaming group have worked hard to transform the interior of the Myer Mansion into something both magical and scary to entertain the families of Myerton as Halloween approaches.But does an actual ghost walk the halls of the 170 year old house?After Nate writes an article for the Myerton Gazette claiming that that ghost of Victoria Myer haunts the mansion, Father Tom wants a retraction--until the story is picked up by the Baltimore paper and ticket sales go through the roof. Still, Father Tom knows there’s no such thing as ghosts . . . Right?When he finds Catherine Conway in an upstairs room talking to someone he can’t see--a woman asking for a priest to say Masses and prayers for her soul--Father Tom comes to the only conclusion possible.Victoria Myer still lives in the house. And she’s suffering the torments of purgatory.But when one of the participants in the house is found stabbed to death, Father Tom and Helen must search for an earthly killer before he strikes again.
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The Slain Saint
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When a beloved older priest is found murdered in the Rectory"s guest room, Father Tom and Helen try to find the person who wanted him dead. But they find that even saints have secrets . . .and those secrets may have gotten him killed.
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The Redemptive Return
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My faith lies in tatters after the events of the summer. I’ve neglected my prayers. I’ve avoided my priestly duties.I am questioning everything about myself--except my feelings for Helen.When my estranged sister goes missing, I fly home to look for her--with Helen surprising me on the plane.My sister’s dead when I arrive. I’m too late to save her. But I promise to find her killer.But emotions are fragile things, and in the depths of my despair, my love for Helen bursts forth in a grief fueled frenzy of passion and longing. In coming home, what have I found--my damnation, or my redemption?
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The Defining Decision
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Father Tom Greer and Detective Helen Parr are deeply in love. Unwilling to break his vows of celibacy and chastity, they’ve been determined to forge a relationship based on friendship and affection only, never giving in to their physical attraction to each other.But God, it seems, has another plan . . .After receiving news that the Church has decided to allow priests in certain circumstances to request a dispensation to marry and remain in the priesthood, Father Tom and Helen are patiently waiting to hear if he’s been given permission by the Pope. Aided by Anna, they begin to date secretly and discuss what their life together might look like.But when Chad Hudson, Chief of Staff to Myer College President Richard Davenport, is struck and killed by a van driven by Gladys Finklestein, Father Tom and Helen are soon pulled into a murder investigation--with Gladys as the prime suspect.As they investigate, they learn more about Gladys’ past as Richard Davenport’s teenage lover. About what happened that led her to end their relationship. And why Gladys had a public argument with Chad days before his death.Then, Father Tom finds a connection between this accident and another accident sixteen years earlier . . . the one that cost Gladys her parents and the ability to walk.As Helen helps her learn the truth about her parent’s death, Tom helps Gladys come to terms with her past choices--and to understand what her future could be.
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The Buried Bride
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With the Archbishop’s blessing, Helen and I are spending Lent building a relationship built on love--but without physical intimacy.And yes, it’s as hard as it sounds.But this penitential season, I have other work to do. I need to rebuild my relationship with the families of St. Clare’s after neglecting my duties as their shepherd. I must confess my sins to them, and ask their forgiveness.With these two tasks, I expected this Lent to be the longest of my life.But I didn’t expect to be fighting to stay out of prison.
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The Perfect Patsy
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I take his head in my hands and force him to look at me. “Nate,” I say again, this time more forcefully, “where did all this blood come from?” This seems to get through, and his unseeing eyes struggle to focus on mine as one whispered word escapes his lips.“Her.”When the body of Ashley Becket is found naked, tied up, and butchered in Nate Rodriguez’s bed, Father Tom can’t believe the young man’s responsible.Then, it’s discovered Ashley was a prostitute . . . and Nate was a frequent customer.As the rumors fly around Saint Clare’s and the gamer group fractures, Father Tom finds himself trying to keep his parish together and repair Nate’s relationship with Gladys. He soon discovers that Nate is keeping a huge secret from the woman he loves--a secret that led him to hire Ashley in the first place.Then, Gladys finds evidence that points away from Nate--and to someone who couldn’t possibly be responsible.Because, after all, Richard Davenport is safely behind bars . . .
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The Purloined Paintings
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Detective Helen Parr is recovering from being shot in Leslie Williams’ basement and is anxious to get back to work. With the police department in the hands of Acting Chief Detective Dan Conway, Father Tom Greer is determined that his fiance follows her doctor’s orders and rests. All that’s needed for this to happen is for life to be quiet and peaceful.But this is Myerton, and this town nestled in the mountains of Western Maryland is far from quiet and peaceful.First comes the murder of Bethany Grable, owner of The Painted Lotus art gallery and old friend of Father Tom. Dan’s convinced she was the victim of a robbery gone wrong. Father Tom, on the other hand, is not so sure.Then comes the wave of overdose deaths of young students at Myer College. Someone is selling fentanyl at prices college kids can afford. They’re all art majors, and all of them happen to have had pieces displayed in Bethany’s gallery.Coincidence? Or is there a connection between the ODs and Bethany Grable’s murder? And if so, what is the connection?Father Tom decides to try to find out for himself who killed his old friend and why. But doing so could put the life of a young man in danger, and irreparably harm his friendship with Dan.
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