Pastor's plot is well crafted, her prose sharp. . . . A disturbing mix
of detection and reflection.--Publishers Weekly
A mystery, it rivets the reader until the end and beyond, with its twist
of historical realities. A historical piece, it faithfully reproduces
the grim canvas of war. A character study, it captures the thoughts and
actions of real people, not stereotypes.--TheFree Lance-Star
Part wartime political intrigue, detective story, psychological
thriller, and religious mystery, Ben Pastor's debut follows a German
army captain and a Chicago priest as they investigate the death of a nun
in Nazi-occupied Poland.
In October 1939 Captain Martin Bora discovers the abbess, Mother
Kazimierza, shot dead in her convent garden. Her alleged power to see
the future has brought her a devoted following; her work and motto,
Lumen Christi Adiuva Nos (Light of Christ, help us), appear also to have
brought some enemies.
Father Malecki has come to Cracow, at the pope's bidding, to investigate
Mother Kazimierza's powers. The Vatican orders him to stay and assist
Bora in the inquiry into her killing. Stunned by the violence of the
occupation and the ideology of his colleagues, Bora's sense of Prussian
duty is tested to the breaking point. The interference of seductive
actress Ewa Kowalska does not help matters.
Ben Pastor, born in Italy, has lived for thirty years in the United
States, working as a university professor in Vermont. She is the author
of other novels, including The Water Thief and The Fire Walker (St.
Martin's Press).
