The Psalmist: A Bowers and Hunter Mystery by James Lilliefors

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is probably one of the most unusual mystery books I have read in quite some time. To be certain, I could have done without the superfluous profanity, but I can overlook this for the purposes of this review. I am happy to report that there are no bedroom nor intimate scenes–always a bonus. Though some of the descriptions might be a bit much for unduly sensitive readers, they were never gory nor excessively violent. Although the author chooses to take the realist view of mysteries like this and leave the case open and partially unresolved, I was not bothered. Typically, I prefer for all the “bad guys” to come to justice. I feel certain that in time, everyone involved will receive their just rewards (and punishments).

For me, the most intriguing portion of this story was the Psalms tie-in to the murder investigations. The inclusion of the pastor and his insights made the mystery quite interesting for me. Media fascination with serial killers makes me realize that this case is not out of the scope of reality. At times, the Biblical correlations were rather eerie and chilling.

Unfortunately, most mysteries written along these lines rarely have any comedic relief. They are typically filled with darkness and evil. This book accomplishes the amazing feat of including the dramatic elements as well as some cleverly-written comedy between the characters–I truly loved that!

For the true mystery fan that is not bothered by profanity, this book is a perfect fit. I would enjoy reading more from this author, and I can certainly recommend his work.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

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