Acts of Contrition

This serviceably written, well-paced thriller by the author of a biography of Cardinal Spellman, The American Pope , has an intriguing premise: a Church leader is hiding a shameful secret. An anonymous accusation of wrongdoing some 20 years earlier sets the narrative in motion: ``Patrick Hogan must never be made a bishop. He was part of the Trinity's mortal sin. Washington, March 20, 1972.'' The Trinity consisted of Patrick Hogan, Damian Carter and William Witten--among the best and brightest of the Gethsemane Seminary's class of '72, each stood out for his spiritual and intellectual ideals. Their former classmate, Father Kevin Kelly, an ex-Green Beret trying to deal with his own dark past, is stunned by the note. Called in by the Vatican to investigate, he is bitterly conflicted. Though he believes an examplar of the Church must be above reproach, he is worried for Hogan: What will become of his promising career if the accusation proves true? The investigation takes Kelly from Rome to Washington, D.C., to New York (where Hogan is the host of a popular talk show) and back to Gethsemane. Did the Trinity commit a ``mortal sin'' in Washington for an anti-war rally? Or will Kelly ultimately be able to clear his old friend? Readers will be kept guessing until the very end. 50,000 first printing; $50,000 ad/promo; Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Clubs selections. (Aug.)