The Scientology Murders: A Dead Detective Novel

Heffernan works in a critique of the Church of Scientology into this cat-and-mouse tale, the second installment in his Dead Detective series. Det. Harry Doyle’s hunt for the person who shot and nearly murdered his adoptive father leads him to the secretive church in Clearwater, Fla., after he learns his dad was wounded while trying to rescue a young Scientologist who had gone rogue before turning up dead. Reader McLain, whose deep voice tends to be more relaxing than compelling during the expository sections, compensates for it when Heffernan revs up the action, focuses on sudden deaths, and lifts the lid on a couple of surprises. And he’s very good at embodying the author’s well-developed characters, especially the series’ protagonist. His Doyle experiences frustration, anger and even romance, and underlying all is his determination to apprehend the villain. [em]An Akashic paperback. (May) [/em]