Your Sleuth is an Exorcist???!!!

When I tell people that my new mystery novel, An Unhealthy Attachment, features an exorcist as the protagonist and sleuth, I get one of two reactions. A giggle, or uncomfortable silence.

As for the latter reaction, I get that people might think I'm making light of a very serious business, and others might think I'm dragging out an ancient right better left in the past, but both of these perceptions are wrong. I would never mock this healing rite, and exorcism is a very real and active part of the Church, even today.

I do get a lot of questions, and here are some of the answers.

How do you research an exorcist?  

If you call any diocese and ask to speak to the exorcist, you'll most likely not be connected to a man who answers, "Exorcist here. How can I help you?" There are some who are public about their role, but many are priests who have other duties, such as being pastor to a parish, who step into the role when the need arises. Any priest can do an exorcism with the permission of his bishop, but after my research, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone without training.

So, instead of interviews, I listened to many hours of lectures given by exorcists, usually to their fellow priests. There are also a few books out there that deal with the ministry of spiritual oppression, such as Fr. Gabriele Amorth's An Exorcist Explains the Demonic: The Antics of Satan and His Army of Fallen Angels and Unbound: A Practical Guide to Deliverance by Neal Lozano and Francis MacNutt. And, of course, The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist by Matt Baglio.  (The book is much drier than the movie and therefor, in my opinion, better.)

Isn't it a downer to hear so much about Satan? 

The next reaction I get is some level of freak-out, stating that the person would never listen to that stuff because it would be too frightening. 

Not so much. Actually, after many hours of listening to exorcists, the devil became a teensy bit boring.  He's legalistic and not all that creative. Literally. Satan cannot create anything, but he can use what has already been created by God, usually to distort it.  His purpose is to keep you from God, and he will exert the least possible effort to do so. He prefers subtlety to making grand entrances into people's lives. Most of the drama comes from filmmakers and our own active imaginations. But make no mistake. He is there. 

Why did you make your character an exorcist?

Well, why not? Evil comes in many forms, much of the time through our own concupiscence, and that's something we can see the results of every day. That said, there are definite signs that Satan is very active in our world today, and it intrigued me to have a character who could work out where the danger was coming from. Is it simply human nature? Or something more? And what is a mystery other than a battle between good (the sleuth) and evil (the killer)?

Will you show an exorcism?

Never.  

I have too much respect for the Rite, and since I'm not William Peter Blatty, I would just make a mess of it. Also, most of the demonic activity in the world is through other forms of spiritual attack. Possessions are the minority. 

But will your book be funny?

I don't think I could write a novel without humor, because people are funny. The very premise of my mystery has humor - an exorcist who has been taken off his regular duties and sent to teach at an all-girl high school. Talk about going from the frying pan into the fire. Teenagers are scary.  It's a traditional humorous mystery with some supernatural and preternatural elements. 

So, it won't be all horror?

I don't consider any of it horror. If it makes you feel better, fallen angels aren't the only angels in town.

Where can I buy it?

It's available on Amazon, Kobo, iBooks, etc. (Barnes and Noble and Scribd are still getting it up), and the paperback is available on Amazon. 

I've also made it and my other books--the digital copies--available from my website at a 20% discount.