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The Good Priest
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction, Suspense
Age Groups: 18+
Formats: Ebook, Paperback
This psychological mystery thriller follows a young parish priest, Father John, through a traumatic season of Lent, when he becomes convinced that a serial killer preying on prostitutes is the anonymous stranger visiting the confessional and threatening to do "pure evil". The stranger seems familiar and John eventually idenfies him as a cardinal whom heremembers with horror from his seminarian days in Rome, but the cardinal is dead, so who or what is in the confessional? As John himself becomes a suspect in the search for the murderer, he is caught up in a terrifying cat and mouse game as he tries to identify the killer and protect the sex workers he is befriending in the city's red light district. But what will happen if his own terrible secret is revealed in the process?
The Good Priest has attracted excellent reviews on Amazon, GoodReads and NetGalley.
An "absolute masterpiece.. I would place this book in the top three fiction books I have read." (John McLorinan, GoodReads)
"To combine thriller/mystery with an inside view of one priest's thoughts and emotions is good enough. But this really hung together as an exploration of mystery conscience and motivation. I'm so regretting having got to the end- please write another!" (Amazon Reviewer)
"This is probably the best book that I have read this year. I will certainly be looking out for any further books from Tina Beattie." (Breakaway Reviewers)
Reviews
Christine B., NetGalley Reviewer
Five-star review:
I absolutely loved this book. Father John's angst, compassion and loving spirit were portrayed throughout the novel. Although there was a mystery , I think I enjoyed the portrayal of his parish life more compelling. I followed the lives of his parishioners with great interest and rapidly turned pages to find out what happened to them all. It is a story of redemption of the human spirit and I found it most uplifting. I would definitely recommend this book. Thank you
Katie on Amazon Reviews
Five-star review (see the Amazon listing for 200+ reviews):
‘The Good Priest’ is a wonderful mix of great story telling, believable characters and a thread of thrilling mystery which keeps you gripped until the very end. You don’t have to be a Catholic or of any other religious background to read this book but if you do come from a Catholic background, there is a lot which will be familiar, which for me added to building a picture of the sights, setting and people of Westonville. There are dark psychological themes running throughout, along with bold, deep reflections on human nature, sin, suffering and human relationships. Using the timescale of Lent gives the book a unique structure which takes the reader through a rollercoaster of emotions and evokes personal reflections prompted by the relationships you build with the characters. I hope there will be more.
Elvia P. on GoodReads
Five-star review:
The Good Priest is a deeply unsettling and beautifully written novel that masterfully blends psychological suspense with profound theological reflection. Tina Beattie draws readers into Father John’s inner world as his carefully ordered life unravels during Lent, confronting him with buried trauma, moral terror, and haunting uncertainty. The confessional scenes are especially gripping, creating an atmosphere of dread that lingers long after the page is turned.
What makes this novel exceptional is its emotional depth and intellectual courage. Beattie handles themes of abuse, memory, faith, and doubt with sensitivity and clarity, while weaving a mystery that constantly challenges the reader’s assumptions about reality and forgiveness. The result is a powerful, thought-provoking story that is both a compelling thriller and a searching meditation on belief, guilt, and the cost of violence. This is a remarkable and unforgettable read.