Scrublands by Chris Hammer

Scrublands by Chris Hammer - 368 pages

An isolated Australian town is devastated by an unspeakable tragedy.  One year later, journalist Martin Scarsden is visiting the town of Riversend to write about how the town has recovered.  Scarsden soon finds that the story is much more nuanced than anyone ever suspected and the tragedy is still unfolding in the present day.  This novel is intricately plotted and new twists unfold throughout.  The characters are well developed and each speak with a distinct voice.  I also enjoyed the Australian setting and learning about the impact of drought on the isolated community. 

Salvation in Death by J.D. Robb

Salvation in Death by J.D. Robb - 373 pages

Detective Eve Dallas has a new murder case to solve.  A Catholic priest was murdered during a funeral service while taking communion.  The investigation takes many twists as turns as identities are questions and ties are found to a bombing from twenty years ago.

I enjoyed this volume in the Eve Dallas series by J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts).  The twists and turns were interesting.  I also found the various characters' views on religion interesting.

Tactics, v.5 by Sakura Kinoshita

Tactics, v.5 by Sakura Kinoshita & Kazuko Higashimaya - 184 pages

In this volume we finally discover who is after Haruka.  Another plot fails to expose the demon eater as well as a plot to steal Rosalie, the young girl being raised by Hasumi.
I'm eager to continue reading the series now that the mastermind is finally exposed.  I'm waiting to discover exactly "what" he is.

Salvation in Death by J.D. Robb

Salvation in Death by J.D. Robb - 373 pages

Father Miguel Flores is killed by poisoning while offering communion during a funeral mass.  Now Eve Dallas must figure out why someone would want to kill a Catholic priest.  The big problem is that Father Flores was a fake.  He was someone else who had taken Flores' identity and face for some reason.  Who was he?  Why would he want to imitate a priest?  And who wanted to kill him?
This is another book in the Eve Dallas series by Nora Roberts.  Unlike most of the books in the series, I did not know where this one was going or who the killer was until late in the book. 

The Owl Killers by Karen Maitland

The Owl Killers by Karen Maitland - 502 pages

This book takes place in England in the 14th Century and depicts the efforts of a group of women to establish a beguinage in Northeast England.  The Church and the people of the small town are reluctant to allow this happening as the local priest and the "fraternal" organization (the Owl Masters) believe the ladies to be witches and want them to leave the area.  The ladies of the beguinage, led by Servant Martha, are only interested in being self-sustaining and serving God.  The book depicts the struggles of the local people, the priest and the ladies. 

Trinity Blood, vol.1 by Sunao Yoshida

Trinity Blood, vol.1 by Sunao Yoshida - 184 pages

Father Abel Nightroad has been sent to look into the vampire problem at Sister Esther's church.  There is a true problem there with the ruling vampire determined to exact revenge on the city for the death of his wife.  Both Sister Esther and the vampire Gyula are being manipulated by Dietrich who decides to use Gyula's revenge to instead destroy Rome and the Vatican.
This is the first book in the manga Trinity Blood.  I've watched the Trinity Blood anime and wanted to read the books to see if there was a more conclusive ending.  The manga is fairly different from the anime with key characters having a vastly different background.  Still, I enjoyed the book and will continue reading the series.