Flesh and Blood

John Jordan is back—investigating eternal mysteries woven into the fabric of everyday life. Within the confines of seemingly ordinary cases, John explores the ineffable and inexplicable, the profoundly mysterious within the mundane.

In this diverse collection of cases, John investigates the Shroud of Turin, a pregnant virgin, a daring prison break, a Hurricane Katrina orphan who might just be the Second Coming, a desperate woman who sleeps with one too many men, a bloody body on the rec yard, a mystery that turns on a single observation, and a murder in which John himself is the prime suspect—all this as he deals with depression and battles alcoholism.

These stories are puzzles, whodunits, and enigmas, but they are much more. John Jordan doesn't just solve crime, he investigates the hidden heart of humanity and the mysterious world in which we live. Here are temporal answers and eternal questions, and at the center of it all, a conflicted man of faith and doubt, flawed, but faithful, who ministers mercy even as he thirsts for justice.

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There is a distinct pleasure in reading an anthology of short stories featuring the same character. Each story explores a different aspect of the character’s life and shines the spotlight on different parts of his or her personality. In the best of such anthologies, the stories build upon one another, adding layer after layer of complexity and contradiction until the character’s inner life—the most guarded thoughts and feelings—are exposed, and in the process, we, the fortunate readers, are able to gain a deeper insight into our own guarded thoughts and feelings. And isn’t that the true value of stories? We open an anthology and begin reading, anticipating both the pleasure to come from the reading itself and the way in which the stories will take us outside of ourselves for a brief time and provide a new perspective that can help us to make sense of our own lives.

Flesh and Blood and Other Stories by Michael Lister is that kind of enriching experience. The character whose life opens up for us is John Jordan, a man of irony and contradictions, which make him real, like an old friend we thought we knew who continues to surprise us. He’s an ex-cop and an alcoholic struggling to hold onto sobriety and sometimes failing. An ex-cop in recovery, he says of himself, and now a chaplain at a tough prison in the northern gulf region of Florida. He wears a clerical suit and collar, yet finds he has little in common with other men in clerical suits and collars. He navigates the rocky shoals of racial tensions in a place where old prejudices still run beneath the surface of things—”a white man at home among blacks, underprivileged and oppressed. “ He’s in love with Anna. “The one,” he says,” and the one who got away.”

He’s also a superb detective, this John Jordan, often called upon to investigate the inexplicable and sometimes unsolvable cases. Ex-cop and chaplain, he is part Sherlock Homes and part Father Brown. What he brings to the investigations is the combination of Sherlock’s powers of observation—the ability to see details others overlook—and Father Brown’s openness to the fundamental mysteries at the heart of life. Those are the mysteries that infuse these stories. Even after Jordan has solved the crime, wrapped up all the facts, provided the answers, the fundamental mysteries linger, reminding us that not everything in life is knowable or solvable.

Four of the stories might seem like typical mysteries with ingenious and suspenseful plots that challenge Jordan’s powers of deduction. Yet by the endings, we’ve glimpsed the larger mysteries at the center of the stories—mysteries that recede from our grasp like clouds drifting overhead. In “Bad Blood,” an elementary teacher is found bludgeoned to death on the prison grounds. Jordan uncovers the facts and apprehends the killer, but the mystery of the infectious nature of evil and its power to spread into the most unlikely human hearts remains just that—a mystery.

“Blood Bought” and “Blood-Red-Rec-Yard-Ruse” brings Jordan face to face with the mystery of love and the way it exerts control over the human heart and will. And in the brilliantly plotted “A Taint in the Blood,” Jordan struggles with the darkness in his own heart and with the possibility that his theory about “the great disconnect of prison”—the vast difference between how someone appears and what he may be capable of doing—may also apply to him.

Running through all of the stories is the mystery of divine grace and the way it can penetrate even the darkest places. The stories are religious in the best sense of the term—open to possibilities. Jordan is a chaplain with more questions than answers, yet he recognizes that grace—the sign of God’s presence in the world—is capable of manifesting itself through the most unlikely people and in the most surprising situations. “Flesh and Blood” begins with the mystery of a pregnant nun who happens to be a virgin and concludes with the mystery of forgiveness and the way in which it can heal the human heart. In “A Fountain Filled with Blood,” Jordan confronts the fundamental mystery that the truth may be something other than what is apparent when he is drawn into the case of a ten-year-old black girl who says she is Jesus returned to earth—and gives every indication that she just might be.

The remarkable story, “Image of Blood,” weaves together the various strands that run through the anthology—mysteries of the human heart, of relationships and of God’s presence in the world. At the request of his dying mother, Jordan sets out to determine whether the Shroud of Turin might be the actual cloth that had wrapped the body of Jesus following the crucifixion. His search through the scientific studies for what is real and authentic about the shroud becomes a metaphor for his relationship with his alcoholic mother. The facts he uncovers—the certainties—only lead to deeper questions. What is more important, fact or faith? Can something be at once real and unreal? Ironically, it is the mystery of the shroud rather than the facts that begins to heal the broken relationship. As Jordan says, the shroud “works its magic.”

Indeed, mystery and magic fill these stories. They are in the richness of the language, such as the descriptions of the north Florida landscape with Spanish moss hanging from oak branches, forests so thick they block out the light, and the dark, greenish-black water of a slough filled with cypress trees. They are in the remarkable insights into men who are imprisoned—into what makes them want to live and want to die. They are in the deft details that reveal Jordan and the characters with whom he interacts. He can spot a murderer by instinct, he says, “by the pale green teardrop tattoos at the corners of his vacant eyes.”

And mystery and magic are in the journey that we take with John Jordan into the unseen wonders permeating all of life, beyond the facts and the data and what we might imagine is the extent of reality. The idea that God’s grace might illuminate even the darkest, most violent and disjointed places may be startling, even unsettling, but it is also comforting. That is what the best stories do: they startle and unsettle us and, in the process, expand our view of reality. Most of all, they touch us, perhaps with God’s grace.

Margaret Coel
Boulder, Colorado
July 2006

 

 

Praise for the John Jordan Series

Flesh and Blood

One of the most intriguing characters in Florida fiction is back on the job. John Jordan, the prison chaplain whom novelist Michael Lister created in “Power in the Blood” and “Blood of the Lamb” has resumed his duties in “Flesh and Blood.” The collection of short stories takes readers inside Potter Correctional Institution and into deep daily mysteries that Jordan is compelled to solve.

Crime is the catalyst for Jordan's investigations, and his workplace provides abundant opportunities. Lister draws on his own experiences as a prison chaplain to take readers inside that claustrophobic world.

But chaplain Jordan also deals with mysteries of the heart, of faith and of the human condition. All of this is played out against the backdrop of his private struggles with alcohol, with depression and with complicated relationships with family, lovers and friends.

Each of the seven stories in “Flesh and Blood” provides a separate character study of Jordan. That character includes a strong current of spirituality — whether he likes it or not. The current runs outside the prison walls as well as within, often bumping up against Jordan's skepticism and strong sense of reason.

Jordan meets a young nun who is a virgin but is pregnant, a refugee from Hurricane Katrina who just could be Christ returned, and a preacher and his wife caught up in a church member's life gone fatally wrong.

In the final story, “Image of Blood,” Jordan's dying mother asks him to investigate the healing powers of the Shroud of Turin. The quest becomes a metaphor for a troubled journey of faith by mother and son together.

The “Flesh and Blood” stories remain grounded, however, in a physical world of grit and desperation. Jordan's job in a prison in a small Panhandle town makes sure of that.

In “Bad Blood,” an elementary school teacher turns up dead just inside the prison fence. In “The Blood-Red Rec Yard Ruse,” it's a corrections officer whose corpse presents a mystery. Both cases sorely test Jordan's powers of observation.
Outside the walls, Jordan himself becomes a suspect, in the story “A Taint in the Blood.” It begins with a simple, ominous sentence: “I was drinking again.”

Lister, who lives in Wewahitchka, also makes use of a sharply honed sense of place in the “Flesh and Blood” stories. That's a bonus for readers who live in Bay and Gulf counties.

His lyrical descriptions of gulf and beach, of lonely rural highways and of small-town scenes take us to places we all know well. But we see them, through John Jordan's eyes, in a new light.

Readers who pick up “Flesh and Blood” will look forward to getting to know those places, as well as Jordan, even better. David Vest Newsfeatures Editor, Panama City News Herald

"In this story collection from former prison chaplain Lister, his fictional alter ego, John Jordan, investigates seven "cases" that range from standard fair play tales to explorations of faith. Some stories are reminiscent of Ed Hoch's impossible crime tales and demonstrate talent at traditional mystery writing. Others are pure parable [and] will appeal to a Christian audience." Publisher's Weekly

"Mystery and magic fill the stories of Flesh and Blood .  They are in the richness of the language, the remarkable insights, the deft details, and the brilliant plotting. Michael Lister's stories do what the best of stories do: they startle and unsettle us and, in the process expand our view of reality. Most of all, they touch us, perhaps even with God's grace." Margaret Coel, best-selling author of Eye of Wolf

"John Jordan is a superb detective, an ex-cop and prison chaplain, he is part Sherlock Holmes and part Father Brown, combining Holmes' powers of observation and Brown's openness to the fundamental mysteries at the heart of life." Margaret Coel, best-selling author of Wife of Moon

 

The Body and the Blood

"Michael Lister may be the author of the most unique series running in mystery fiction. The Body and the Blood proves that once again. It crackles with tension and authenticity." Michael Connelly

"Eerie and cinematic, The Body and The Blood is a classic whodunit with thoroughly modern sensibilities.  John Jordan manages to be deeply flawed yet utterly appealing.  Lister, with his gift for exploring the nuances of human relationships, creates a vivid and multi-faceted supporting cast, each character finely-wrought, each portrayal unflinching.  Suspenseful, complex and original, The Body and The Blood is a page-turner with a soul." Lisa Miscione, author of Smoke

"John Jordan is not Father Dowling. Open The Body and The Blood and enter a whole other world." James O. Born, author of Shockwave

"Michael Lister writes one of the most ambitious and unusual crime fiction series going. The Body and the Blood is a terrific locked-room mystery wrapped in clerical garb that is merely the sheep's clothing disguising the wolf---an exploration of what it means to be locked in an institutional pressure-cooker. In his unique voice, Lister examines human beings' responses to a fundamentally inhuman situation.  Not for the faint of heart, it's Heart of Darkness meets The Shawshank Redemption. Read this book and see what crime fiction is capable of." Julia Spencer-Fleming, award-winning author of To Darkness and to Death

"How much does a prison change a man? From its epigrammatic opening line to its shattering conclusion, The Body and The Blood takes us on a fascinating and fast-paced journey -- inside a prison world where everyone's innocent and everyone's set up -- and inside the conflicted heart of a man trying to walk the line between his faith and justice. Chaplain John Jordan is one of crime fiction's most original heroes, and his creator, Michael Lister is one of the genre's freshest new voices." PJ Parrish, Edgar and Shamus nominated author of the Louis Kincaid series

Blood of the Lamb

Kirkus Starred Review
A star is assigned to books of unusual merit, determined by the editors of Kirkus Reviews.
"A realistic drama and surprising character depth. The spiritual dimension of John's inner life adds a depth that's often absent in the mystery genre. A realistically portrayed prison setting and a cast of characters depicted with complexity and nuance together form a quietly effective character-study/whodunit." Kirkus Reviews ------Read More------

"Blood of the Lamb was worth the wait. Author Michael Lister perfectly blends religion into a gritty, realistic look at prison life without preaching or overpowering his solid plot. Lister invigorates the religion mystery -- a growing sub-category of the genre -- inside a hard-boiled novel. The myriad aspects of prison life and the scenes at the various locations in the prison are realistically explored. At the center is John Jordan, a deeply flawed man who, ironically, has little use for organized religion, but deeply believes in the power of prayer, forgiveness and justice. Blood of the Lamb moves at a fast clip as John finds his insider's view helpful. Blood of the Lamb marks the return of an intriguing character." Oline Cogdill South Florida Sun Sentinel

"Blood Of The Lamb is a gripping locked-room murder mystery. Unflinchingly brutal in its portrayal of violence, sexual abuse, and murder within the prison setting, Blood of the Lamb comes alive with chilling reality and fully humanized, believable character portraits all the way up to the end. Highly recommended for mystery fans for its attention to detail and lack of questionable contrivance." Midwest Book Review

"Lister's books are well-crafted whodunits, keeping the reader guessing to the end. But perhaps the most enjoyable part of reading is his main character. John Jordan is a guy you've got to love. Michael Lister writes with authority. The Rev is on a roll." Sharon Kant-Rauch, Tallahassee Democrat

"Michael Lister proved his worth as a writer with his first book Power in the Blood. He's done it again with his second John Jordan mystery Blood of the Lamb. There are more sinners than saints in this tautly written mystery. Readers will find themselves sympathetic to Jordan, a man with troubles of his own whose conscience won't allow him to accept a cover-up by prison authorities. Highly recommended." Mystery Scene Magazine

"In Blood of the Lamb, Michael Lister is on top of his game. The setting is unusual, the character not a typical cop or cleric, and the crime sensational. I found his work engaging and well-done. A satisfying and compelling whodunit." Nancy Williams Myshelf Magazine

"I did not expect to like this book: the setting is a prison in northern Florida, the protagonist is a chaplain, and the victim is a child. I approached the book with reservations, but was pleasantly surprised to be pulled into the story and amazed when I couldn't put it down." Amy Proni The Drood Review of Mystery

"Lister writes with confidence and an eye for detail, having been a prison chaplain himself. The characters speak in real voices and address the hardships of prison – racism, sexual assault, violence. Lister's Jordan is a spiritual man in a little piece of hell on earth, and the narrative doesn't flinch from portraying it as such. Moreover, the storyline is based on an actual event where Lister served. That makes Blood of the Lamb a troubling what-if of a whodunit." Tony Simmons The Panama City News Herald

"Blood of the Lamb does an excellent job as a stand-alone novel, though some readers may find their interest in the entire series quickly piqued. The first book, Power in the Blood, is still readily available. John is a unique hero. Though he is a prison chaplain, his belief in organized religion is not strong. I find this quality to be very refreshing. If he were a real person, I could easily find myself becoming fast friends with John. There are religious tones in Blood of the Lamb, but it is never overt or preachy. If you are looking for a mystery that gives you something to think about, Michael Lister's series is a perfect choice." Roundtable Reviews

"This is such a wonderful mystery on so many levels. Michael Lister has created a wonderfully human and real character in John Jordan, a chaplain who is a bit hard-boiled, definitely not a stereotype. Lister portrays prison life in such a gritty way that I plan to stay on my best behavior. This is a book that demands to be read quickly. Lister is definitely on my ‘must read' pile from here on." Jon Jordan, Crime Spree Magazine

"An interesting tale of murder and secrets woven in such a way that you are surprised at the ending. But then you think you should have figured it out, and might have if you had paid more attention to solving the mystery and not been so engaged in the interactions of the characters. The fact that I was paying that much attention to the characters is a credit to the author. A good book worth the investment of your time." Barbara Wright, Murder and Mayhem Book Club

"Michael Lister is a genius at evoking the dangerous mood of a prison while, at the same time, showing how the light of redemption shines even in the darkest places. Blood of the Lamb is tense and tightly plotted, a true page-turner until the very satisfying ending." Margaret Coel, best-selling author of Killing Raven

"In Michael Lister's Blood of the Lamb the writing is lean, the pace sure—always one step ahead of the reader. The tension level throughout the story is strong, the setting utterly real. The murder is puzzling. Best of all, the characters have inner lives. They are real. I care about them and have no idea exactly what's going to happen to them. This is the real thing—great writing by a true storyteller." Donald Maass, author of Writing the Breakout Novel

"Michael Lister writes with sensitivity and a fine eye for detail. Race, politics, and religion are all subtly addressed in the fast-paced Blood of the Lamb. What I especially like is Lister's ability to make his themes decidedly Biblical without the slightest hint of preaching or moralizing. Lister can write and I hope he keeps doing so for a long time."
Stuart M. Kaminsky, Edgar-winning author of The Big Silence

"Blood of the Lamb is a superb mystery. Michael Lister paints a disquieting portrait of a state prison, its inmates and officials forming a repertory company of evil, as though any given actor could play another's role by simply changing costumes. Hero John Jordan is as troubled as he is fascinating, a recovering alcoholic prison chaplain who is unsure of even his own faith. Highly original and even more highly recommended." Jeremiah Healy, author of Rescue and Spiral

Power in the Blood

John "J.J." Jordan was a cop who hit bottom (too much booze and violence) and then decided to become a man of God. But a cleric's collar doesn't shield him from the seedier side when he finds himself as the prison chaplain of Potter Correctional Institution. His past life creeps even closer when he is coerced into investigating the bloody death of an inmate, a death he witnessed. Things seem to be picking up a bit when he meets Laura, an overnight delivery girl, who apparently has a gleam in her eye for him as well. Such personal travails take a backseat to his investigation, however, when J.J. learns that a Pottersville banker has been murdered. Lister, a prison chaplain himself, gives his leading character the depth and shortcomings of a "regular guy," a refreshing change from the typically flawless clergy found in much pop fiction. Considering the scarcity of mysteries featuring prison chaplains, the competent, authentic tale carves a nice niche for itself. ---Booklist

"Power in the Blood provides an unflinching and disturbing look at contemporary prison life, and prison chaplain John Jordan makes for a convincing and altogether appealing detective/protagonist. An auspicious debut." —Les Standiford, author Presidential Deal

"Lister, a real-life prison chaplain who knows his turf, delivers gritty portrayals of inmates and prison workers." —Publisher's Weekly

"Lister's descriptions of a prison setting, as well as the situations Jordan encounters, are about as real as it gets—and it's not surprising. Power in the Blood is the first novel for the North Florida resident who spends his days working as a chaplain for the Florida Department of Corrections." —Orlando Sentinel

"Michael Lister's Power in the Blood is a promising first novel." —Library Journal

"Power in the Blood, is a first novel that takes a uniquely uncompromising view of grace." —Kirkus Reviews

"A breakout of mystery writer: A Panhandle prison chaplain weaves an engaging debut set on familiar turf—behind bars. Power in the Blood is a laudable debut, and shows potential for a continuing series . . . . Taut, highly readable story that manages to deliver a few surprises and a unique hero. John Jordan is committed to his faith, but he is no saint. . . . A refreshing use of religion as a background for narrative which the author never overdoes." —Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

Michael Lister, a North Florida prison chaplain, is a first-time author, but you'd never know it. His book, Power in the Blood, reads as if it had been dreamed up by a skillful old pro.

It helps that Lister writes convincingly about a world he knows well: prison. Others may tiptoe into the territory, but not many sound so authentic. Lister is refreshingly at home behind bars.

Blood opens (surprise!) Bloodily. A Panhandle prison corrections officer is making sure nobody's trying to escape on the garbage truck. He's thrusting a long metal rod through each bag of trash. A chaplain, waiting to be buzzed into the compound, is watching idly when the rod hits pay dirt. Or rather, pay flesh—the officer stabs a body. The chaplain runs to the officer's aid and winds up drenched in blood. The guy in the bag is dead. And HIV positive.

The chaplain is John Jordan, a riches-to-rags clergyman who once had a wife, a fancy church in Atlanta and a nasty drinking problem. He lives in a ratty trailer outside Tallahassee, ministering to lowlifes and trying to stay off the sauce. He does have his faith, but it's about to take a real beating. The rest of him, too.

As a theme, blood flows freely here. It's not just the Blood of the Lamb that wields a mighty power over Jordan, who's asked to investigate the killing. Haunting every moment is the terrifying probability that he's been exposed to the AIDS virus.

You might expect a minister to shy away from prison's more brutal realities, but Lister doesn't. His violent, dangerous inmates talk and behave like violent, dangerous inmates. Some people get raped. Lots more get killed. This ain't Brother Cadfael.

Lister doesn't make the tired mistake of making Jordan a wisecracker, although the good chaplain does get in a few good lines: "Attempting to escape (the prison) in the back of trash truck was a bad idea. And, although inmates were sometimes treated like trash and, at times, acted like trash, they were not going to escape by pretending to be trash."

The cruel, small world inside prison could make for an unpredictable, claustrophobic series. Something untried, different, interesting. Thank heaven. ---By Connie Ogle The Miami Herald