Ceremony by Paul Austin Ardoin

Release: August 17th 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Pax Ardsen
Source: RABT Book Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Kobo

Dr. Kep Woodhead is a brilliant, irascible forensic toxicologist with a dark past. Bernadette Becker is a disgraced federal investigator with one last chance. They’re both assigned to a strange poisoning case: a graduate student has been found dead in a 15th-century chapel, a needle filled with a controversial hallucinogen sticking out of his arm. The priest, the professor, the piscary president, the protestor, the protégé—they all emerge as suspects to stop the victim’s research project, and soon Becker’s life is in danger. Do Becker and Woodhead have a prayer of discovering the truth before more people are killed?

About the Author:

Paul Austin Ardoin is the Amazon bestselling author of The Fenway Stevenson Mysteries. Book 1, THE RELUCTANT CORONER, is his debut novel. He has published short fiction and humorous essays in the anthologies Bottomfish and Sweet Fancy Moses, and non-fiction works about computer security in California Computer News and European Communications.

Paul is a California native who put his creative writing degree to use by authoring marketing materials for computer security companies for the better part of two decades. When he’s not writing novels or trying to save the world through better computer security, Paul plays keyboards in a dance rock band. He lives in the Sacramento area with his wife, two teenagers, and a menagerie of animals.

Join Paul’s mailing list at paulaustinardoin.com for news about new books.

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Ceremony Review:

“Ceremony” is an intriguing crime fiction novel with mysterious murders, injected hallucinogens set in a religious backdrop, and I liked it!

This book was so unique for a crime fiction novel. It is not every day when you read a crime in a chapel when the Reverend is one of the suspects. I liked how the author spun the tale using his creativity, like the background of the Agios Delphi. Not only that, but the author also adds many details, like how they brief about TFM and ibogaine (which I had never heard about until I read this book).

Bernadette shines in the lead as she works with Dr. Woohead to solve the case. While the two don’t start the best way, I liked how they eventually worked together on the investigation. I also enjoyed how the author balanced her moments as she follows up on Sophie’s life and tries to be a good mother for her.

Moreover, I loved how many suspects there are that keep you guessing. From Cecilia Carter to Reverend Roundhouse, you have a priest, a protestor, and a professor who are all potential suspects. The author also adds some exciting moments, like Eddie’s and Curtis’s shocking scene, or the one around the missing footage, which I did not see coming. As the story progresses, the author throws in more red herrings to keep you guessing what is happening. The climax is also one that I did not see coming, which made this story even more entertaining.

Overall, “Ceremony” is an exciting start to the “Murders of Substance” series, and I look forward to revisiting Kep and Bernadette on future cases.