| MORTAL SIN is the author's second book from Mira, and actually continues the story begun in the Boston setting of FINAL EXIT. It details two parallel story lines that weave together and co-exist throughout the novel. In the first story line, Kit is a 16 year old girl who has run away from her aunt's suburban Boston home. Kit has recently come to live with her aunt since her father can't take care of her. Her difficulties supporting herself on the streets, and her slide into a sordid, exploitive life are detailed throughout the book.
The other predominant story involves Sarah Connelly, Kit's aunt, a thrice divorced woman in her early thirties, who runs a bookstore and is desperate to find Kit and bring her home. Sarah, originally from Louisiana, is a strong, "take no prisoners" type of woman who is at a loss when it comes to managing her niece. In this quest she seeks out Father Clancy Donovan, a young priest who runs a halfway house for young prostitutes. A popular, handsome and charismatic man, Father Donovan brought his own baggage into adulthood, including an alcoholic mother and the untimely death of his first love. This second story line details their growing attraction and love for each other and the development of this relationship in the context of Clancy's commitments as a Catholic priest.
This is an exquisitely written novel that, from the first pages, grabs the reader's interest and makes it impossible to put the book down. Sarah and Clancy are so true in their detail and descriptions that I was sad to leave them at the end of the book. They jump out at you as alive, real people who are struggling with a towering moral and emotional dilemma. Their problems are realistic and believable, albeit painful. How they come to grips with their feelings is the crux of the story and what makes this a wonderful novel.
Similarly, the reader is plunged into the painful, underground life of the teenage runaway and is forced to grapple with the reality of adolescent exploitation and prostitution. The secondary characters are colorful and add to the fabric of the story. They include Fiona Rafferty, the mother of one of Clancy's friends, who has cared for him as a child and as an adult, and Jamal, a teenage runaway who Clancy befriends and tries to get off the streets.
I have to say that out of the hundreds of romance novels I have read in the past several years, this is probably one of the very best. Sarah's strength of character coupled with the kindness and sensitivity inherent in Clancy's personality drives the essence of their relationship. The story is riveting and realistic and the characters and their dilemmas generated, at least in this reviewer, tears, laughter, and empathy. Some readers might criticize the premise of a Catholic priest falling in love and might find the sexuality in the book difficult to accept. In reality, the romantic scenes between Sarah and Clancy make the story real and believable while illustrating the extreme conflict experienced by these characters.
While this novel builds on the settings detailed in FINAL EXIT, it is a stand alone story that builds on the events of the first book. Reading FINAL EXIT is not a requirement towards understanding MORTAL SIN but did provide this reviewer with a more thorough backdrop detailing Clancy's early losses.
This book has several delicious twists and turns and unexpected outcomes. I predict that Ms. Breton will become a popular best-selling author if her future books pack even a portion of the emotional punch delivered by MORTAL SIN. You have got to read this book! |
