About the Book

Book: Cleansed by Death
Author: Catherine Finger
Genre:Thriller/Suspense/Mystery
Release Date: June 2016

Haunted by an evil presence she can’t quite grasp, Police Chief Josie Oliver finds herself drawn into the crosshairs of a vicious serial killer. Fighting for her marriage, faith, and fate, Chief Josie is confronted by an Adversary that only God can conquer–if she decides to let Him in.

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"Cleansed by Death"; by Catherine Finger is a mystery but I found it to be more of a story about a marriage in trouble. Josie Oliver has been Chief of Police in Haversport, Illinois and is called in to help hunt for a serial killer. The serial killer part is mention at the beginning but It doesn't really get into the story till the middle of it, when it gets personal to Josie. This story is told by Josie speaking.

This book is Christian fiction so I had a little trouble accepting the old boyfriend flirting with her all through the book even though she was married. The first time God is really mention is in Chapter 16 except for the sentence "as if You are there,and then a little girl named Samantha believing in Him.

Ok I must mention that in one scene the main character Josie almost shoots herself in the mouth to kill herself. Yes, I know that depression is real and even police suffer from it but I am just warning readers to be aware it is the book. Along with this, there is spousal abuse as well.

Ok. There are positive and beautiful things in this story as well. I love this scene";The dark pictures faded away, replaced by a sweet-smelling field of prairie flowers in a sunny valley, housed between lush mountains, on a beautiful day. A magnificent being stepped out from behind one of the mountains and revealed Himself to me. Somehow I knew it was God. He was glorious and beautiful beyond description. In His arms, He tenderly carried a little girl. He held her as if she were His child. It was me in His arms-a little girl girl version of me. He wrapped His strong arms around my little-girl self, overwhelming me with feeling of warmth and safety, peace and power. I closed my eyes for a moment, leaning into His pure warmth".

I appreciate that the author has made these characters human with all the traits and faults that humans has but I would have liked a little more of the serial killer story and less of the marriage, especially since the book is classified as a thriller but before I give the impression that I didn't like this book, that isn't the case I am giving it 4 stars.

I will be watching for more books by Catherine Finger. I read these books out of order and was not confused, but if I choose to reread , I will be reading them in order.

I was given a contemporary copy by the author and Celebrate Lit and these opinions are mine own.

About the Author

Catherine Fingerloves to dream, write, and tell stories. Recently retired from a wonderful career in public education, she celebrates the ability to choose how to spend her time in a new way during the second half of life. So far, she chooses to write books, ride horses, serve others, and generally find her way into and out of trouble both on the road and at home. She lives in the Midwest with a warm and wonderful combination of family and friends.
Capsized by Death, the fourth novel in her Jo Oliver Thriller series, was released by Elk Lake Publishing in December, 2019. Anchored by Death, the third of her Jo Oliver novels, was a Bronze Medal winner at the 2018 Independent Publisher Book Awards; a 2018 Selah Awards finalist; and a finalist for the National Indie Excellence Awards. Her second Jo Oliver Thriller, Shattered by Death, was a finalist in the International Book Awards and the National Indie Excellence Awards. Catherine and her novels have been featured on radio stations, blogs, and in numerous articles—all posted at www.CatherineFinger.com.
Catherine loves to interact with her readers at www.CatherineFinger.comFollow her on Facebook at Catherine Finger, Author, and on Twitter at CatherineFinger@BeJoOliver.

More from Catherine

Welcome to our Jo Oliver Thrillerseries Celebrate Lit Tour!

Cleansed by Death, the first book in the series of four novels, began with an idea to write a book about strong women struggling with life, love, and loss while embedded in traditional male roles. I wanted to show real women dealing with difficult internal and external struggles and create tension for my readers. Playing with the question of whether such challenges make our characters better—or bitter—added depth and twists to my story.
It took a long time to get this story to the point of releasing it into the world. I stopped writing it twice, shelving it for about a year each time. Every summer as I percolated over the story, I read it cover to cover and realized I still loved both the voice and the bones of the story. Adding the faith piece in a way that felt authentic and edgy was the frosting on the cake and it happened as a half vision, half spiritual warfare experience in Jo Oliver’s head and heart. This experience developed her unique brand of conversation with God as she understands Him and added a spiritual dimension to my stories.

My Midwestern roots showed themselves with reckless abandon in this debut—becoming a cornerstone of future installments. As I write this kick-off note to you, I sit in front of my computer facing a wilderness scene that features prominently in this story. Writing in the midst of the corona virus leads me back to some of my favorite places for comfort—the woods and lakes of Wisconsin.

Enjoy the read!