The Undoing of Saint Silvanus

Exciting fiction premiere from beloved New York Times bestselling author Beth Moore.2017 Christy Award finalist (General Fiction category)Only God knew why Jillian Slater agreed to return to New Orleans on the news that her father had finally drunk himself to death. It?s not like they were close. She hadn?t seen him?or her grandmother, the ice queen?in almost 20 years. But when Adella Atwater, the manager of her grandmother?s apartment house, called and said Jillian?s expenses would be paid if she?d fly in for the burial, a free trip to New Orleans was too intriguing to resist.What Adella didn?t tell her was that the apartment house wasn?t a house at all and, whatever it was, bore the dead weight of a long and painful history. As soon as Jillian meets the odd assortment of renters and realizes that her grandmother had no idea she was coming, she hatches a plan to escape. But the investigation into her father?s death quickly unfolds and Jillian is drawn into the lives of the colorful collection of saints and sinners who pass through Saint Silvanus. She soon discovers there is more at stake than she ever imagined. Who is behind the baffling messages and the strange relics left on the steps? Is it possible that her family is actually cursed? Or is it just this crazy old house that holds them all under its spell?Jillian walks into a web of spiritual and personal danger borne out of her family?s broken history, and despite Adella?s wiliest efforts, only God himself can orchestrate the undoing of all that is going on at Saint Silvanus.ReviewLearning that her estranged father has been murdered, Jillian Slater travels to post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans and receives a glacial welcome from her grandmother Olivia. What starts as an awkward and unwanted visit on both sides turns into a journey of discovery for Jillian and the emotionally distant Olivia. As Jillian delves into her family?s past, which revolves around their apartment house, the Saint Silvanus, a series of sinister events endangers her fledgling relationship with her grandmother. Someone wants revenge on her family, but they will gladly take it out on Jillian instead. Strong female protagonists dominate this novel, and memorable supporting characters provide levity and depth. The secondary story line of the origins of the curse on Saint Silvanus is overshadowed by the present-day portrayal of its residents.Verdict: Making her fiction debut, best-selling inspirational author Moore (Audacious;Breaking Free) delivers an absorbing, suspenseful read. Readers who prefer a story focused on finding faith through adversity will savor this beautifully written novel.Library JournalMoore?s debut novel is certain to draw myriad readers familiar with her bestselling Bible studies (The Law of Love) and faith-based leadership guides and self-help books (So Long, Insecurity). Those who love her down-home Southern style will be pleased to find it in this tale set in New Orleans, where a former church is now an apartment building named Saint Silvanus, often referred to as Saint Sans. Olivia Fontaine faces the death of her only child, Raphael, with her usual iciness, but her reserve cracks when police discover Rafe was killed. Olivia?s granddaughter comes to attend her father?s funeral . Readers will come to love Saint Sans building manager Adella Atwater and the residents, as well as the NOPD cops who solve Rafe?s murder. The novel is not without flaws . . . but it remains endearing and entertaining to the end. Moore?s many fans will no doubt flock to her first work of fictionPublishers WeeklyWhen the mysterious death of Jillian Slater?s estranged father is deemed a possible murder, she heads to New Orleans in search of answers. She also needs to see her frosty grandmother, who owns a church building with a painful history. Saint Silvanus is now home to a hodgepodge of apartment residents and the ever- faithful apartment manager, Adella Atwater.