Criminal Intent - Tapa dura

When a priest with radical ideas and a parish council with traditional values lock homs over the beliefs they hold most sacred, there's bound to be controversy - and consequences. But murder crosses the line between committing a sin and committing a crime, turning a battle over faith into a battle for justice. And smack in the middle of the explosive case is Tulsa attorney Ben Kincaid. Kincaid had rescued Father Daniel Beale once before when the priest's renegade views and violent temper nearly cost him his position as rector of St. Benedict's Church. Now Beale is the prime suspect in the brutal murder of a female parishioner - though lack of evidence has left the case unsolved. But as Father Beale struggles to escape the shadow of suspicion, another woman is savagely slaughtered. And this time, Ben himself discovers Beale literally red-handed...with the blood of the victim. In his heart and in his gut, Ben knows Father Beale is innocent. But proving it means taking a leap of faith that will plunge Ben into the whirlpool of dark secrets and dangerous intentions that surround St. Benedict's. And ultimately, it will force the idealistic attorney to confront the chilling face of evil in the most unexpected of places.

William Bernhardt is the author of fifteen books, which led Library Journal to dub the author "master of the courtroom drama". He has twice won the Oklahoma Book Award for Best Fiction. A former trial attorney, Bernhardt has received several awards for his public service. He lives in Tulsa with his wife, Kirsten, and their children, Harry, Alice, and Ralph.