Blood Oath
a John Jordan Mystery
by Michael Lister
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
BLOOD OATH
First edition. August 23, 2016.
Copyright © 2016 Michael Lister.
ISBN: 978-1536572483
Written by Michael Lister.
Praise for the John Jordan Series
"Michael Lister may be the author of the most unique series running in mystery fiction. The Body and the Blood proves that once again. It crackles with tension and authenticity." Michael Connelly
Publishers Weekly Starred Review:
"In Lister's superior fourth book featuring cop-turned-prison chaplain John Jordan (after 2006's story collection Flesh and Blood) . . . A plausible resolution concludes this first-rate locked-room mystery."
Kirkus Starred Review:
"A realistic drama and surprising character depth. The spiritual dimension of John’s inner life adds a depth that’s often absent in the mystery genre. A realistically portrayed prison setting and a cast of characters depicted with complexity and nuance together form a quietly effective character-study/whodunit."
"Eerie and cinematic, John Jordan manages to be deeply flawed yet utterly appealing. Lister, with his gift for exploring the nuances of human relationships, creates a vivid and multi-faceted supporting cast, each character finely-wrought, each portrayal unflinching. Suspenseful, complex and original, a page-turner with a soul." Lisa Unger
Florida Book Award-winning series Florida Weekly called “a treasure of contemporary literature–suspenseful, provocative, and unsettling,”
"Michael Lister writes one of the most ambitious and unusual crime fiction series going. Not for the faint of heart, it's Heart of Darkness meets The Shawshank Redemption. Read this book and see what crime fiction is capable of." Julia Spencer-Fleming
"Chaplain John Jordan is one of crime fiction's most original heroes, and his creator, Michael Lister is one of the genre's freshest new voices." PJ Parrish
FOR A LIMITED TIME: Join Michael's Readers' Group and Get the First 3 John Jordan Mysteries for FREE!
Things you should know about the John Jordan Series
This award-winning series is one of the most unique, respected, and well-reviewed mystery series being published today.
It has received several Starred Reviews from respected journals such as Publisher’s Weekly and Kirkus, won a Florida Book Award, and counts among its many fans Michael Connelly, Lisa Unger, Margaret Coel, PJ Parish, and Julia Spencer-Fleming.
It features a conflicted detective—an ex-cop with ties to Atlanta who works as a prison chaplain in Florida. He’s a man of mercy and justice, a compassionate, open-minded minister and a smart, relentless detective.
These are not religious books. They are crime novels. If you are a religious Fundamentalist and/or are turned off by realistic depictions of criminal investigation, law enforcement, the prison experience, and adult life in general, this series is not for you.
The John Jordan mystery series has it all—character-driven, realistic and gritty mysteries, thoughtful thrillers, and the hero’s journey of a good man trying to be even better, as he helps others along the way. It’s a dynamic, electrifying series in which no two books are the same.
Like John Jordan, the author, Michael Lister, was a prison chaplain with the state of Florida before leaving to write full-time.
Though the author loves all the books in the series, some of his personal favorites are The Body and the Blood, Innocent Blood, Blood Sacrifice, Blood Moon, Blood Cries.
Power in the Blood was the first fiction author Michael Lister ever wrote. It came out nearly 20 years ago. We beleive, as does the author, that each book in the series gets better.
Though it’s recommended, the books in the John Jordan series don’t have to be read in order.
All the books in the series are novels—mystery, thrillers, whodunits—except for Flesh and Blood, which is a collection of short stories featuring temporal and metaphysical mysteries. If you don’t care for short stories, feel free to skip Flesh and Blood and continue with the novels—starting with the fourth and one of the author’s favorites, The Body and the Blood.
The 7th book in the series, Innocent Blood, is a prequel going back to John’s very first investigation. Though the 7th in the series, it can be read first or seventh since it’s a prequel.
The 10th book in the series, Blood Cries, is the second in the “Atlanta Years” series within a series following the 7th book Innocent Blood. It can be read 2nd or 10th.
The 11th John Jordan novel, Blood Oath, brings many new changes.
All of the John Jordan novels are available in high quality hardback and paperback editions. Blood Sacrifice is also available in audiobook. All John Jordan titles will be available in audiobook editions soon.
Be sure to join Michael's Readers' Group for news, updates, and special deals on the John Jordan series.
We hope you will enjoy all the books in the John Jordan series, and like us, eagerly await each new one.
FOR A LIMITED TIME: Join Michael's Readers' Group and Get the First 3 John Jordan Mysteries for FREE!
Books by Michael Lister
(John Jordan Novels)
Power in the Blood
Blood of the Lamb
Flesh and Blood
(Special Introduction by Margaret Coel)
The Body and the Blood
Blood Sacrifice
Rivers to Blood
Innocent Blood
(Special Introduction by Michael Connelly)
Blood Money
Blood Moon
Blood Cries
Blood Oath
Written in Blood Volume 1
Written in Blood Volume 2
Six John Jordan Mysteries
In the Blood: A John Jordan Companion
(Jimmy “Soldier” Riley Novels)
The Big Goodbye
The Big Beyond
The Big Hello
The Big Bout
In a Spider’s Web (short story)
The Big Book of Noir
(Merrick McKnight / Reggie Summers Novels)
Thunder Beach
A Certain Retribution
(Remington James Novels)
Double Exposure
(includes intro by Michael Connelly)
Separation Anxiety
(Sam Michaels / Daniel Davis Novels)
Burnt Offerings
Separation Anxiety
(Love Stories)
Carrie’s Gift
(Short Story Collections)
North Florida Noir
Florida Heat Wave
Delta Blues
Another Quiet Night in Desparation
(The Meaning Series)
The Meaning of Jesus
Meaning Every Moment
The Meaning of Life in Movies
FOR A LIMITED TIME: Join Michael's Readers' Group and Get the First 3 John Jordan Mysteries for FREE!
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Also By Michael Lister
Author’s Note
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
; Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
Chapter Thirty-eight
Chapter Thirty-nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-one
Chapter Forty-two
Chapter Forty-three
Chapter Forty-four
Chapter Forty-five
Chapter Forty-six
Chapter Forty-seven
Chapter Forty-eight
Chapter Forty-nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-one
Chapter Fifty-two
Chapter Fifty-three
Chapter Fifty-four
Chapter Fifty-five
Chapter Fifty-six
Chapter Fifty-seven
Chapter Fifty-eight
Chapter Fifty-nine
Chapter Sixty
Chapter Sixty-one
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Also By Michael Lister
About the Author
Author’s Note
The John Jordan series is just that—a series. And should be read as such. I write each book in such a way as to avoid spoilers of previous entries and to prevent faithful readers from being subjected to endless recaps. Because of this approach the series can be read out of order—but it also means that questions raised in this book will be answered in the books that came before it.
Blood Oath is the first John Jordan novel to feature characters from my other series.
If you haven’t already, I recommend that you read Burnt Offerings and A Certain Retribution before reading Blood Oath.
There are other Merrick McKnight/Reggie Summers and Samantha Michaels/Daniel Davis novels, of course, but they aren’t as pertinent to Blood Oath.
In the same way that reading the first ten John Jordan books before reading this latest one will greatly enhance your experience with and enjoyment of it, reading Burnt Offerings and A Certain Retribution first will be similarly beneficial.
But it’s just a gentle suggestion. Nothing more. It’s certainly not necessary. It will just answer questions raised in this book and reveal far more about these characters and their relationships and experiences.
You could always read the others after reading Blood Oath. Or not at all—though I hope you won’t choose this last option.
Regardless, I truly hope you enjoy John’s new adventure and the new direction his life is taking him. I certainly am.
Thank you very much for reading and for continuing to take this journey with me and John.
Chapter One
Shane McMillan goes missing on the sweetest day of the year—the third Saturday in May, the day dedicated to celebrating the year’s honey harvest at the annual Tupelo Festival in Wewahitchka—the tiny town that is the tupelo capital of the world.
The morning is bright, cool, and clear.
A beautiful day. The kind when nothing bad should be able to happen.
Beneath the enormous canopy of ancient live oak trees, the breeze blowing off Lake Alice waves the Spanish moss about and wafts around the savory smells of stir fry, barbecue, chargrilled chicken, sausage, burgers, and hotdogs, fresh fried catfish and grouper, and funnel cake.
Thousands of people fill the little lakeside park. Some winding their way around the cement walking track, slowly moving from vendor to vendor, lifting and examining and talking about the bottles of honey, homemade candles, kids clothes, wooden toys, wind chimes, hand-painted signs, scarves, and glass jars of special spices and sauces. Others sitting beneath the green tin roof of the pavilion listening to live music. Still others standing in line for food or sitting beneath the shade of a pole barn at picnic tables eating it. Some parents watch their kids play games, ride ponies, and jump in the bouncy castle in the middle of it all, while others look on as their kids swing and slide and climb on the permanent playground equipment at the far end. Politicians pass out campaign cards, brochures, T-shirts, and buttons. And, of course, competing commercial tupelo producers hawk honey like the golden nectar of the gods it is.
Anna and I and our two girls are right here mixed up in the middle of it all, soaking in the sights and sounds and smells, seeing people we haven’t seen in years, meeting our new neighbors and citizens.
This is our home now.
Everything has changed.
Everything.
Well, everything but the most important things. Anna and I are together. Our daughters are healthy and well.
But everything else has changed.
We have moved, taken new jobs, are now a family of four.
We now live in Wewa. Anna now has a legal practice. I am now a chaplain at Gulf Correctional Institution and an investigator with the Gulf County Sheriff’s Department. We now have two young girls—Anna’s seven-month-old daughter, Taylor Elizabeth Taunton, and my four-year-old daughter, Sarah Johanna Jordan. Of course, they are only mine and hers by blood and birth. By every other measure, in every way that truly matters, they are both ours.
We are Wewahitchkaians.
Less than half an hour from Pottersville, Wewa is an awful lot like it—as are all the small towns and rural routes in this part of North Florida.
Growing up, Anna and I both spent a good deal of time here. We both had family here. We both dated people from here back in high school. And we both always had a fondness for this place where so many of our friends live.
As we walk around the festival, each of us holding our daughter on our hips, we receive many warm congratulations for the wisdom we have displayed in moving to this great place.
They told us the same thing at the carnival in the old school yard last weekend and at our brief appearance at the softball tournament at TL James Park the weekend before.
“I like it here,” Anna says to me. “A lot.”
“Me too.”
Tall and athletic with longish brown hair and big brown eyes, Anna still projects strength and beauty, but she’s a bit more vulnerable than she’s ever been before—because of both the brutal assault she had been subjected to and the distress she had suffered giving birth to Taylor.
“It really does feel like a new life.”
“It is,” I say.
After what we had been through—particularly her—we needed a new beginning. The physical trauma she had suffered alone was enough to warrant it, but she had been through enormous emotional turmoil as well.
“I just feel so damn hopeful and happy,” she says.
“Me too,” I say, reaching over and touching her face tenderly.
Across the way, through the throng, I can see Reggie Summers and Merrick McKnight.
They are heading this way and we walk toward them.
Reggie Summers is Gulf County’s first female sheriff and my boss. Merrick McKnight owns and operates the local paper, the Gulf County Breeze, and his family’s beekeeping business, McKnight Apiaries, since his dad passed away at the end of last year.
“Sheriff,” I say to Reggie.
She smiles. “Still haven’t gotten used to that.”
Reggie is an early forties country girl with a powerful five-nine frame, striking blue-green-gray eyes, straight saddle-brown hair perpetually in a ponytail, and olive skin. As if a uniform, I’ve never
seen her in anything but blue jeans, boots, and a button-down.
If Anna has the build of a volleyball player, Reggie has the body of a softball player—the respective sports each woman excelled at in high school.
“Better hurry up,” Merrick says with a rueful smile.
He’s a little taller than Reggie, with intense eyes and a gentleness about him.
“That’s true,” she says. “Won’t have it long. If I don’t embrace it now I’ll never get to.”
Reggie has been appointed to her position by the governor and is under no illusion that she could actually win the seat in an election.
Both Anna and I are about to say something about her chances and our support, but she quickly moves off the subject.
“My, what beautiful girls,” Reggie says. “If they still had the Tupelo Queen competition, you two would have to share it. With your mom.”
She’s right. They are truly lovely. Simple, unadorned beauty.
“Whatta you say, Johanna?” I ask.
“Thank you,” she says, her small voice soft and airy.
She probably has no idea what Reggie has actually said, but she knows the right response to my question.
She looks up at me with her enormously big brown eyes and smiles.
I smile back and feel as I always feel when I look into her precious little face—a complex mixture of pure love, undiluted joy, and a fierce desire to keep her safe and happy. Looking at her also always reminds me that she looks as though she could be my and Anna’s daughter instead of my and Susan’s.
Blood Oath: a John Jordan Mystery Book 11 (John Jordan Mysteries) Page 1