Deros

by John A Vanek

Overview

When Father Jake Austin is assigned to his hometown of Oberlin, Ohio, in July of 2002, he has been away for a long time. A physician and a war veteran before entering a Catholic seminary, he is now a member of the Camillian Order. He takes comfort in his vows of obedience, poverty, chastity, and service to the sick.

Jake arrives just in time to attend his high school reunion, where an encounter with his high school sweetheart forces him to question his commitment to the priesthood. Before the night is over, one of his classmates will be dead, a second gravely wounded, and a third hospitalized. The carnage at the reunion comes on the heels of what appears to be an unrelated murder at the quarry. Overseeing the investigation is Jake's former football teammate, Chief of Police Tremont "Tree" Macon, who is unwilling to rule out anyone as a suspect, not even Jake. As he struggles to prove his innocence and to find his footing in a town that remembers him as a hellion, Jake searches for threads that will connect these brutal attacks.

The war may be long past, but in some ways Jake is still waiting for his DEROS: Date of Expected Return from Overseas. Can he put aside his own demons long enough to find the living, breathing devil who stalks his classmates?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781603816199
Publisher:	Coffeetown Press
Publication date:	02/01/2018
Series:	Father Jake Austin Mystery , #1
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	4.90(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Born and raised in the Cleveland, Ohio, area, John Vanek received his bachelor's degree from Case Western Reserve University, where his passion for creative writing took root. He received his medical degree from the University of Rochester, did his internship at University Hospitals of Cleveland, and completed his residency at the Cleveland Clinic. During the quarter century he practiced medicine, his interest in writing never waned. Medicine was his wife, but writing became his mistress and mysteries his drug of choice. He began honing his craft by attending creative writing workshops and college courses. At first pursuing his passion solely for himself and his family, he was surprised and gratified when his work won contests and was published in a variety of literary journals, anthologies, and magazines. John lives happily as an ink-stained-wretch in Florida, where he teaches a poetry workshop for seniors and enjoys swimming, hiking, sunshine, good friends, and red wine. For more information, go to www.JohnVanekAuthor.com.

Read an Excerpt

He strode to the bar and flagged down the bartender.

"Jack Daniel's on the rocks for me. What'll it be, Jake? I'm buying."

After the day I'd had, I felt like I could have chugged an entire Mason jar of Mr. Daniel's fine Tennessee whiskey. I'd just walked into my turbulent past, however, and it was prudent to remain in control until I got the lay of the land and a handle on my own emotions. Prudence was a virtue I'd acquired out of necessity over the years after taking my lumps at the School of Hard Knocks.

"Ah … a ginger ale, thanks."

"I hear the Shirley Temples are really tasty and come with tiny paper umbrellas." Tree peered down from his six-foot-six-inch vantage point. "Back in the day, your beverage of choice was anything short of rubbing alcohol. This a priest thing? Your collar's off now, Father. Relax."

"It has more to do with my class prophecy, 'Most likely to get a drunk and disorderly.' " I shrugged. "I used up my quota of both after the war, so I take it easy now. I'll grab a drink with dinner."

"Okay. That's probably a good thing, because you were a handful back in school when you were on the sauce. Booze flared up your temper like gasoline on a bonfire. I sure as hell don't want you in my drunk tank tonight." Tree frowned and his eyebrows moved down and in, narrowing his eyes to slits. "Anything else I should know about you?"

"Plenty, but some other time. Let's mingle."

We squeezed through a gauntlet of humanity past the hors d'oeuvres table. Although the Bee Gees recommended "Stayin' Alive," definitely sensible advice, the aroma of fried cholesterol drew folks to the bacon-wrapped shrimp like moths to a flame.

Tree was on a mission, glad-handing and backslapping his way to job security. While he commanded the spotlight, smiling and chatting up the crowd, I lurked in his shadow, watching an eerie 35 mm-filmstrip version of my 1970s life.

We met couples who had been married so many years that they'd begun to look alike, more than a few divorcées, and the occasional trophy wife showcased in designer clothing and sparkling jewelry. If one or two of these wealthy folks belonged to my parish, the church collection basket would runneth over.

The redheads in the room drew my attention. I half expected to see the woman who'd dashed from the confessional. The ladies in the ballroom, however, were decidedly older, stockier, and probably bottle-red.

As Frankie Valli insisted that we were all too darn good to be true, Tree guided me through a haze of perfume, across the raised dance floor, and toward a table.

"Let's park it awhile, Jake."

As we neared, I recognized Emily immediately. My chest tightened and my knees turned to Jell-O.

Editorial Reviews

12/11/2017
Fr. Jake Austin, the hero of Vanek’s promising debut and series launch, returns to his hometown of Oberlin, Ohio, in 2002 to take up a temporary post at a Catholic hospital in nearby Lorain—an assignment that coincides with his high school class’s 30th reunion. In high school, Jake was a football star and rowdy. He later became a medic in Vietnam, eventually a doctor, and finally a priest. At the reunion, Jake reconnects with such people as police chief Tremont “Tree” Macon, a former football pal; old girlfriend Emily Beale, whose blindness comes as a shock; and Emily’s acerbic ex-husband, Everett McDermott. The reunion quickly goes from bad to worse: at the banquet, the speaker collapses, another is attendee is poisoned, and a threatening note seems to target Emily. Late that night, someone shoots Everett at his home, leaving him in a coma. Full of conflicting emotions, Jake has a lot to cope with in a mystery that’s as much a character study as a whodunit. The title is an acronym for Date of Expected Return from Overseas—the relevance of which isn’t immediately obvious. Readers will look forward to seeing more of Jake. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

https: //www.publishersweekly.com/9781603816199

DEROS: A Father Jake Austin Mystery

John A. Vanek. Coffeetown, $16.95 trade paper (304p) ISBN 978-1-60381-619-9

Fr. Jake Austin, the hero of Vanek's promising debut and series launch, returns to his hometown of Oberlin, Ohio, in 2002 to take up a temporary post at a Catholic hospital in nearby Lorain--an assignment that coincides with his high school class's 30th reunion. In high school, Jake was a football star and rowdy. He later became a medic in Vietnam, eventually a doctor, and finally a priest. At the reunion, Jake reconnects with such people as police chief Tremont "Tree" Macon, a former football pal; old girlfriend Emily Beale, whose blindness comes as a shock; and Emily's acerbic ex-husband, Everett McDermott. The reunion quickly goes from bad to worse: at the banquet, the speaker collapses, another is attendee is poisoned, and a threatening note seems to target Emily. Late that night, someone shoots Everett at his home, leaving him in a coma. Full of conflicting emotions, Jake has a lot to cope with in a mystery that's as much a character study as a whodunit. The title is an acronym for Date of Expected Return from Overseas--the relevance of which isn't immediately obvious. Readers will look forward to seeing more of Jake. (Feb.)

"A riveting tale of mystery and murder. Superb storytelling with a deft touch by this talented author who keeps ratcheting up the tension until the explosive ending. A fast read, but the characters linger in your memory. The second novel in the series will soon be available, and I can't wait to read it." --Ann O'Farrell, author of the Norah's Children Trilogy.

"Father Jake Austin is a spiritual man, but he is as flawed and filled with contradictions as anyone. John Vanek guides the reader through the seldom-seen worlds of both medicine and the priesthood. His years as a physician at a Catholic hospital make him the perfect creator of this literary mystery set in a small college town, but few physicians can manage prose as well as Vanek does." --Sterling Watson, Professor of Literature and Creative Writing at Eckerd College and author of Suitcase City.

"John Vanek brings small-town Oberlin, Ohio to life. Locals will recognize familiar people, places, and threads of Oberlin history woven throughout the story as Father Jake Austin reconnects with his past and gets caught in a web of deadly vendettas." --Liz Schultz, Executive Director of the Oberlin Heritage Center.

From the Publisher

01/01/2018
Jake Austin surprises everyone at his 30th high school reunion in Oberlin, OH. The hell-raiser who left town unexpectedly is back, and he's now a Catholic priest and a doctor. Jack is on temporary assignment, filling in for an ailing priest. In one short week in 2002, Jake will face the sweetheart he had abandoned who is now blind, attend his reunion, and meet a sister he never knew he had. He also becomes a suspect when one classmate is shot and another dies. The troubled man will need all his hometown knowledge to find a killer with a hit list. VERDICT This intense debut introduces a complex narrator, an introspective Vietnam vet who still struggles three decades later with his anger and losses stemming from the war. Vanek's bittersweet novel will appeal to admirers of Julia Spencer-Fleming's clerical mysteries.—Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

Library Journal