Cry From the Grave (Author's Preface)

Cry From the Grave

A Cameron Ballack Mystery

by Luke H. Davis

     The religious setting in crime fiction is a two-way street. For the author, there are many avenues where one can find fertile soil for the intrigue, the storm, and the stress of such a plot. Yet I repeatedly find the church, the seminary, the monastery, the parochial school, and even the synagogue or mosque can provide the proper surprise quotient necessary for a murderously good literary time. There are certain places humankind expects to feel safe, and holy ground is one of those venues. From a writer's point of view, I could hardly ask for a setting of better shock value. The same goes for organizations--such as hospitals, agencies, nursing homes, and the like--under the banner of faith communities. It is this dynamism that Cry From the Grave seeks to highlight with the location of St. Matthew's Grove.

     Readers who are diving in at this point to the Cameron Ballack series may have misgivings about nursing homes or hospice centers being used as stages of ultimate finality and murder. In no way do I wish to suggest that patients, employees, or visitors are in mortal danger while in the walls of such facilities. May it be fairly noted that the hospice of St. Matthew's Grove is a completely fictitious entity, existing only in the mind of the author. Also, characters in this story are the sole product of my imagination and do not represent anyone in real life, either the quick or the dead.

     If nothing else, this work has been greatly rewarding for me because of the chance to set the story within the space of one of St. Louis' truly wonderful inner-ring communities, the historic enclave of Webster Groves. During my graduate school days, I attended Old Orchard Presbyterian Church in east Webster and was always taken by the distinguished charm of a place that blended the traditional and progressive so magnificently. It is certainly shocking to imagine the crime of murder taking place in such a quaint area, yet the surrounding landmarks drew me to Webster like a Siren's song. Readers familiar with the area will find that locations such as Eden Theological Seminary, Robust Wine Bar, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, and Webster University make their way into the story with unimpeachable accuracy.

     Many thanks go to friends and loved ones who have encouraged and supported me throughout my writing endeavors. My family, especially my loving wife Christy, has made abundant room for my need to compose new worlds. Effusive thanks must go to Mark Sutherland of Dunrobin Publishing. It was he who published the first three volumes in this series before I decided to go with this transitory tale as a serial novel on my blog. I am also grateful to others who have borne well the questions of faith in these stories, even when such queries may appear unnerving and slightly abrasive. Much to their credit, these folks have borne the balance of these concerns with grace, an open mind, and willing dialogue.

All Souls' Day
2018