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Bookshop Genres Matter of Discretion by Donna Lee Davis
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Book details
  • Genre:FICTION
  • SubGenre:Christian / Romance / General
  • Language:English
  • Pages:296
  • eBook ISBN:9781543901504
  • Paperback ISBN:9781543901498

Matter of Discretion

by Donna Lee Davis

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Overview

Grounded in truth, lifted by faith, Matter of Discretion is more than a novel about a homicide investigation or military justice, circa 1974. It’s the story of Providence in friendships, souls in peril, and hope in conflicted, loving hearts.

A 5-Star Review from Readers Favorite: Move over Jethro Gibbs, Tony Dinozzo and Timothy McGee and make room for NIS Special Agent Harry Reiner!

Reviewed by Kathleen Mahoney for Arlington Catholic Herald:  The who-done-it novel is an intriguing tale and also comes off as a paean to the Catholic priesthood . . . Davis hardly has scratched the surface of the wealth of material from her Quantico years. May we expect a sequel featuring Father Keith? Let's hope so.

Critiqued by BookLife Prize:  "The characters are superbly rendered; they feel real and vivid . . . While there are similar books with similar plots, this one manages to be wholly original and full of unexpected turns."

Commentary from Writer's Digest:  This judge in the 25th Annual WD Self-Published Book Awards did not care for the mystery/religion mix but had this to say:  "There are some inspired, engaging ideas (and combinations of ideas) at work in this novel . . . the author demonstrates some fine writing in Matter of Discretion, particularly when it comes to revealing interiority and communicating character."

Description
It's 1974. Vietnam is a recent memory. For Father Damon Keith, reassigned to Quantico, it’s a time for new beginnings and familiar challenges. The heroic sacrifice of Navy Chaplain Vincent Capodanno, post-humously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, may be fresh in the American public’s mind, but in some quarters a peacetime military chaplaincy is considered expendable. Michael O'Shea, Quantico's top prosecutor and Father Damon’s oldest friend, has asked him to instruct his bride-to-be in the faith. At first skeptical, Mia Rodgers is willing to approach Roman Catholicism with an open mind. But within days of Damon's arrival on base, a Woman Marine is found sexually assaulted and murdered, and a Marine chaplain's assistant is placed in custody for the crime. Strange telephone calls seem to implicate someone from Damon's past—or even the priest himself. It's up to NIS Special Agent Harry Reiner, ex-Philly cop, recovering alcoholic and former altar boy, to make sense of it all . . .
About the author
Donna Lee Davis became Catholic at Marine Memorial Chapel in 1969. Her 33-year career at Quantico included six years as Chaplains Office Secretary and 27 in court reporting within the military justice system, most of them as Senior Court Reporter. Upon retirement Donna was awarded the Navy Department’s Meritorious Civilian Service Medal. She has twice self-published poetry, Sheer Poetry in 1981 and Sheer Poetry Revisited in 2007. Her short fiction has appeared in the international magazine Carpe Articulum Literary Review (2010), print issues and online, and has been short listed for the Chicago Tribune’s Nelson Algren Award (2007). In 2016 she authored Here Is the Church: A History of St. Mary Parish, the story of the coming of age of Catholicism in historic Fredericksburg, Virginia. Donna is proud that she was born in Philadelphia, but she has been a Virginian since sixth grade. She lives in Hartwood.

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