This Side of Jordan

THIS SIDE OF JORDAN is the second volume in Bill Kassel’s series of “Valley Mysteries.” These topical, compelling Catholic novels bridge the gap between commercial and religious fiction to show ordinary people confronting some of the most pressing issues touching our lives today.

The action revolves around the discovery of two bodies at the lakeshore site of a summer festival planned for a small midwest town. As the story jumps back to trace the unfolding of the project, we meet a variety of colorful and sharply drawn personalities, including the principal characters of the “Valley Mysteries”—Alan Kemp, Father Karl, Sister Elaine, Police Chief Zubeck, Elroy the old savant, Pastor Matt, and others—introduced in the first volume of the series, HOLY INNOCENTS.

THIS SIDE OF JORDAN explores two timely, provocative themes — (1) why popular entertainment panders to the lowest moral instincts of its audience; and (2) homosexuality and the challenge it presents to relationships, to society, and to the Church — through an engaging contemporary mystery story that is absorbing, psychologically accurate, and true to the teaching of the Catholic Church.