Unpardonable Sins
- Fiction
- Publisher: Resource Publications (Wipf and Stock)
- Published: 2021
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Publisher's Description
John Reimer, a Mennonite preacher in Lakeview, Chicago, might be on the downslope of his ministerial career. At least that's how he feels most days. Then one morning in March a hungover waitress at the Melrose diner tells him to look into the murder of a bike messenger at North Pond--and begs him to keep the cops out of it. Before too long Reimer is making tracks through Chicago, asking a lot of questions, and leaving many people uncomfortable. Reimer encounters a menagerie of characters in his beloved city--among them a brooding detective who trusts Reimer's instincts; a Moody Bible Institute drop-out trying to stay on his antipsychotic medication; a charismatic alderman; and the church moderator, Nancy Huefflinger, an attorney who knows when to swagger and when to turn on the charm. Complicating things is Reimer's despair for his wife Vi, in hospice with an incurable neurological disease, and whose condition has shaken his faith to the core. When Reimer figures out that whoever killed the young man at North Pond is coming after him, too, he must summon all his inner resources--including some he didn't learn in seminary--if he wants to survive.
Endorsements (16)
“A rousing murder mystery that’s also an absorbing inquiry into sin, guilt, sexuality, violence, and responsibility, Unpardonable Sins features a host of memorable characters, most notably John Reimer, the earnestly, vulnerably inquisitive Mennonite preacher-turned-sleuth. This entertaining, provocative novel immerses us in the streets and politics of Chicago, and the mysteries of family, faith, and action in this lovely, brutal world.”
“The history of detective mystery novels is littered with tough cops and boozed-out private sleuths who track down bad guys and bring them to justice. But until I picked up Unpardonable Sins, I never came across anything like the exploits of a Mennonite minister in pursuit of a ruthless killer on the North Side of Chicago. John Reimer is a middle-aged, semi-burned-out pastor of a dwindling congregation who finds himself trying to solve a young man’s murder. . . . Unpardonable Sins crackles with fascinating characters, clever dialogue, and surprising twists and turns.”
“Mennonite pastor John Reimer is the gritty protagonist I’ve been waiting for—secure in the soil of deep roots, resolute about justice and truth, unafraid to confront his flaws and theological vagaries, and confident that holiness has no coin if not fleshed out in action.”
“A gripping narrative that intertwines Chicago history and weather, politics and police, with Mennonite potlucks, church politics, and Karl Barth. Unpardonable Sins . . . undercuts simplistic explanations of why and how human beings live and find meaning. This mystery novel by an astute observer of Chicago street life and a master wordsmith will introduce you to a Mennonite pastor you will not soon forget.”
“Highly recommended.”
“I just finished reading Unpardonable Sins—a great read!”
“Two of my favorite types of novel in one—a clergy sleuth and a Chicago murder mystery. It is reminiscent of a Sara Paretsky novel because of the rich landscape of the city of Chicago a few decades ago. . . . A delicious read. I look forward to a sequel please.”
“A wonderful book . . . this is the first riveting book I have read in about ten years. . . . The novel also reads in part as a love song to the northern half of Chicago, where the authors have spent a large amount of their lives. Run do not walk to wipfandstock.com and add this novel to your reading list.”
“I read the book and recommend it highly.”
“I finished reading the novel this morning. Bravo! I enjoyed it—both the plot and the internal struggles of Reimer.”
“The first Mennonite hard-boiled fiction!”
“‘The hand of a farmer crushing the hand of a lawyer’! Perfect! I loved Unpardonable Sins! It is a classic form now, and David Saul Bergman pulled it off beautifully and brought it some new life, too.”
“In this suspenseful urban murder mystery, the dirt of western Kansas meets the grit of the north end of Chicago's lakefront. John Reimer, a crumpled Mennonite minister who finds himself rummaging around the underbelly of The Machine, is a refreshing change from the usual hard-bitten sleuth of the more traditional American detective novel. The good reverend has an annoying habit of ruminating on scriptural passages and other theological references that may, or may not, be clues for the reader in solving a couple of particularly gruesome murders. And while Reimer tries to give as good as he gets, he's clearly more suited to philosophical rumination than to Chicago-style street violence. Reimer may be something of a unique character in the Chicago crime business and the identity of the murderer is a surprise to the reader, but the explosive violence of the novel's climax quite took this reader's breath away. Perhaps in the sequel, Reverend Reimer might be tempted to stay on more familiar turf and tackle unpardonable sins within the Mennonite community, assuming such sins exist there. I can’t wait to find out what he decides to do next time.”
“The character of John, as an unlikely detective, is very well developed. . . . His inner thoughts, musings, and debate over religious text, and his ever-present and much-revered older brother, gave him depth and helped us untangle the murderer’s identity. As a lifelong Chicagoan, I have to say, Bergman really gave the Chicago native characters an authentic voice. Such a fun and well-written book. It should sell well, especially in this city where local-geography porn is so coveted.”
“Unpardonable Sins is one of those books that’s hard to put down. . . . It really satisfies that contemporary detective noir feel. Reimer is a fearless introspective Mennonite preacher with odd friends and he loves a big breakfast. He makes me want to go back to Chicago and Ann Sathers and have something besides the cinnamon buns. . . . The story is well-paced, like that chug-chug sound of those cars on an amusement park ride . . . paced and regulated pulsating tension moving up and up until boom. Little booms . . . and then the big boom. Wild! It is real and believable. Easy to be imitative or cliché, but here quite the contrary.”
“This novel is a solid entry into the field of urban mystery: fast-paced, vivid, and violent. I could easily have spent more time with this intriguing cast of characters, especially of course the Mennonite preacher who finds himself dragged into the investigation of a brutal murder. I’m hoping that future novels in this series will provide more backstory — and more theology and church politics — as well as more of Chicago with all its grit and weather and neighborhood restaurants. Me, I love the details. A good read, this one.”
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