Title: Behind The Stained Glass
Author: Jeremy H. Johnson
Publisher: Black Rose
ISBN: 978-1612962054
Pages: 414, Paperback/Kindle
Genre: Mystery
Reviewed by: Carissa Chesanek, Pacific Book Review
Book Review
Behind The Stained Glass written by Jeremy Johnson seems to be seems like just another God-obsessed story engaging readers right from wrong, but there’s something more to it, and nothing offers preparation for such a relatively intriguing and disturbing ending.
The story circles around a young boy named Jacob who has no doubt had a rough life, especially without being able to trust even the closest people around him. Trying to prove to God on a daily basis that he is worth loving and running into his own imagination of corn stalk fields that provide him mental protection, the reader can only feel sorry for the kid. His dysfunctional family consisting of an abusive father named Frank and a pathetic excuse of a mother called Cindy, Jacob finds comfort in helping assist the new priest of his church, Father Nickerson who showed up from New York, and is unfortunately only a disillusion of what a true role model should be.
As the story unfolds, the reader is taken into the lives of all those around Jacob, supplying us with how much Cindy wants to kills herself, how Frank can’t quite understand why he’s such a hurtful human being to those he loves, and why Father Nickerson has continued to sexually abuse the children he works closely with in the church.
Years pass and Jacob turns from a small, naive boy to an adult ready for college and then a priest of his own. While reading, it only makes sense to assume that Jacob has grown from all of his hardships and only wants to help those who have wronged him in the past. However, this is anything but a story of forgiveness. While Jacob has manipulated the reader into believing he’s proved his maturity and faith, he takes on a completely different face in the end of the book, seeking out revenge rather than forgiveness, and going after the two men who had destroyed any ounce of normalcy left in him.
Jeremy Johnson writes a magnificent book, Behind the Stained Glass. Intriguing twists keep the reader poised at ever page. This book will appeal to a variety of readers from lovers of traditional mysteries to suspense lovers with its ominous, spiritual feel and even beyond these genres as moments of tenderness and fear both move the reader’s heart. Jeremy Johnson fine writing keeps the pages turning with eager anticipation until the very end. Be prepared to discover a fresh new reading experience with Behind the Stained Glass.
