The haunting secret of CELETERRA pulls all into a vortex of deceit. Vance, shop-owner and part-time detective, has no expectations when investigating the disappearance of Charles Darwin’s testament. Too late he discovers that a brutal religious sect is out to destroy his life… and the life of many more. "A compelling mystery that will grip you tightly and not let go--even after you've finished reading."
Part mystery novel, part satire, part love story - Vance discovers a long lost letter by Charles Darwin in a hidden drawer of a Rococo table. The letter is stolen by a religious cult. When his girlfriend disappears too, Vance, and his faithful one-eyed dog Eugene, set out on a quest for truth. Soon, Vance discovers that he must search far beyond this earth… A high paced detective story, with surprising twists and turns.
Excerpt
Lumen frowned. “It is not for us to know, Vance, it is not for us to know. I am certain that if Martha has died – and I am not sure that she has actually – she is very happy now. You too should work on your own happiness, here in Heaven. It does not help you to dwell on the past. Think about the future! Can’t you see its brightness? Here, in Heaven, this is the place where you will spend the rest of your existence!
Professional Reviews
Top rating at Amazon
For those of you that read Two Journeys, the author changes gears somewhat in this book. Celeterra (the title translates into "Heavenland") is the story about an excursion to an utopian world, with characters that seem to originate from Marvel comics. There's Vance, the hero, a bigger-than-life sleuth. His sweetheart Martha, an Olympic swimmer, and Nixon, a parkbench philosopher, rambling on about the purpose of life. And finally a bunch of villains, each a character of its own. Together, these people hunt for a letter written by Charles Darwin, in a true "Maltese Falcon"-style of story, full of deceit and clever wordplay. A page turner!
Five star praise on Smashwords
Intriguing story, hard to put down once you have started. Sort of a crime story, with philosophical touches, very likeable hero, and especially great if you have a dog too.
Amazon comment:
A crime story taking place in Paradise - this book is highly entertaining, and very well done: as the hero says "absolutely intriguing!" This is one of those books that will stick with you, characters and story inspired by 1940s film noir. The basic story is that the hero finds a letter by Charles Darwin (some interesting discussions about evolution and creationism are included), the letter is stolen and the hero's girlfriend vanishes too. Then the hero himself is murdered - and surprisingly continues his search for the letter and the girl... in Heaven. This is the only crime story that I am aware of that actually takes place on Earth and in Paradise.
Suter somehow manages to roll these and other equally bizarre and entertaining occurrences into a fully believable detective story, loaded (but not overloaded) with philosophic discussions between the characters. Hilarious things happen, like a live concert by the deceased Michael Jackson, a meeting with Adolf Hitler (yes, he ended up in Heaven too) and several varieties of angels, cherubs, devils and satyrs. I won't give the end away, except that it is - yet again - a surprise. Caveat: the book starts too slow for my taste, I guess that the author wants to set the stage. And the book will be a hard read for religious people and more specifically catholics. For all other readers: this book does not disappoint. Five stars for an enjoyable read.
Everyone has secrets of the heart, Follow each character as each one's life is transformed!
"Secrets of the Heart" is a novel which was birthed from Psalm 44:20,21... "If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange
Books 1 & 2 of Never Leave Your Monastery, both in one volume. This Collector's Edition features the ORIGINAL ART of the Author, over 25 hand-drawn illustrations.
Although available elsewhere; the author urges you
