Gabriel's Covenant

Forensic anthropologist Erica Braxton, Joshua’s daughter, and a Mt. Hood C-3 quadriplegic, downs a lethal nembutal cocktail in the opening scene of Gabriel's Covenant. Five minutes later, she’s in a deep sleep. After forty-five minutes Frau Schroder, a registered anesthetist in Zurich, pronounces her dead. Joshua could have stopped the killing . . . her assisted suicide. He chooses not to.

Crafted to avoid morbidity and sanctimony, Gabriel’s Covenant weaves a man’s love for his daughter, an unforgettable dog, a vintage car, a lifelong friend, and the ghostly spirit of his deceased wife, into the context of a mind gripping mystery set in Gabriel’s Crossing, a remote river town.

Joshua, preoccupied with “I killed my daughter” resonance, embarks on a journey to fulfill his bedside promise to Erica with his Oscar Madison-type sidekick, Norm MacAllaster. They quickly discover Gabriel’s Crossing is a Thornton Wilder, Grover’s Corners kind of place where the living and the dead are sometimes not remembered, for reasons buried deep within the collective conscience of one family, the Armstrongs. Erica’s last forensic case goes cold after nature backhands her from the treacherous summit of Mt. Hood, and before she’s able to disclose the identity of a mummified, nameless boy—buried decades ago—to his twin sister, Mattie Armstrong.

Following Joshua, his playful and comical dog, Tasman, and Norm as they unwind the mystery behind why the child was killed, is a chilling, heartfelt journey touching on the timeless fear people have of dying and the turmoil end-of-life circumstances present. Both the fear and turmoil felt by the principle characters is dramatically explored with deserved frankness, touching insight, humor, and empathy for their shared vulnerabilities.

*

What do you think?

Have you read Gabriel's Covenant? What's your opinion? Let Gary know what you think about his book. Your comments may be published on this page to share with other readers.

Reader Comments

Stay tuned! Reader comments to come!