The Dead Saint

Bishop Lynn Peterson starts her Wednesday sipping coffee in the French Quarter when whizzing bullets and a dead New Orleans Saints kicker send her on a worldwide journey of espionage, secret messages, and life-threatening situations. The peace-loving bishop is pitted against a mysterious enemy known as "The Patriot," whose reach and power extend even to still restive postsiege Sarajevo. "Start with St. Sava" is Lynn's first clue that her life might no longer be solely under her own command. Oden (Crested Butte) has written an international adventure that will keep readers guessing, though her propensity to halt action with Lynn's self-talk and introspection (" ‘Enough, Lynn! Open the letter or tear it up!' ") can get annoying. The casual yet taut style will keep readers turning pages to find out if Bishop Lynn can prevent disaster that involves the highest echelons of the U.S. government. Oden's Bishop Lynn is likable and smart, a combination that could make for a bestseller and more thrillers in the future. (Apr.)