A Burning in the Darkness by AP McGrath

A twisted confession leads to horrifying consequences in AP McGrath’s gripping religious thriller, A Burning in the Darkness.

Thirty-three-year-old airport priest, Father Michael Kieh, has packed for his return to Liberia, the homeland he’d left behind at seventeen, when he receives a text message indicating that there’s a confessor waiting. After Michael assumes his position in the confessional, the man on the other side cryptically announces, “she won’t be waiting for you.” After demanding to know where “she” is, Michael races to a tunnel near one of the terminals and finds a woman, a ticket to Liberia clutched in her hand, just as the police arrive, and she’s barely alive…

A Burning in the Darkness is a fascinating read, alternating between present day London and Michael’s tumultuous earlier life. What makes McGrath’s story particularly interesting is the unique setting for Michael’s life as an airport priest and the wide array of people that cross his path – from random individuals in the airport mortuary to the genial barman at his favorite airport bar. Each add dimension to his regimented life and contrast sharply with the upheaval he had experienced in his youth.

A good thriller will center around unique locales and unique characters, and this novel satisfies both to an exceptional degree. Replete with moral and ethical issues, along with a riveting plot, McGrath delivers a solid read in A Burning in the Darkness.