_________
2005 Independent
Publisher’s Honorable Mention for Best Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
_________
“The Cross of
St. Maro is a great first novel. It
will keep you turning the pages well into the night.” Vince Flynn, author of the New York Times best seller Memorial
Day.
_________
“Mr. Keady writes a powerful story. It was one I didn’t want to
put down.”
Reviewers Choice, August 2005, Midwest Book Reviews
_________
“Three-hundred-ninety-eight pages of solid suspense”
Sally Thompson, Sun Newspapers
_________
““a spine-tingling page turner””
KTVI FOX 2
_________
“Keady's The Cross of St. Maro is a well-written, multi-layered
and exciting novel. You'll keep turning the pages, not wanting to put the book
down.”
armchairinterviews.com (Minnesota)
The Cross of St. Maro
By E. Kelly Keady
Magdalene Books
Hardcover, 398 pages
ISBN 0974973807
Naïve has never been a word to describe Peter
Farrell. As the second son of a St.
Louis Irish beat cop,
Peter knew better than most that
things may not always be what they seem.
However, nothing
prepared the young attorney for the
stack of files that his client hands him.
The files contain evidence
of a multi-national corporation’s
manipulation of the American political system through campaign
contributions, bribes and
blackmail. Behind the corruption lies
the poster boy for corporate
and the religious right, billionaire
Elias St. Armand. The hunt for Peter
and the files intensifies
when Farrell is branded a serial
killer for the murders of several attorneys.
His face is plastered on every
television and personal computer with
up-to-the minute breaking news and live updates during the
nationwide manhunt for the
“Shakespeare Killer.” Farrell escapes
from
where he finds Sara Ahrens, his former
girlfriend and one true love. More
importantly, she is the only one
he can trust now. Over the course of three harrowing days,
Peter and Sara discover they are unwilling pawns
in St. Armand’s plan to thrust the
where thousands will die unless the
plot behind the Cross of St. Maro is revealed in time.
The political, historical, and religious storylines have caused some
readers to compare it to Dan Brown’s novels, The Da Vinci Code and Angels
& Demons. Reviewers from give the
novel five stars exclaiming:
Midwest Book Review Reviewers’ Choice
August 2005 (by Barbara Rhoades),
Intrigue, terrorism and politics all in one
What a great first novel! Mr. Keady writes of
places he has lived which provides a first-hand and accurate knowledge of the
area of the country he writes about. What was even better is that I live in the
St. Louis area and have lived in the Keokuk Iowa area as well so I know the
descriptions of these places are accurate. The story is structured around
lawyers, politics, terrorism and government secrecy. The main character, Peter
Farrell, is an attorney living in St. Louis. He meets with a client and finds
himself deep into a government conspiracy, complete with bribes and blackmail.
His brother is murdered and the frame-up makes it look like Peter is to blame.
Not knowing who to trust, Peter runs for refuge and help in the only girl he
has ever loved, Sara Ahrens. Sara believes she can help him provide the truth
to the police through her father. Belatedly, she finds out her father is a part
of the conspiracy. The two run to a family friend of Sara’s, Redwood, who has
been in the political/security scene many years ago. While the life he lives
shows to the world a backwoods man, he has kept up on the technology and
abilities of his past life. This saves Peter and Sara from sure death. Once
again on the run, they end up with the President of the United States and his
right-hand man. This time, the President is killed and yet another murder is
added to Peter’s supposed killing spree. Who is behind all of this? What is the
agenda of that person? The finger points to Elias St. Armand, son of Lebanese parents,
who believe his way is the only way to save the world. Between the political
intrigue, the up-to-date scenarios of world problems and various people trying
to accomplish their own agendas, Mr. Keady writes a powerful story. It was one
I didn’t want to put down. There were sections that were a bit hard for me to
keep straight as I am not fully versed in today’s politics and who is
terrorizing who but even with that, I was able to follow the main thread of the
story with no difficulty. For anyone who knows the past history of other
countries and keeps up with today’s headlines, the story would be a breeze to
read and understand the deeper intrigue and meaning of this first novel. I hope
Mr. Keady intends to write a second novel because he writes in a clear and easy
to understand language on today’s topics.
www.armchairinterviews.com (by Bob Pike),
Well-written, multi-layered and exciting
novel
Every chapter in this book unveils more plot
twists, more deceits, and more danger for Peter and Sara. Like a chess match,
Peter is being slowly pushed into a corner where checkmate is inevitable - or
so it seems. Keady's The Cross of St. Maro is a well-written, multi-layered and
exciting novel. You'll keep turning the pages, not wanting to put the book
down. And you'll forget that this is a story, and you'll want to see it
resolved as though it were happening in real life.
A reviewer (blackslaw95@netscape.net), May 4, 2005, 
It
would be a cool movie
A day and a
half read. To borrow a cliché, I could not put this one down….had me on the
edge of my seat
the whole
time…It would be a cool movie. It's a lot like the TV show 24.
Dr. Russell A. Rohde (owlsnstuff@aol.com), A reviewer, May 4, 2005,
Politics-Corruption-Religion-Wars-Terrorism:
Power * Money
'The Cross
of St. Maro' is a lengthy, powerful & entrancing thesis depicting
widespread corruption at all
levels of
government…All interesting, spicy characters. The book is intriguing,
imaginative & certainly
worthy of
being read. Not just because the subject of corruption & terrorism is
timely, but the large cast
of complex
characters are described in rather unique fashion: - where we most often learn
about people &
places by
smelling the roses, feeling & seeing & hearing wind & rain, etc.,
herein they are displayed in a
disturbingly
negative light as products of psychiatric/social ancestries, birth & maturation,
with an
unspoken
hint of refuge because societal sufferings had fabricated subsequent antisocial
behavior….
E. Kelly
Keady is a good writer, albeit this is his first.
A reviewer, February 23, 2005, 
Move over Grisham & Flynn
If you enjoy Grisham and Flynn, you're going to love Mr. Keady.
This is one of those books that you don't want to end,in this era of big
business and pro-business politicians this book is very believable! An
excellent read.
a Grisham fan, January 28, 2005,
Great Romantic Suspense Thriller!!!
Not many books that I can recommend to my husband (or he to me),
but this works. Action, suspense, romance, and just fun. Looking forward to the
movie in 2006.
A reviewer, January 5, 2005,
Wonderful Mystery Thriller
I thoroughly enjoyed The Cross of St. Maro. Yeah, Yeah, I've seen
the comparisons to The DaVinci Code. I've read many other good thriller authors
over the years such as Robert Ludlum, Martin Cruz-Smith. Keady ranks up there
with all of the above and more. It really grabs your attention and keeps your
interest. Great reading for those cold winter days and nights!
A reviewer, history buff from St. Louis,
December 23, 2004,
History buffs pick this up
What a great book! My brother in law recommeded that I read it
and I'm glad that I did. I usually read historical non fiction and rarely read
fiction but this book was a great blend of both. Rich in detail and suspense
you'll stay up late wondering what happens to Peter.
an avid reader, A reviewer,
December 7, 2004,
Great book!
This book will having you
reading late into the night! It's suspensful while still being believable
(especially in today's world, hard to believe this was written pre-9/11) -- you
find yourself really getting into the story of Peter. The story is told at
times from others' perspectives which makes it all the more interesting. I'm an
avid reader and rate this as one of the better things I've read lately!
A reviewer, December 3, 2004,
Outstanding Thriller
Rarely does one capture my attention
with suspense novels but The Cross of St. Maro was an exception. Excellent use
of history and modern genres.
Reader in Mpls., A reviewer, November 19, 2004, 
Pageturner
This book was such a pageturner. You have to know what happens
next. It is a smart novel, but also easy to follow. Great detail and
larger-than-life characters. I highly recommend for anyone who wants a smart,
intriguing thriller to read over the Holidays.
A reviewer, a reader, November 17, 2004,
If you liked Da Vinci Code, you'll love this
I could not put this down. Got caught up in
what would happen to Peter and Sara. Learned a lot too. Very visual. It should
be a movie.
a reader of legal thrillers., November 12, 2004,
Couldn't Put It Down
This is a terrific first novel. It holds your interest from Page
One until the very end. So topical!!! A Little Scary to think it was written
before 9/11. Know you will enjoy reading this great book. Am looking forward to
reading more novels by this author.
a reader with various interests., November 1, 2004,
A Diamond in the Rough!
Somehow, the author has successfully combined a complex storyline
with a high degree of readability. Very interesting use of setting and
character. I really got caught up in the characters and what would happen to
them.
Excerpt from The Cross of St. Maro
Tasha Dolnick surveyed the bedroom
again with her back to the naked body lying motionless on the bathroom
floor. Her latex covered fingers
counted as she mentally checked off items on her list. The bag.
It was just like his gym bag.
Any impressions or fibers left by it would be consistent with the
surroundings. The door. Wiped clean. The bed. The sheets
replaced and the soiled ones placed in her bag. The condom. Also in the
bag. Any remaining traces of her or the
chloral hydrate would wash off in the bathtub.
The carpet. Vacuumed and the
contents of the vacuum cleaner safely in the bag as well. Fingerprints. None. The only things
touched were the door, the body, and the sheets. Only he touched the bottle of scotch and the highball. She left both on the counter. Hair, epithelia, and fiber. A shave and a wax two days ago was a
start. As for her hair, she kept it
pulled back and would not let him handle it.
He did not seem to mind. As a
precaution, Tasha put the clothes that he had worn earlier in the bag. The vacuum cleaner and the bath took care of
the rest.
Now
to finish the job.
The disposable
synthetic clothing and the light crunching sound as she moved across the
bathroom tiles to the tub were far from provocative. Her lightweight Tyvek suit and hood concealed the athletic body
and long black hair that seduced the man in the fetal position on the
floor. She looked like she was
investigating the crime scene, not creating one.
Because he drank
more than Tasha realized, he had passed out within minutes of the chloral hydrate
entering his system from the condom.
What a waste. He was fit for a
fifty-year old. He could have been fun. More importantly, it was inconvenient to
move the body. He was not heavy, but
awkward, like other bodies on other assignments. She planned that he would only become incapacitated to the point
that all she needed to do was guide him to the bathroom. No matter, it was done. Time to finish the assignment.
She
turned on the bathwater. Hot
water. The steam further corrupted any
trace evidence. As the water ran, Tasha
looked at the bathtub. The body needed
to sit at the end of the tub. Lifeless,
it would fall back into the water cleansing the body of any transfer evidence
or gunshot residue. Removal of the
residue on his hand was important. If
the residue stayed, it would reveal that her hand partially covered his while
pulling the trigger. She left the water
on knowing that the bathroom would flood, contaminating any trace evidence left
behind.
There
would be no mistakes tonight. She had
been trained by the best, and this was not her first assignment. She did not make mistakes, but there was
always a back up down the line. A lazy
clerk, an underpaid cop, an under-appreciated lab technician. There was always someone down the line. She had cleaned up others’ mistakes. But no mistakes tonight.
Tasha
propped up the body. Jeffrey Jay
Speeter. Age, fifty. Caucasian.
Five-foot seven, one hundred fifty ponds. Right-handed.
Alcoholic. Recently divorced
because of his infidelities.
Self-described ladies’ man. An
easy assignment.
She
met Speeter at his gym four days ago.
She knew his habits. When he
went to the gym. When he left work to
go out. Where he drank. What he drank. How much. How late he
stayed up.
She asked him if
she was using the free weights correctly.
A very physical lesson ensued with Speeter copping a feel on every
available occasion. The two shared
bottled waters afterward. Speeter
rambled on about how hard it was to find normal women since his divorce. He gave Tasha his card, complete with home
phone number and address. She said that
she would call him in a couple of days after she returned from visiting some
friends. An intoxicated Speeter was
more than pleasantly surprised when she showed up on his doorstep wearing only
pumps and a tight black cocktail dress.
Some things are too good to be true.
Tasha panned her
surroundings a final time. No signs of
forced entry. No signs of a
struggle. Just a desperate drunk man
with a gun and soon to be discovered overwhelming financial difficulties
stemming from extensive gambling losses.
She balanced
Speeter’s body at the edge of the bathtub.
The position had to be right.
The angle of the bullet’s entry had to be consistent with the shot firing
first, then falling back into the tub.
Blood spatter and brain matter would reveal the angle that the shot had
been fired. If she let go of the body
first, there could be questions.
Tasha put the gun
in Speeter’s right hand, placing his index finger on the trigger. She stuck the barrel in his mouth. Speeter’s gag reflux caused him to cough
slightly and moan. The combination of
alcohol and chloral hydrate was beginning to wear off. It did not matter, she was ready.
As she pulled the
trigger, Tasha mumbled in her soft Slavic voice, “for Salih.”