Bask - Shop now
Kindle Unlimited
Unlimited reading. Over 4 million titles. Learn more
Read for Free
OR
$2.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC.
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Jeannette Batz Cooperman
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

A Circumstance of Blood Kindle Edition

by Jeannette Batz Cooperman (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 out of 5 stars 197 ratings

A chilling murder mystery



Father Colin McAvoy, a Scottish Jesuit priest, is the principal of the newly formed Matteo Academy.

With fifty students, the majority fee paying, he looks forward to being able to offer places to another fifty students whose parents are unable to pay.

Working on his staff is University friend Jimmy Cadigan, also a priest, and Father Francis Charron, an elderly priest, who had taught Colin at seminary school.

Charron’s brilliant, but he assisted at an exorcism as a young priest and has never recovered from the experience.

One of the academy’s students, 17-year-old Philip Grant, dresses like Oscar Wilde and hasn’t troubled to define his sexual orientation.

Irreverent and rebellious, he’s researching the private lives of the faculty for a video mashup.

He asks to borrow the Matteo Ricci map, a sixteenth century map which has been donated to the school.

Philip’s enough of a handful, but then Auxiliary Bishop Matthew Ehrlich arrives at the school to tell Colin that he has a new pupil for him.
The son of a local lawyer and psychologist, Graham Dennison has been accused of trying to kill his mother.

Colin tries to refuse; Ehrlich, conscious of the fundraising prospects, insists.

Miserable, Colin contacts his university friend Sarah Markham, a journalist who has just returned from Haiti.
Sarah moves in and starts to develop a profile of the young man.

She’s not convinced he’s violent at all.

And then one of the boys is found dead from a possible drugs overdose.

With her old friend panicking and other faculty members behaving strangely, Sarah starts to call in favours to get to bottom of the murder.

Was she wrong about Graham? Can she unravel the mystery swiftly enough to save Colin’s school?

Jeannette Cooperman spent a decade as an award-winning investigative reporter, then went on to teach, write, and work as editor-in-chief of St. Louis Magazine. She loathed being in charge and cheerfully sank to staff writer, her current full-time gig. On the side, she has written several non-fiction books. This is her first fiction book for Endeavour.
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    345 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    December 29, 2015
  4. File size
    1.7 MB
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
Next slide of product details

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B019ZDUEDU
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lume Books (December 29, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 29, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.7 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 345 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 197 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Jeannette Batz Cooperman

Jeannette Batz Cooperman

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Jeannette Cooperman is the author of a murder mystery, A Circumstance of Blood, as well as several nonfiction books and a slew of award-winning articles (both narrative and investigative journalism). She earned a Ph.D. in American studies from Saint Louis University as well as a bachelor of arts in philosophy (equally good job prep). Her dissertation, later published as The Broom Closet, focused on domestic ritual in postfeminist literature—and gave her an excuse to avoid housework while she wrote it.

Currently a staff writer for St. Louis Magazine, she previously spent a decade as staff writer for The Riverfront Times, an alternative newsweekly, writing under her maiden name to avoid late-night phone calls from cranky or paranoid sources. For years she wrote a column for National Catholic Reporter, and her articles have also appeared in O: The Oprah Winfrey Magazine, The Bark, Utne Reader, the Boston Globe, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Glamour, and Seventeen.

Cooperman lives in a century-old house in Waterloo, Ill., with her husband, historian Andrew Cooperman, and an irrepressible standard poodle, Louie, whose gait more closely resembles a kangaroo's.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
197 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers praise the book's writing quality, describing it as a well-crafted mystery. Moreover, the plot receives positive feedback for being elaborate and suspenseful, with one customer highlighting its intricate tale of desire. Additionally, customers appreciate the complex characters and find the book enjoyable to read.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

14 customers mention "Writing quality"14 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, describing it as a well-crafted mystery.

"...Despite the brevity with which Cooperman conveys things, the book is intensely evocative. The reader feels he or she is right there...." Read more

"I loved this book and certainly kept me guessing!..." Read more

"...The overall impression was of an excellent story teller who still needs to work a bit on the mechanics of writing...." Read more

"...This is a marvelous book written in the tradition of the great British mysteries and has all the hallmarks – an amateur sleuth with a guardian angel..." Read more

10 customers mention "Plot complexity"10 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the plot complexity of the book, describing it as a compelling psychological thriller with elaborate twists and turns.

"...The plot is elaborate and very satisfying without going to the nearly insane lengths that Patricia Cornwell does in many of her Scarpetta novels...." Read more

"...form of a stolen ancient map, hints of Satanic possession, a surfeit of suspects and, of course, a dead body...." Read more

"This compelling and suspenseful mystery has an expertly woven plot which will catapult you through the chapters to a conclusion you never see coming..." Read more

"...of Blood by Jeannette Batz Cooperman is a psychological thriller with theological undertones that weaves an intricate tale of desire, delusion, and..." Read more

10 customers mention "Readability"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book a fabulous and fun read, with one describing it as a pleasant dream of a book.

"...The plot is elaborate and very satisfying without going to the nearly insane lengths that Patricia Cornwell does in many of her Scarpetta novels...." Read more

"I loved this book and certainly kept me guessing!..." Read more

"...This didn't happen enough times to put me off, and I read the entire book with enjoyment...." Read more

"...This was great diversionary reading, yet I highlighted many passages on my Kindle to reread -- either because the writing enchanted me..." Read more

5 customers mention "Character variety"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character variety in the book, noting that they are complex.

"...for Markham, with lots of red herrings and a cast of characters with plenty of secrets to hide, each with their own possible motive for wanting that..." Read more

"...The characters are complex, interesting and extraordinarily believable...." Read more

"...to follow, had a little more complexity in its story lines and variety of characters...." Read more

"...Was I ever wrong! This is a fine piece of writing that exhibited complex characters, compelling story line/plot development, unexpected twists that..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Lawrence Kinsman
    5.0 out of 5 stars A DAZZLING NEW TALENT HITS THE CRIME WRITING SCENE
    Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    American Jeannette Cooperman's first novel, A CIRCUMSTANCE OF BLOOD, was been released as an e-book by a publisher in the United Kingdom. It is a very pleasant dream of a book that reads like the work of a highly experienced and confident crime writer. The plot is elaborate and very satisfying without going to the nearly insane lengths that Patricia Cornwell does in many of her Scarpetta novels. Cooperman's detective, an unmarried woman in her thirties with the requisite intimacy issues, is wonderfully full and human without being an annoying and implausible know-it-all. We hope to meet her and her sloppily loving dog in future novels -- again and again. This author does a number of daring things, including setting her crime narrative in a private boys' boarding school being run by a well-intentioned but overwhelmed young Catholic priest. To venture a question based on a wild generalization, who is more mentally ill and unpredictable than your average American teenager, regardless of gender?

    This author has spent many years as a freelance writer and magazine editor. All that work shows in her supple and amazingly economical prose. Despite the brevity with which Cooperman conveys things, the book is intensely evocative. The reader feels he or she is right there. Another remarkable feature of this debut novel is that it keeps Cooperman's wry and delightful humor (one is tempted to ask if she is a descendent of Mark Twain) bubbling just below the surface every page of the way. Even more uncanny, the humor never undercuts the tension or the sense of impending calamity.

    Most fans of crime novels would agree that the genre is meant primarily to entertain. Cooperman's novel succeeds in this like 4th of July fireworks (the sort that are brilliant but do not set fire to the city's skyline). Nevertheless, the books maintains a high level of moral seriousness that will make every intelligent reader feel flattered. A CIRCUMSTANCE OF BLOOD is a novel to be savored and then celebrated.
    8 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Robbi
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great book
    Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I loved this book and certainly kept me guessing! The only thing was there were so many characters, at times I just couldn't keep track of who was who. But overall, a very enjoyable read.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Leonard R Budney
    3.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable mystery. I look forward to more by this author.
    Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    This was a solid, readable mystery.

    The main reason I didn't give it more stars is that it had some editing issues: mainly awkward transitions. The story cut to flashbacks and dream sequences in a way that caught me by surprise and forced me to backtrack and reread to figure out why we're suddenly seeing a character who wasn't in the room a minute ago. The overall impression was of an excellent story teller who still needs to work a bit on the mechanics of writing.

    This didn't happen enough times to put me off, and I read the entire book with enjoyment. There was some sophisticated treatment of psychological issues like sociopathy and narcissism. I'm not an expert, but it seemed well done to me anyway. There was also some solid background material on Catholicism, and bits about Haiti and Kenya, that showed definite attention to detail by the author.

    I'll definitely keep an eye out for more by this author.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Jim Nesbitt
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is a marvelous book written in the tradition of the great British mysteries and has all the hallmarks – an ...
    Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    A CIRCUMSTANCE OF BLOOD
    Jeannette Cooperman

    Jeannette Cooperman is a stylish writer with a sharp eye for detail and keen ear for dialogue – skills that are on full display in her new mystery novel, A Circumstance of Blood.

    This is a marvelous book written in the tradition of the great British mysteries and has all the hallmarks – an amateur sleuth with a guardian angel former cop and spook, a semi-rural setting at a Catholic academy for boys, a McGuffin in the form of a stolen ancient map, hints of Satanic possession, a surfeit of suspects and, of course, a dead body.

    It’s tempting to call this a cozy mystery, but it’s not. There’s a distinctly American quality to Cooperman’s tale that breaks with the cozy conventions. There are no broadly drawn supporting characters providing comic relief. Sex isn’t a dominant factor, but isn’t downplayed and is frankly presented.

    Instead, there’s Sarah Markham, a journalist at the crossroads of her career. Markham is driven by a reporter’s dogged determination to dig for the truth of a flamboyantly rebellious student’s murder while she unsnarls the tangled emotions of her love for the founder of Matteo Academy, a Scottish Jesuit priest name Colin McAvoy.

    Cooperman masterfully spins a web of intrigue for Markham, with lots of red herrings and a cast of characters with plenty of secrets to hide, each with their own possible motive for wanting that student dead. And she’s truly torn because McAvoy, trying to save his school from scandal, may have the most powerful motive of all.

    Truth in advertising – this type of mystery isn’t my cup of tea. However, Cooperman’s writing and mastery of plot and character portrayal is so strong that I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it – and anything else she writes in the future.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Samantha
    4.0 out of 5 stars A thriller
    Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    A book that keeps one guessing. This is a well written mystery with twists and turns. The ending is a surprise.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Linda Payne
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous read!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    This compelling and suspenseful mystery has an expertly woven plot which will catapult you through the chapters to a conclusion you never see coming but is so satisfying when you get there. That would be enough to entertain most readers, but the author gives you far more. The characters are complex, interesting and extraordinarily believable. Jeannette Cooperman digs below the surface in ways most authors simply don't know how to do. I highly recommend!
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Linda
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on April 23, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Great reading...
    Report
  • Kindle Customer
    2.0 out of 5 stars Slow n repetitive
    Reviewed in Australia on April 21, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Had trouble finishing too repetitive , started out being interesting but plot just dragged on, in the finished i couldnt care less who was guilty 😩
    Report
  • K. Garratt
    5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful novel, I'm hoping for more from this author ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    A wonderful novel, I'm hoping for more from this author as I became totally involved with (and fond of) the characters and was genuinely surprised at the outcome. At a time when many "who done its" are predictable and formulaic this is very refreshing.
    Report
  • Gwendy P.
    3.0 out of 5 stars and Okay read
    Reviewed in Canada on August 15, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Because of the small cast of characters, the limited setting, and the dull ending, I found this to be a written equivalent of an episode of "Murder She Wrote". Nothing special. Very repetitive, and the secondary characters weren't fully utilized enough to even be red herrings.
    Report
  • Brambleamble
    3.0 out of 5 stars Bit of a slow burner
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 18, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Set in a Roman Catholic school for teenage boys it has Jesuit priests as leading characters together with a fairly standard American female heroine, through whose eyes the tale is told. Although the prose flows it flows very slowly and the plot develops at little over snails pace. For me it was spoilt by a short passage not half way through written as though by the culprit. When you know this it completely spoils the story. Unlikely twists at the end had me thinking for a second I may have been wrong, but no - it was as it were the "Butler" or standard guilty person highlighted so vividly so early on that "did it".
    Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report