THE EDGE OF DOOM

A dark toned story of an act of violence which pursues- on the surface- the aftermath of a crime, but is more fundamentally concerned with the Catholic Church's redemption of a soul. Martin Lynn, whose father had been a jailbird, whose mother had been worn down by poverty, and who is himself resentful of the Catholic faith in which he had been reared, kills impulsively the priest to whom he had turned in regard to his mother's funeral. As Martin is victimized by fear, by self-pity, by hate, and by the desire to see his mother have a fine funeral which he cannot afford, the police continue their prosecution of the case and Father Roth, a younger priest, who suspects Martin, hopes to secure his confession before the police reach him. And at the close, it is a victory for the Church as Martin leaves his mother's bier to turn himself in... An unpleasant story, though a holding one, which will have strong publisher pressure and the endorsement of the Thomas More Book Club.