Intercession

What happens when a vigilante hunts those from his past for God's vengeance? Is he a hero? A villain? Intercession is a fast-paced, controversial, suspense crime thriller that penetrates the heart of the Catholic Church and beyond to reveal some uncomfortable truths about those we trust the most with our faith. A priest is found dead with an ivory crucifix in his neck. A crazed killer is on the loose with an extreme sense of justice. Three NYPD detectives are hot on the trail, but one, Vic Gonnella, has a painful secret that ties him to the killer he must discover before it's too late. 12 crucifixes. 12 victims. 12 days. Intercession. Detective Vic Gonnella is forced to lead the case when the serial killer calls him out after the murder of a priest in a church. Each day, a new victim is discovered with a Roman-numbered crucifix in their neck, and with each murder, the serial killer leaves a clue, leading Gonnella closer to the truth, not only of the victims but himself. As Gonnella investigates, he learns the serial killer has 12 targets, each one with a sinister past related to the abuse of children, and if that weren't bad enough, they're all connected to a shadow organization within the Vatican. He has less than two weeks to find the killer and expose a conspiracy he can't believe. With pressure from the Vatican and its players, Gonnella is forced off the case after a diary of a boy named "John Deegan" is found on the body of the sixth victim. The church implicates Gonnella, and a new team led by a suspicious FBI Agent handles the case. With Gonnella off the case, he takes it upon himself to do his investigation with the clues left behind for him by the serial killer. After the murder of a Rabbi, it's apparent the serial killer is watching the NYPD's every move and demands to have Gonnella back on the case as he is the only one who can play his game, or it will never end. After the ninth murder, the media is going crazy over this case, and the big question is if this serial killer is a hero or a villain. We learn the FBI Agent is part of the shadow organization and is instructed to get rid of Gonnella so they can make this go away on their terms. When Gonnella is about to die at the hands of the FBI Agent, the serial killer comes to the rescue - the game's not over until he says it is. Gonnella learns the serial killer is headed to Vatican City for the final three kills, with the Pope potentially being victim number twelve so he can send a message to the world. Gonnella gets to Rome, and number ten is dead and running out of time. With the help of an Inspector General looking out for his interests, Gonnella is between a rock and a hard place. With the help of his team back home, Gonnella discovers number twelve is a high-profile Cardinal and not the Pope. The serial killer has set this whole thing up so Gonnella can come face-to-face with his past and God. Gonnella finds the serial killer, and when he thinks it's over, he learns this was all done for him, and number twelve, Cardinal Galvin, is the man who raped him as a child and ruined his life. Gonnella is tempted to kill Galvin with the final crucifix, but what will he do? What would you do?