John Jordan is the prison chaplain at Potter Correctional Institution where one day he witnesses the death of an inmate, Ike Johnson. Because of his previous experience as a police officer he is instructed to investiagte in an unofficial capacity. But this is not the last death. And what is reeally happening withing the prison.
A enjoyable and decent start to the series, probably more of a 3.5 rating. Hopefully the religious content will just be a background aspect of the stories. ( )

Grim

Written in the first person. John Jordan - ex-cop, ex-husband, ex-drunk, and now a prison chaplain. i was surprised to find Jordan is only 27, which seems a little young for the background he is given. The writing is graphic, portraying very clearly the grim realities of the prison population, and the equally grim life of Jordan. This was one of the problems for me. It is all too grim. There are no individuals that I felt drawn to, or even cared greatly about. The other problem was the plethora of characters - I just could not keep track of them. Even right at the end of the book, one name is mentioned and I thought "who the blazes is that?"

I didn't enjoy it, and if the milieu remains the same in future books in the series, I doubt I will read any more by this author. ( )

John Jordan is a former cop and the present Potter Correctional Institute chaplain who witnesses first hand the gruesome death of inmate Ike Johnson. When the superintendent asks Jordan to help investigate the death, Jordan discovers not only a network of crime and corruption taking place within the walls of PCI, but also the crime and corruption that is spilling out in the county. With the assistance of his friends Merrill and Anna, Jordan sets out to uncover the truth behind it all.

POWER IN THE BLOOD is Michael Lister's first John Jordan mystery, and I can say without reserve that I am looking forward to checking out the next two books in the series. John Jordan is a unique protagonist; definitely the first crime-fighting chaplain I've read about! And (you can say it with me because you've heard me say it before) I love Jordan because he's real: he isn't perfect, he makes mistakes, he has "issues", and there are many complex layers to this character. The inmates like Jordan and it's believable. I would like J.J. if I knew him, too. As is common place with me, I took a special shine to Jordan's good friend Merrill - Merrill Monroe. His intelligent, sarcastic humor provides a great deal of comic relief throughout the novel. Lister also does a very nice job with the character of Anna. Just anyone wouldn't be working in a high security correctional facility, especially not just any woman. Anna's personality is believable for the job she holds. She's spunky and self-assured. Anna's personality is essential for the believability of the plot as well. Overall, a very well developed female character.

I especially enjoyed Lister's creative use of both biblical and literary illusions. They are spread throughout the books and are some of the most effective use of this device I've experienced in some time.

The plot of Power in the Blood is tight. There isn't a lot of unnecessary, outside detail to muck up the storyline. Jordan has some past issues that Lister brings out seamlessly. They don't detract from the present, but instead allow the reader a better understanding of Jordan. And Lister is great at slowly feeding the reader facts as the investigation progresses. The novel is told in first person, and the reader receives clues exactly the same way that the narrator receives them.

The only negative I would present about Power in the Blood were a couple of occasions where I rolled my eyes thinking Lister got a little hokey. Maybe others might view these scenes differently, but I thought they were conspicuously sappy. The book is not sappy and the couple of spots seemed to stand out to me as not fitting in with the tone of the novel. But that is far from enough for me to not recommend this novel. ( )