Winner of the 2007 Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence for Best First Crime Novel.
Be careful what you wish for, his mother used to say. Yet how many times, in his twenty years defending the underclass, has Monty Collins wished for a client who is intelligent, articulate . . . Now he has one, but it’s not long before his mother’s warning comes back to haunt him. Father Brennan Burke was born in Ireland, raised in New York, educated in Rome – he’s equally fluent in Latin and the language of the street. And he is the prime suspect in the killing of a foxy young girl whose body was found carved with a religious sign, a sign that points straight to the priest.
From their first meeting, Monty finds Burke acerbic, arrogant, and evasive about his relationship with the victim. Conflict between lawyer and client simmers all through the ordeal that lies ahead, as evidence piles up and murder charges seem inevitable. With Burke remaining tight-lipped about his past, Monty has no choice but to go behind his back and conduct a probe into the life of his own client. Never in his career has Monty been so lost for answers, until a long-forgotten incident takes on new and ominous meaning . . .
Sign of the Cross is a complex story, going well beyond the usual parameters of this genre. ...Anne Emery is a brilliant new talent. Her ability to speak from the deepest recesses of the male mind, her familiarity with contemporary literature and her obvious knowledge of the Roman Catholic Church can best be described as amazing. This is a book that deserves to be read.
The New Brunswick Reader
This startlingly good first novel by a Halifax writer well-versed in the Canadian court system is notable for its cast of well-drawn characters and for a plot line that keeps you feverishly reading to the end. ... Snappy dialogue, a terrific feel for Halifax, characters you really do care about and a great plot make this one a keeper. I hope we hear more from Emery.
The Record (Kitchener-Waterloo)
Anne Emery has produced a stunning first novel, Sign of the Cross, which is at once a mystery, a thriller and a love story ... well written, exciting and unforgettable.
The Chronicle Herald