THE SIGN OF THE CROSS
Book ID/图书代码： 00110908B29891
English Summary/英文概要： 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 an intelligent, articulate client - someone, well, like him? Now he has one. Father Brennan Burke, born in Ireland, raised in New York, educated in Rome, is the prime suspect in the killing of a foxy young girl whose body was found carved with a religious sign. Conflict between Monty and Burke simmers from their first meeting all through the ordeal that lies ahead, as evidence piles up and Monty learns just how much of Burke’s New York past he has kept concealed from his attorney.
Monty would rather be blowing his blues harp in the bars of Halifax than dealing with his client, or with his sharp-tongued ex-wife, Maura. Then Monty begins to suspect she is up to something with Burke. Lawyer and priest partake of strong waters one night, and nearly come to blows.
But Monty soldiers on. And tries, against all odds, to mount a defence. Who else might have committed the 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 an intelligent, articulate client - someone, well, like him? Now he has one. Father Brennan Burke, born in Ireland, raised in New York, educated in Rome, is the prime suspect in the killing of a foxy young girl whose body was found carved with a religious sign. Conflict between Monty and Burke simmers from their first meeting all through the ordeal that lies ahead, as evidence piles up and Monty learns just how much of Burke’s New York past he has kept concealed from his attorney.
Monty would rather be blowing his blues harp in the bars of Halifax than dealing with his client, or with his sharp-tongued ex-wife, Maura. Then Monty begins to suspect she is up to something with Burke. Lawyer and priest partake of strong waters one night, and nearly come to blows.
But Monty soldiers on. And tries, against all odds, to mount a defence. Who else might have committed the murder? An elderly priest with an intense interest in violent crime, and in Burke’s family history? A former priest who left Holy Orders for marriage and wealth, and who nurses an obsession with the past? A parish secretary who carries a torch for Burke, or a nun who seems intent on one-upping the priest at every turn? A career criminal who had a violent encounter the world over, insists on taking the stand and is then savaged by a waspish prosecutor.
Never in his career has Monty been so lost for answers, until a long-forgotten incident takes on new and ominous meaning.
Chinese Summary/中文概要： 祸从口出！他的母亲总是这样告诫他，然而很多次，在他包围下层阶级的20年间，蒙蒂•柯林斯一直期待有一个有才能的，口才好的客户-------一个像他一样的人。如今这个人出现了，布伦南•伯克，出生于爱尔兰，在纽约长大，后到罗马学习。是一起杀人案的嫌疑重犯，在这个案子中，一个年轻女孩被杀害，她的尸体则被人刻上了宗教的图案。从第一次见面，蒙蒂和伯克就开始争执，而当证据渐渐明了时，蒙蒂开始了解伯克所隐瞒的他在纽约的过去。
相比之下，蒙蒂宁愿去酒吧吹他的布鲁斯口琴，也不愿再和这位客户纠缠下去，还有他尖酸刻薄的前妻，莫拉。但不久他便开始怀疑莫拉与伯克之间有什么往来，到底是谁策划了这场谋杀？一个上了年纪的牧师对这场谋杀有着浓厚的兴趣，不仅如此，他还调查伯克的家族历史。在蒙蒂的职业生涯中，从未如此毫无头绪过，直到一个长久以来被遗忘的事件，带来了新的不详的预兆……（zh）
Awards/获奖情况：Defense attorney Monty Collins is handed the biggest case of his career: defending a priest accused of murder. But when the priest is reluctant to contribute to help his cause (not to mention extremely secretive about his past), Monty takes the unusual step of investigating his own client. And he finds a lot more than he bargained for. This debut novel, set in Halifax, Nova Scotia, benefits from its setting: the plot may be relatively familiar to legal-thriller fans, but the unfamiliar locale freshens up the story considerably. Readers who know the setting, too, will enjoy playing spot-the-landmark, as the author solidly anchors her story in the landscapes. Collins may not be a blindingly original character, but he’s solidly built, and we like spending time with him. The novel’s final paragraph seems to guarantee a sequel, and this isn’t bad news.
About the Author/作者介绍： Anne Emery has worked as a lawyer, legal affairs reporter and researcher. Apart from reading and writing, her interests include music, philosophy, architecture, travel and Irish history. She lives in Halifax with her husband and daughter. Sign of the Cross is her first novel Obit is the second novel in the Monty Collins mystery series will be published in Spring 2007.
安妮•埃默里（Anne Emery），曾是一名律师，法律事务记者和研究人员，除了阅读和写作，她的兴趣还包括音乐，哲学，建筑学，旅行，和爱尔兰历史。她现与丈夫女儿居住在哈利法克斯市，本书是她的第一部小说，Obit是第二部。
Format:电子手稿
Rights Status/版权销售情况：Simplified Chinese/简体中文：AVAILABLE
Complex/Traditional Chinese/繁体中文：AVAILABLE
Sales in other countries/其他国家销售情况：
原文第一章内容：暂无
手稿：暂无
大纲：暂无