Thursday, April 18, 2013

Rave Reviews for The Conduct of Saints

Christopher Davis' hard-hitting historical fiction novel The Conduct of Saints hits shelves next month, and already early-review critics can't say enough good things.

"The Conduct of Saints is Davis' twelfth novel. His range is breathtaking. He's never a pedant; the novels rooted in history illuminate their time through human behavior. His technique is subtle, but never obscure. His intentions are always revealed at a purposeful pace. A reader will search in vain for a stray cliché, a familiar voice, a lifted reference. The Conduct of Saints captures the time and the place; it is a profoundly atmospheric novel. More important, it presents an unforgettable cast of characters. Once again, Davis' work commands our attention." --Huffington Post

"A strong example of an uncommon type of historical fiction, appealing to readers who like to see guilt punished or forgiven."
--Kirkus

"Christopher Davis is a master at getting into the minds of his characters, and through them weaving his story. The author spares no one in conveying how “God, sex and the Devil collide in the impoverished city of Rome during May and June of 1945.” In The Conduct of Saints, there is little content that is bright or joyful, but the reader will come away with a sense of history in all its unvarnished and perverse detail...The Conduct of Saints is a compelling, complex, character driven story. The writer draws us into the halls of the Vatican, into the spartan and isolated or secretly lavish quarters of its troubled inhabitants, into the inner circle of people who can buy their way in and out of critical situations...chapter of The Conduct of Saints should be read and then considered, and perhaps read a second time, to truly appreciate the depth of Christopher Davis’s insights."--New York Journal of Books

Look for The Conduct of Saints coming this May from The Permanent Press!