The Church

After the sucide death of the Reverend Raymond Niemeyer, Granite City's only evangelical church is on the verge of closing. In desperation, the board of trustees hurriedly hires a new minister, Claude Brennan. After one month on the job he appears to be a dream come true, he is the savior of the parish. He is charismatic and a prolific speaker with mesmerizing powers. In less than five months, his church is the largest church in the city with over half of the residents as members. It appears that nothing will stop him from being the only church in town. That is until a new schoolteacher, Jordan Allain, arrives in town to start her first teaching job in Granite School District. Coming into town on a late Sunday August evening, she is curious when she sees the closed Catholic Church open again. She stops and there encounters Claude Brennan and his Church. She cannot believe the spectacle that befalls her. The Church is over crowded and the people are enchanted by his every word. His audience is hypnotized and so is Jordan. Leaving the service that evening she meets the new Reverend and finds she cannot forget him. She wonders what this gifted man is doing in such a small out of the way community. A month into her teaching career Jordan meets Logan Richards, a shy unassuming fellow teacher and the two gradually fall in love and hope to have a future together. At the same time, Jordan has discovered that a series of unexplained tragedies has struck the town before her arrival. Three church fires, a missing family and two teenagers have committed suicide. All of this since Claude Brennan's arrival. To make matters worse Claude has taken an undo interest in Jordan and she begins to feel threatened. Then on Halloween things change forever and Jordan and Logan know that if they are to make a life together and future in Granite City they are going to have to take matters into their owns hand. They are committed to fighting the evil that has been brought here by Claude Brennan. They cannot rely on the community for help because nearly everyone in town is now a faithful follower of Claude. In the end the future of Granite City rest in the hands of Jordan, Logan and a few close friends. For Jordan and Logan, this is a test of their love for one another and it will challenge their ability to comprehend the true nature of their enemy. They may have a chance, but the Reverend has the power of evil on his side. The Church is Michael Putzer second novel. His first novel, A Winter's Rage was published in 2007. Now retired he lives outside of Hurley, Wisconsin with his wife, Donna and their Chinese Shar-pei dog, China.