A Pilgrimage to Death

J. J. Cagney

Aug 2018 · A Reverend Cici Gurule Mystery Book 1 · Sidecar Press, LLC

About this ebook

"Vivid, alluring, and heart-wrenching, A Pilgrimage to Death is every reason I love mystery. A breathtaking tale." ~ Darynda Jones, NY Times Bestselling Author

Cici discovers a body in the forest. The victim’s wounds are identical to the ones that killed her sister a year ago...

Someone murdered her sister. And shot her dog. The killer won't stop until Cici's dead, too. 

With her identical twin sister haunting her dreams, Cici and her dogs must dodge arrows, bullets, and even a demon truck. Worse, she must grapple with the knowledge her twin's death was much more sinister than a random act of violence.

The chase is on. 

As Cici and Detective Sam Chastain edge closer to the truth, the murderer circles closer. This time, the criminal plots to stop Cici. Permanently.

Additional Praise for A Pilgrimage to Death:

"A wholly absorbing gumshoe tale elevated by an extraordinary detective." ~ Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"This winning mystery novel is a breeze to read and Cici's laidback approach as a reverend means that readers certainly don't have to be religious to find her relatable." ~ IndieReader

Ratings and reviews

Cici is not perfect. Yes she is a Pastor, yes she has a potty mouth (under the circumstances she's allowed), yes she is right in the middle of an investigation with a target on her head. She doesn't scare easy and that's a good thing. She's found herself knee deep in the middle of an investigation into a murder. This author gives us a great thriller with tons of suspense and awesome characters who aren't scared of twist, and there's a gang of them. This isn't cut and dry and tons of folks will go down before it's done. Absolutely loved it. As soon as I thought I had it figured out something else came up. Love this author. Love that she doesn't let you get comfy before she throws you another curve ball.

This is the first book in this new series and the first book I've read by this author. This suspenseful mystery takes you through twists and turns you won't see coming. In this small town people aren't who they seem. You get danger, lies, betrayal and so much more. Cici and Sam try to figure out who is killing people and who is all involved. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

This is a captivating murder mystery involving a set of twins. Reverend Cici and her twin sister Anna Carmen. A year after the murder of her sister another body is found with identical wounds. I really enjoyed reading this murder mystery and it's full of suspense, intrigue, and a paranormal twist that captivated me from beginning to end. I am looking forward to reading more books in this series.

About the author

J. J. Cagney is the mystery/thriller pen name of USA Today bestselling author Alexa Padgett. Her debut mystery, A Pilgrimage of Death, was named to Kirkus Reviews’ 100 Best Books of 2018 and Goodreads Best Mysteries of the 2010s. 

Cagney holds a bachelor’s in international marketing and spent part of her twenties as the marketing director for an elite sports management firm. And, yes, she did her requisite stint with a dotcom back in the that early 2000s, first as a marketing coordinator and then as a content manager. She’s penned work for a variety of websites and magazines, and she worked as a literary agent for Irene Webb Literary. 

She lives in northern New Mexico with her husband, children, about a million fish, and their Great Pyrenees, Ash. Kirkus Reviews called Cagney’s latest mystery, An Artifact of Death, “An exhilarating entry in a thoroughly enjoyable series.”