The Last Sunday

Sunday Morning Trilogy #3

by Terry E. Hill

The three books of the Sunday Morning Trilogy provide a glimpse into the personal life of Hezekiah Cleaveland, one of America’s most influential pastors and his lovely wife Samantha. Hezekiah is the young, handsome and charismatic pastor of the mega church New Testament Cathedral in Los Angeles. He is married to Reverend Samantha Cleaveland a beautiful, ambitious, and equally charismatic minister. Samantha is the power behind Hezekiah and New Testament Cathedral. She runs the church and their national television ministry from behind the scenes with a firm and often cruel hand. Together they are building a new 25,000 seat mega church.

“The Last Sunday” is the third and final installment in the Sunday Morning Trilogy. In novels one and two, Samantha arranged the assassination of her husband after learning of his homosexual affair that threatened to topple their multi-million dollar ministry. After his death Samantha was installed as interim pastor of New Testament Cathedral and the head of their international television ministry.

Now the drama intensifies in book three as the Cleaveland empire begins to unravel. Samantha is challenged by the same people whose lives she so recklessly destroyed through murder, intimidation and seduction in books one and two. Her victims, in the vein of a classic Hollywood who-done-it, work together to end her reign of terror.

Construction of the New Testament Cathedral’s multimillion dollar crystal sanctuary is completed. Samantha is credited with building the magnificent edifice and bringing her late husband’s dream to fruition in spite of her grief over his death. Los Angeles and the world celebrate with Samantha and the New Testament “family” in a series of parties, visits from political and ecclesiastical dignitaries, and Hollywood celebrities. Samantha is the reigning queen and celebrated minister of the gospel, however, conspiring in the background are the people whose lives she has left in shambles.

In book three we meet Gideon Truman a national investigative reporter who is convinced that Samantha was involved in her husband’s assassination. Gideon doggedly pursues the truth. Cynthia Pryce, the wife of the church`s assistant pastor Reverend Percy Pryce, continues her tireless efforts to bring down Samantha so that t her Percy can be installed as pastor of New Testament Cathedral.

Genres: African American, Adult Fiction

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

The Committee is Terry E. Hill's fourth novel. Come Sunday Morning was his first book, followed by When Sunday Comes Again in 2012 and The Last Sunday in 2013. The publisher consolidated Hill's first two books into one and re-released it 2014 as The Come Sunday Morning Saga. Come Sunday Morning was selected as number three of the five best fiction books for 2012 by the Sankofa Literary Society. When Sunday Comes Again was released in the summer of 2012 and made the AALBC (African American Literary Book Club) Urban Fiction Best Seller List. Hill's novels have also been featured on the Bestsellers List of Black Expressions and have been selected as best books of the month and year by various bookstores and book clubs throughout the country. The Sunday Morning Saga has been acquired by more than 10,000 libraries in the U.S., Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

Hill has developed a significant audience who eagerly await each new release. Elev8.com, an online property of Hello Beautiful, profiled the author as the next E. Lynn Harris for his clever storytelling and LGBT subplots. He and his writings have been featured on BET.com's monthly YOU GOTTA HAVE IT column, Crème Magazine, Elev8/Hello Beautiful, Black Literature Magazine and The Literary Network.

Reviews

[Teaguem2005 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't know why I keep putting myself through the torture of reading a series! (kicks wall in vain) This series ender was 75% recap, 25% let's wrap it up. Decent whodunit spin at the end but it doesn't negate the originality each book in a series should maintain. Sure interweave the back story but to outright copy/paste, naw I'm not with it.

[Jeremiah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy Hill’s writing. I can see this book being made into a movie. This is the final installment in a series of three. As someone who read the previous books, I found the constant retelling of previous events annoying. The book would have been half the size if it weren’t for that.

[JaCara Fuller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book but spent most of the book restating what happened in the first book. I hate that. I knew that ending was coming though lol

[Angela S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read. The characters were well developed. The storyline wove a twist and turning path. The only thing for me was the overdescribing in the 1st book. I think without the repetition the story would have flowed cleaner and perhaps had 2 books. Overall a really good story!

[Valarie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This third installment in the series was just an ok read to me. I had to read to finish out the series, but the author to me, used too much repeating of book two. Maybe this was to help jog the reader's memory in between the last two installments, but it was just too much to have 2-3 pages straight from the last book. Also I hope no one get into this series thinking that it is Christian fiction because it definitely is Not!!!

[Belinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book which was the last in the series. Pastor Samantha Cleveland was a force to be reckoned with. She was a murderer, an adulterer, liar, manipulator. She was about self, money and fame. Jealous of her husband. She had love for no one except for herself, not husband nor daughter. She was killed by the least likely person, Hattie Williams. A good read this was!!

[Sheryl Boyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me forever to finish this book! I kinda lost interest in the story. I knew Samantha was gonna die but it was truly a shocker on who actually killed her!

[Ariane Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

this was a really good series.it was slow at times but a very good ending.the person thAt did the dirty work wasn't who i thought it was and blew me away.I loved it

[michele k. edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW

OMF...(Frank)..What a great, great, great read. VERY surprise ending. Wish it wasn't the last in the series. Please Mr Hill......give us more

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

good finale to a very interesting series