What do you think?
Rate this book
Saving Goodtown: A Father Ward Mystery
When young priest Father James Ward is tasked with the reopening of St. Camille’s parish after a five-year closure, he’s determined to breathe new life into a community plagued by crime and poverty. But as he begins to rebuild the church—and the faith of a struggling community— a chilling discovery shakes the neighborhood. The body of a high-profile real estate agent from a wealthy suburb is found in an alley near the church. His death is shrouded in mystery.
Reluctantly drawn into the investigation by Detective Lieutenant Spencer Roscoe, who senses Father Ward’s gift for interacting with the people who mistrust the police, the priest navigates the dark undercurrents of his neighborhood while grappling with his own insecurities. As the investigation drags on, Father Ward finds himself wrestling with the fine line between trust, justice, and commitment to his priestly vows.
Saving Goodtown delivers a gripping story of mystery, morality, and the resilience of faith when confronted with overwhelming adversity.
Reluctantly drawn into the investigation by Detective Lieutenant Spencer Roscoe, who senses Father Ward’s gift for interacting with the people who mistrust the police, the priest navigates the dark undercurrents of his neighborhood while grappling with his own insecurities. As the investigation drags on, Father Ward finds himself wrestling with the fine line between trust, justice, and commitment to his priestly vows.
Saving Goodtown delivers a gripping story of mystery, morality, and the resilience of faith when confronted with overwhelming adversity.
104 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 16, 2025
2 people want to read
About the author
J. Salvatore Domino
11 books23 followersJ. Salvatore Domino is best known for his non-fiction work. He has spent more than 30 years developing training materials for Fortune 500 companies.
But writing fiction is more fun. He enjoys creating his own players and story lines. J. Salvatore loves to give his readers an opportunity to escape into an entertaining story. His likable characters and relatable subject matter keep the reader engaged.
His goal is for each of his stories to give the reader a few hours of enjoyable leisure.
But writing fiction is more fun. He enjoys creating his own players and story lines. J. Salvatore loves to give his readers an opportunity to escape into an entertaining story. His likable characters and relatable subject matter keep the reader engaged.
His goal is for each of his stories to give the reader a few hours of enjoyable leisure.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 23, 2026
Great story that should be longer.
Saving Goodtown is the first in the Father Ward mystery series. A young enthusiastic priest, Father Ward, arrives at his first job as a pastor. St. Camille's has been closed down for five years due to the crime, poverty and depression in the neighborhood. Father Ward seems to be just what the community needs; a spiritual leader. He reaches out to some young teenagers in the area and shows them respect by getting them to help him with his boxes and sharing a soda. Father Ward visits the aged, the sick and even the whorehouses in the community. He shows an innate ability to speak with people on their level which earns him their trust. I enjoyed the story of Father Ward and his labor of love, but felt that the main plot points and ideas happened too quickly. The author could have spent more time fleshing out the characters and the world building. A lot was going on but it tended to be more telly than a gradual build up of the plot. The "mystery" happened and resolved so quickly that I didn't realize it.
Saving Goodtown is the first in the Father Ward mystery series. A young enthusiastic priest, Father Ward, arrives at his first job as a pastor. St. Camille's has been closed down for five years due to the crime, poverty and depression in the neighborhood. Father Ward seems to be just what the community needs; a spiritual leader. He reaches out to some young teenagers in the area and shows them respect by getting them to help him with his boxes and sharing a soda. Father Ward visits the aged, the sick and even the whorehouses in the community. He shows an innate ability to speak with people on their level which earns him their trust. I enjoyed the story of Father Ward and his labor of love, but felt that the main plot points and ideas happened too quickly. The author could have spent more time fleshing out the characters and the world building. A lot was going on but it tended to be more telly than a gradual build up of the plot. The "mystery" happened and resolved so quickly that I didn't realize it.
January 18, 2026
There is much to like in Saving Goodtown: A Father Ward Mystery by J. Salvatore Domino. As the first installment in a series, it introduces an unusual protagonist, Father Brown, a young priest whose first assignment as a pastor is to reopen a parish in a downtrodden community called Goodtown. There, he must contend with a lack of resources, apathetic townspeople, and organized crime. Nevertheless, his faith in God and in his ability to inspire change remains. After a murder occurs in Goodtown, he forms an unlikely alliance with a lieutenant from the Chicago Police Department to solve the murder.
I really liked the premise of the story and the character of Father Brown, who is well-drawn and sympathetic. His relationship with the townspeople is also quite realistic, as is his friendship with Lieutenant Spencer Roscoe. However, I thought the resolution of the mystery surrounding the murder rather rushed, and Father Brown’s budding romance with an Assistant District Attorney named O’Connell far-fetched. Nevertheless, I look forward to reading the next installment in the series, The Resurrection of Goodtown.
I really liked the premise of the story and the character of Father Brown, who is well-drawn and sympathetic. His relationship with the townspeople is also quite realistic, as is his friendship with Lieutenant Spencer Roscoe. However, I thought the resolution of the mystery surrounding the murder rather rushed, and Father Brown’s budding romance with an Assistant District Attorney named O’Connell far-fetched. Nevertheless, I look forward to reading the next installment in the series, The Resurrection of Goodtown.
January 29, 2026
nicely done
Okay, I’ll be honest. Saving Goodtown surprised me. I didn’t know if I’d enjoy it since the idea of a “detective priest” sounded like it might be cheesy. But Father James Ward feels real and caring, and the neighborhood comes across as authentic, with its rough edges, real fear, and real consequences. What I liked most is that the mystery isn’t just about a body in an alley, it’s about trust, survival, and how tough it is to do the right thing when everyone expects the worst. There’s a darkly funny moment involving how Ronald got his nickname, and the other kids immediately tear into him. It’s crude, juvenile, and weirdly enough, exactly the kind of detail that makes the characters feel real. Chapter 12, “Come Out, Come Out, Boinky,” was my favorite. The whole chapter is full of tension and uncertainty. The atmosphere is at its heaviest, and every conversation feels important. You can sense the weight of the neighborhood, the pressure on Father Ward, and how quickly things could fall apart. It’s a quick read with a lot of heart, and I’d definitely keep reading the series.
Okay, I’ll be honest. Saving Goodtown surprised me. I didn’t know if I’d enjoy it since the idea of a “detective priest” sounded like it might be cheesy. But Father James Ward feels real and caring, and the neighborhood comes across as authentic, with its rough edges, real fear, and real consequences. What I liked most is that the mystery isn’t just about a body in an alley, it’s about trust, survival, and how tough it is to do the right thing when everyone expects the worst. There’s a darkly funny moment involving how Ronald got his nickname, and the other kids immediately tear into him. It’s crude, juvenile, and weirdly enough, exactly the kind of detail that makes the characters feel real. Chapter 12, “Come Out, Come Out, Boinky,” was my favorite. The whole chapter is full of tension and uncertainty. The atmosphere is at its heaviest, and every conversation feels important. You can sense the weight of the neighborhood, the pressure on Father Ward, and how quickly things could fall apart. It’s a quick read with a lot of heart, and I’d definitely keep reading the series.
January 22, 2026
SAVING GOODTOWN is a quick read and a rewarding story. From the beginning, the writing is confident and clear. It effortlessly transplants the reader into this part of Chicago that feels gritty and alive. We have an unlikely underdog main character facing an almost impossible task, which instantly engages and intrigues us and connects us to this world.
I writing submersed me in thie story. The small details, sounds, smells, etc all brought the world to life, and all through the specific and viewpoint of Father Ward. His character and role in solving crime may be a familiar recipe, but it’s one that works. How he solves the problems laid before him endears him to the audience. And how that problem grows from simply helping to reestablish the church, to solving crimes is smooth and organic. Perhaps it unfolds a little too quickly, and I did feel there was room for a few more ups and downs before the case was solved. The result is a crime-solving duo of polar opposites that wouldn’t look out of place in a TV show, and I’m delighted to see this series will continue.
I writing submersed me in thie story. The small details, sounds, smells, etc all brought the world to life, and all through the specific and viewpoint of Father Ward. His character and role in solving crime may be a familiar recipe, but it’s one that works. How he solves the problems laid before him endears him to the audience. And how that problem grows from simply helping to reestablish the church, to solving crimes is smooth and organic. Perhaps it unfolds a little too quickly, and I did feel there was room for a few more ups and downs before the case was solved. The result is a crime-solving duo of polar opposites that wouldn’t look out of place in a TV show, and I’m delighted to see this series will continue.
June 23, 2025
A detective priest? Why not. There have been plenty of them on television.
Father Ward whose job is to reopen a closed church in a poor neighborhood, gets involved with helping a local police Luietenant solve the mystery of a dead real estate agent.
This is a well written, short ebook, with good characters and great settings. A pleasurable read.
Father Ward whose job is to reopen a closed church in a poor neighborhood, gets involved with helping a local police Luietenant solve the mystery of a dead real estate agent.
This is a well written, short ebook, with good characters and great settings. A pleasurable read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews