Vicar of Fists

by John Baltisberger

Kevin Welch was just a small-time thug until a brutal encounter made him the pope!

Now being hunted through the streets of Rome by clergy intent on taking his place as pontiff, Kevin finds a possible, though unlikely ally in an enigmatic and alluring hitwoman, but it seems she would just as soon kill him as help him, so can he actually trust her? Does he have a choice?

Kevin just wanted to get his life back, and the only thing standing between him and that life is a cadre of bloodthirsty bishops and cardinals, furious nuns, hallucinogenic manifestations of Satan ... and his own ineptitude.

96 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 15, 2025

About the author

John Baltisberger is an author of speculative and genre fiction that often focuses on Jewish Elements. Through his writing, he has explored themes of mysticism, faith, sin, and personal responsibility. He lives in Austin, TX with his wife and his daughter.

Though mostly known for his bizarre blend of Jewish mysticism and splatter, John defies being labeled under any one genre. His work has spanned extreme horror, urban fantasy, science fiction, cosmic horror, epic verse, and he has even written a guide for mindful meditation.

While relatively new to the writing community, (his first book was published in 2018) John has become known for his work in verse, having worked in both extremely short works and massive novella-length poetic epics. He continues to work to push himself to explore new avenues of expression and horror literature.

Reviews

[J.W. Donley]

I know, I'm a bit biased since I am the owner for Dark Forest Press, but Vicar of Fists is in-your-face priest-punching awesomeness.

[Jess Hagemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is like a lost chapter of the John Wick franchise. Imagine you become pope by killing the last pope. And now everyone else who wants to be pope is after you! Tons of fun and with a lot of heart to temper all the splatter.