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Sinners and Saints
A forensic nurse. A missing sister. A city that holds its secrets closely—the new riveting suspense novel from USA Today bestselling author Eileen Dreyer
Forensic nurse Chastity Byrnes is trying to put the past behind her. It has been ten years since Chastity exposed her father for the monster he was. Ten years since she made the accusations that shattered her family and sent her into exile. Ten years since she’s seen her sister, Faith.
Now, though, Faith needs her help. Chastity gets a call from Dr. Max Stanton, the brother-in-law she never knew she had, to tell her that Faith is missing. Max begs Chastity to come to New Orleans to help him find her. And even though Faith was the one who deserted Chastity so long ago, Chastity goes.
To find her missing sister, Chastity has to battle her own demons in a city where forensics are an old boy’s club and a woman can find trouble in her sleep. She has to wade through distrust and deceit to get to the truth, whether she wants to hear it or not. She has to rediscover the sister she lost by investigating fertility clinics, the powers of St. Roch, and the mysteries of voodoo. She has to discover why women who might have helped her sister are dying.
As a hurricane threatens the vulnerable city, Chastity puts more than her life at risk as she fights to rescue her sister from the threat that stalks them both.…
A searing portrait of family secrets and betrayals, Sinners and Saints is Eileen Dreyer at the top of her game.
Forensic nurse Chastity Byrnes is trying to put the past behind her. It has been ten years since Chastity exposed her father for the monster he was. Ten years since she made the accusations that shattered her family and sent her into exile. Ten years since she’s seen her sister, Faith.
Now, though, Faith needs her help. Chastity gets a call from Dr. Max Stanton, the brother-in-law she never knew she had, to tell her that Faith is missing. Max begs Chastity to come to New Orleans to help him find her. And even though Faith was the one who deserted Chastity so long ago, Chastity goes.
To find her missing sister, Chastity has to battle her own demons in a city where forensics are an old boy’s club and a woman can find trouble in her sleep. She has to wade through distrust and deceit to get to the truth, whether she wants to hear it or not. She has to rediscover the sister she lost by investigating fertility clinics, the powers of St. Roch, and the mysteries of voodoo. She has to discover why women who might have helped her sister are dying.
As a hurricane threatens the vulnerable city, Chastity puts more than her life at risk as she fights to rescue her sister from the threat that stalks them both.…
A searing portrait of family secrets and betrayals, Sinners and Saints is Eileen Dreyer at the top of her game.
372 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2005
27 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
About the author
Eileen Dreyer
74 books768 followersNew York Times bestselling, award-winning author Eileen Dreyer, known as Kathleen Korbel to her Silhouette readers, has published 28 romance novels, 8 medico-forensic suspenses, and 7 short stories.
2012 sees Eileen enjoying critical acclaim for her first foray into historical romance, the Drake's Rakes series, which follow the lives of a group of British aristocrats who are willing to sacrifice everything to keep their country safe. After publication of the first trilogy in the series, she has just signed for the next trilogy, following the graduates of the aptly named Last Chance Academy, who each finds herself crossing swords with Drake's Rakes. Eileen spent time not only in England and Italy, but India to research the series (it's a filthy job, but somebody has to do it).
A retired trauma nurse, Eileen lives in her native St. Louis with her husband, children, and large and noisy Irish family, of which she is the reluctant matriarch. She has animals but refuses to subject them to the limelight.
Dreyer won her first publishing award in 1987, being named the best new Contemporary Romance Author by RT Bookclub. Since that time she has also garnered not only five other writing awards from RT, but five RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America, which secures her only the fourth place in the Romance Writers of America prestigious Hall of Fame. Since extending her reach to suspense, she has also garnered a coveted Anthony Award nomination.
A frequent speaker at conferences, she maintains membership in Romance Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and, just in case things go wrong, Emergency Nurses Association and International Association of Forensic Nurses.
Eileen is an addicted traveler, having sung in some of the best Irish pubs in the world, and admits she sees research as a handy way to salve her insatiable curiosity. She counts film producers, police detectives and Olympic athletes as some of her sources and friends. She's also trained in forensic nursing and death investigation, although she doesn't see herself actively working in the field, unless this writing thing doesn't pan out.
Get in touch: eileendreyer@eileendreyer.com
2012 sees Eileen enjoying critical acclaim for her first foray into historical romance, the Drake's Rakes series, which follow the lives of a group of British aristocrats who are willing to sacrifice everything to keep their country safe. After publication of the first trilogy in the series, she has just signed for the next trilogy, following the graduates of the aptly named Last Chance Academy, who each finds herself crossing swords with Drake's Rakes. Eileen spent time not only in England and Italy, but India to research the series (it's a filthy job, but somebody has to do it).
A retired trauma nurse, Eileen lives in her native St. Louis with her husband, children, and large and noisy Irish family, of which she is the reluctant matriarch. She has animals but refuses to subject them to the limelight.
Dreyer won her first publishing award in 1987, being named the best new Contemporary Romance Author by RT Bookclub. Since that time she has also garnered not only five other writing awards from RT, but five RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America, which secures her only the fourth place in the Romance Writers of America prestigious Hall of Fame. Since extending her reach to suspense, she has also garnered a coveted Anthony Award nomination.
A frequent speaker at conferences, she maintains membership in Romance Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and, just in case things go wrong, Emergency Nurses Association and International Association of Forensic Nurses.
Eileen is an addicted traveler, having sung in some of the best Irish pubs in the world, and admits she sees research as a handy way to salve her insatiable curiosity. She counts film producers, police detectives and Olympic athletes as some of her sources and friends. She's also trained in forensic nursing and death investigation, although she doesn't see herself actively working in the field, unless this writing thing doesn't pan out.
Get in touch: eileendreyer@eileendreyer.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
February 4, 2019
If you only know Eileen Dreyer from her Kathleen Korbel romances, you might be in for a bit of a jolt with this book. I love the category romances, but this novel explores a gritty darkness that is largely only hinted at in the romances.
While the book contains some romantic content, it is not a genre romance.( ) Instead, this is a very heroine-centric mystery. Chastity Byrnes is a forensic nurse in St. Louis when she gets a call from the brother-in-law she didn't even know she had. Her older sister has gone missing in New Orleans and the BIL wants Chastity to come help find her.
The beginnings of Chastity's trip down there and the reasons why she can't drive in New Orleans felt a bit contrived, but once the book got moving, I honestly didn't care. I had a heroine I wanted to get to know better and a crazypants mystery afoot.
We learn early on in the book that Chastity's father went to jail and the rest of the family pretty much ditched her when she was a teenager. Somehow Chastity got it together enough to get herself through nursing school and create some kind of stable existence for herself. This past gets explored in ever increasing depth throughout the book, and while my heart ached for her, I also admired Chastity. She has overcome some serious obstacles and throughout this story she has to find the courage to face her demons again and again as she searches for her missing sister and also tries to piece together what became of her sister's life after Chastity's own abandonment.
In some ways, this book can be hard to read because it does focus on the grittier side of life and there is plenty of material that, while not terribly explicit, would still be plenty triggering for those sensitive to discussion of child abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse, etc... However, it was an interesting read, and I will definitely be picking up more of Dreyer's suspense work.
While the book contains some romantic content, it is not a genre romance.( ) Instead, this is a very heroine-centric mystery. Chastity Byrnes is a forensic nurse in St. Louis when she gets a call from the brother-in-law she didn't even know she had. Her older sister has gone missing in New Orleans and the BIL wants Chastity to come help find her.
The beginnings of Chastity's trip down there and the reasons why she can't drive in New Orleans felt a bit contrived, but once the book got moving, I honestly didn't care. I had a heroine I wanted to get to know better and a crazypants mystery afoot.
We learn early on in the book that Chastity's father went to jail and the rest of the family pretty much ditched her when she was a teenager. Somehow Chastity got it together enough to get herself through nursing school and create some kind of stable existence for herself. This past gets explored in ever increasing depth throughout the book, and while my heart ached for her, I also admired Chastity. She has overcome some serious obstacles and throughout this story she has to find the courage to face her demons again and again as she searches for her missing sister and also tries to piece together what became of her sister's life after Chastity's own abandonment.
In some ways, this book can be hard to read because it does focus on the grittier side of life and there is plenty of material that, while not terribly explicit, would still be plenty triggering for those sensitive to discussion of child abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse, etc... However, it was an interesting read, and I will definitely be picking up more of Dreyer's suspense work.
December 10, 2017
The back cover blurb was what drew my attention to this book. As I'd not read any books by Eileen Dreyer before, I began to read with an open mind.
As new characters were introduced, I became intrigued as to where the story was going. But what had me turning the pages, was wanting to learn more about the main character, Chastity Byrnes.
Chastity is a trauma nurse with attitude, but underneath she's a frightened little girl with a dark secret from her past. Her only semblance of peace was keeping to her rituals and safety zones. Reassurance and comfort lay within a small velvet bag that she kept in her pocket at all times.
The further I progressed through the book the harder I found it to put down. The story ending with a satisfying conclusion. I have no hesitation in recommending this book, and look forward to reading more of Eileen Dreyer's books.
As new characters were introduced, I became intrigued as to where the story was going. But what had me turning the pages, was wanting to learn more about the main character, Chastity Byrnes.
Chastity is a trauma nurse with attitude, but underneath she's a frightened little girl with a dark secret from her past. Her only semblance of peace was keeping to her rituals and safety zones. Reassurance and comfort lay within a small velvet bag that she kept in her pocket at all times.
The further I progressed through the book the harder I found it to put down. The story ending with a satisfying conclusion. I have no hesitation in recommending this book, and look forward to reading more of Eileen Dreyer's books.
October 30, 2017
I got annoyed with the main characters (Except I liked James.) So many characters were alike and hard to keep track of. Book seemed to go on and on. Other than that it was a good read, just not a favorite.
March 22, 2016
Was this part of a series? Lots of characters and backgrounds that weren't explained well, and left me wondering. I would definitely read more if the author turned it into a series. Great story and very interesting characters!
March 30, 2020
I don’t think this was a bad book in most ways. The mystery was twisty and the writing was competent. My rating mostly has to do with personal frustration over the way the story dealt with certain plot points.
March 5, 2015
Fluff. People look alike so they become interchangeable. Only two real suspects and guess what - they look alike and act alike. The heroes have much luck and many lives.
December 13, 2020
This book is set in 2005 and starts with forensic trauma nurse Chastity (Chaz) Byrnes who is working in St Michael’s hospital, and who has a bad start to the beginning of her shift, losing her license for speeding on her way to work and having a series of omens present themselves to her, that she should have taken a lot more notice of. She should have listened more to Dr Moshika Williams and her spouting of the chaos theory while she helped to work a gunshot victim case. During her shift, she gets told there is a phone call for her and it’s from her brother-in-law, someone she didn’t even know even existed! He says her sister Faith is missing and he wants her help to find her, knowing she is a forensic nurse, even if that isn’t exactly any real help looking for a missing person, who has been missing from Chastity’s life for ten years already. Chastity’s mother and her eldest sister left her in St Louis when she was just sixteen, just after her sister Hope died and her father went to jail. She had not heard a word from them since and had no idea where they were nor that her sister was married.
Faith’s husband is a cardiologist, nicknamed Miracle Max, Maximillian Stanton and they have been based in New Orleans, Louisiana and married for some six years. She also gets told that there mother died just a few months ago. Chaz now has to confront a lot of her past, as she travels down to help Max find Faith. But she also knows that Faith had done a disappearing act all those years ago and how she and her mother had disappeared. So maybe she has done the same thing again. A dead body gets found in the swamps and is very similar to her sister, but with no face and nothing else to identity the body, she is left with an incompetent and lazy coroner, who doesn’t even do an autopsy, as the cause of death was obvious! Chaz’s leads lead her to a group of women her sister used to have lunch with every Friday and her various charity projects. What she also learns is that her sister has been donating her eggs to a fertility clinic, even though she is over the age where she should be to follow the clinic’s guidelines. But Faith has lied about her age, even to her husband!
Chastity gets told to look out for a certain cabbie, James Guidry, who used to be a fireman, to help her get around town whilst she is there and for his local knowledge. She is invited to stay with Max, but has an offer from her fellow forensic nurse and good friend Kareena Boudreaux, James’ cousin, to stay with her. After one look at Faith and Max’s home, she realises she could never stay there, it is an almost exact match in parts, to the home she grew up in and there are no happy memories from that time! Max gives her the codes and a key to get into his home and allows her to look for clues to where Faith might be, while he is busy at work. One of the detectives in her sister’s missing person case believes Max can do no wrong, having saved his father by operating on him. New Orleans has a badly organised system of reporting crimes, with each district having its own system and with not much of any communication between them. Her sister is soon thought of as a runaway rather than a missing person and this makes it harder for her to get anyone to listen to her concerns.
Chaz is attracted to James and spending a lot of time with him, but with her past history, she doesn’t exactly want to take any action on those feelings. It seems as soon as Chaz starts to follow one lead, another woman dies and they are linked to her investigation. Someone is trying to kill off the very people Chaz is trying to question and who may have information for her about her sister’s disappearance. It seems even Chaz is in the sights of this killer and some secrets are definitely dangerous to uncover. Someone is using her to get to her sister and she needs to figure out why, before she ends up dead. Lots of local colour about New Orleans and some of the local customs. Loved Tante Edie and her tarot reading for Chastity, definitely some home truths spelt out for her. Add in Chastity’s abject fear of water and having a hurricane heading for the city doesn’t help her to concentrate on matters. She should have realised some facts much earlier, but her past was being used against her and all her fears chucked in her face. Another thrilling medical tale from an author with first-hand experience and a tale to tell. I look forward to reading more from this author. Each main character has their flaws and fears and they are well expressed here. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
Faith’s husband is a cardiologist, nicknamed Miracle Max, Maximillian Stanton and they have been based in New Orleans, Louisiana and married for some six years. She also gets told that there mother died just a few months ago. Chaz now has to confront a lot of her past, as she travels down to help Max find Faith. But she also knows that Faith had done a disappearing act all those years ago and how she and her mother had disappeared. So maybe she has done the same thing again. A dead body gets found in the swamps and is very similar to her sister, but with no face and nothing else to identity the body, she is left with an incompetent and lazy coroner, who doesn’t even do an autopsy, as the cause of death was obvious! Chaz’s leads lead her to a group of women her sister used to have lunch with every Friday and her various charity projects. What she also learns is that her sister has been donating her eggs to a fertility clinic, even though she is over the age where she should be to follow the clinic’s guidelines. But Faith has lied about her age, even to her husband!
Chastity gets told to look out for a certain cabbie, James Guidry, who used to be a fireman, to help her get around town whilst she is there and for his local knowledge. She is invited to stay with Max, but has an offer from her fellow forensic nurse and good friend Kareena Boudreaux, James’ cousin, to stay with her. After one look at Faith and Max’s home, she realises she could never stay there, it is an almost exact match in parts, to the home she grew up in and there are no happy memories from that time! Max gives her the codes and a key to get into his home and allows her to look for clues to where Faith might be, while he is busy at work. One of the detectives in her sister’s missing person case believes Max can do no wrong, having saved his father by operating on him. New Orleans has a badly organised system of reporting crimes, with each district having its own system and with not much of any communication between them. Her sister is soon thought of as a runaway rather than a missing person and this makes it harder for her to get anyone to listen to her concerns.
Chaz is attracted to James and spending a lot of time with him, but with her past history, she doesn’t exactly want to take any action on those feelings. It seems as soon as Chaz starts to follow one lead, another woman dies and they are linked to her investigation. Someone is trying to kill off the very people Chaz is trying to question and who may have information for her about her sister’s disappearance. It seems even Chaz is in the sights of this killer and some secrets are definitely dangerous to uncover. Someone is using her to get to her sister and she needs to figure out why, before she ends up dead. Lots of local colour about New Orleans and some of the local customs. Loved Tante Edie and her tarot reading for Chastity, definitely some home truths spelt out for her. Add in Chastity’s abject fear of water and having a hurricane heading for the city doesn’t help her to concentrate on matters. She should have realised some facts much earlier, but her past was being used against her and all her fears chucked in her face. Another thrilling medical tale from an author with first-hand experience and a tale to tell. I look forward to reading more from this author. Each main character has their flaws and fears and they are well expressed here. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
December 30, 2021
A mixed bag for me. I really loved the backdrop...the writer obviously did, too. Great secondary characters. The premise was iffy for me, but I went with it, only to find it got in the way of everything else, and for many, many pages. If the sister had died instead of gone missing, I would have found the mystery part of this much more intriguing. I had the killer nailed by the second chapter, and I found the couple of breaks from the protagonists's POV into the killer's completely unnecessary. The last few chapters were too long and diluted (yep, I know water is a central theme in this book) by the one character who really didn't need to be on-scene at all. And the chapter that ends with a really revolting and completely unnecessary revelation from the protagonist should have been left behind during revisions. The flaws in that woman were already tipping the scales from empathy into "why was this woman not institutionalized, because she obviously has so many traumatizing factors in her life, she couldn't possibly function in her high-stress career." The suspense was very well done, and caught me by surprise several times. The police shared everything with this strange woman who was the sister of the missing woman, which also seemed a huge stretch of imagination. But I was entertained, and it was a pretty quick read.
October 24, 2020
Chastity Byrnes is a trauma nurse and forensic liaison at St. Michael's hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. She gets a call from a brother in law she didn't even know she had to tell her that the sister Faith that she hasn't seen or spoken to in ten years is missing. Chastity is also a rather superstitious person and now she is headed to New Orleans with all the strange things that go on down there. She is there to help find her sister and this brings back vivid memories of their childhood. She does have some 'odd duck-like' friends in New Orleans especially Kareena Boudreaux another nurse who works in New Orleans. James Gurdry is a cab driver and Kareena's cousin. He has his own problems, and so does Chastity that comes to light in the wrong hands. Things aren't looking good for her to find her sister, then a hurricane is headed their way, and water is one of Chastity's biggest fears. Will Chastity do what she set out to do or will her fears paralyze her? I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from Booksprout.
September 25, 2020
Welcome to the dark side of Big Easy with a serving of gris-gris and lagniappe
“City of the Dead” by Eileen Dreyer is a very well constructed forensic thriller, set in New Orleans some fifteen years ago, blends elements of police procedural, suspense and psychological thriller, incorporating a good dose of forensic know-how.
Told for the POV of Chastity Byrnes (MC) a forensic nurse, whose brother-in-law approaches her for help to find her strangled sister, who has disappeared in strange circumstances. The search for her missing sister, uncovers a darker danger, with people keep on dying in the course of the investigation and the very much real possibility of a serial killer. As the case develops, Chastity has to confront her own traumatic past while being aware that she has become the killer’s principal target.
Chastity is a well-crafted character, able to lead the action all by herself, which is a primordial prerogative on a heavily MC POV character story; all secondary characters are credible and multidimensional, offering a good counterpoint to Chastity. New Orleans becomes yet a further character in the story, with real ambiance and true flavour, and Katrina about to hit. The plot is intriguing and hard to put down, with a satisfactory flow and a gratifying while unexpecting end. A good recommendation for thriller fans that do not scare away of truly dark settings and gritty environments.
“City of the Dead” by Eileen Dreyer is a very well constructed forensic thriller, set in New Orleans some fifteen years ago, blends elements of police procedural, suspense and psychological thriller, incorporating a good dose of forensic know-how.
Told for the POV of Chastity Byrnes (MC) a forensic nurse, whose brother-in-law approaches her for help to find her strangled sister, who has disappeared in strange circumstances. The search for her missing sister, uncovers a darker danger, with people keep on dying in the course of the investigation and the very much real possibility of a serial killer. As the case develops, Chastity has to confront her own traumatic past while being aware that she has become the killer’s principal target.
Chastity is a well-crafted character, able to lead the action all by herself, which is a primordial prerogative on a heavily MC POV character story; all secondary characters are credible and multidimensional, offering a good counterpoint to Chastity. New Orleans becomes yet a further character in the story, with real ambiance and true flavour, and Katrina about to hit. The plot is intriguing and hard to put down, with a satisfactory flow and a gratifying while unexpecting end. A good recommendation for thriller fans that do not scare away of truly dark settings and gritty environments.
May 8, 2018
Imagine living through child abuse, living on the street, promiscuity, crippling depression and a terrifying phobia. And after all this becoming a top notch Forensic Nurse. Such is the life of Chasity, our protagonist/heroine and that is just the back story of this amazing story. Chasity receives a phone call from the husband of her long lost sister, she didn't even know she had a brother- in-law or that her sister lived in New Orleans and that's where the mystery begins.
The New Orleans ambiance rings true and the characters involved make this a truly amazing thriller with an ending you didn't see coming.
The New Orleans ambiance rings true and the characters involved make this a truly amazing thriller with an ending you didn't see coming.
January 28, 2021
An intriguing book set in the beautiful city of New Orleans and the French Quarter which has a long-held diverse history steeped in mystery and mysticism. This book explores secrets of many kinds and forces one woman to confront fears from a past she thought that she had left far behind her all while searching for a long-lost sister who she suspects may not want to be found. Very compelling with a multitude of twists and turns before the truth can be discovered. Another riveting read by this wonderful author!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 14, 2020
In this one we are given a character with alot of backbone whom has our attention right from the start. Chastity has her peace disturbed by someone she does not care for. She then takes us to New Orleans which happens to be one of my favorite places in a book and out. Not alone in her hunt she though makes some gruesome discoveries with us realizing we have some one who likes to murder on the loose. This keeps us on our toes with looking quickly for clues thinking we can help but just plain caught up in this one.
March 6, 2022
It was really well written but I feel like it wasn’t faced paced throughout the book as reviews on the book promised. Only the end was super fast paced. I really enjoyed it but I feel like if it was shortened a bit we would have gotten that fast paced feeling they advertised it as. It was dragging a bit in the beginning/middle. Not super predictable either which I enjoyed. Would recommend you read it in a shorter time period so you don’t feel that dragging on feeling as much. I did enjoy it very much though. Will be looking for this author again definitely!
November 1, 2018
Compelling, but one of the facets of the ending happened in exactly the way I hoped it wouldn't. One of the secondary characters was not as fully-formed as she should have been for her role in the book and the protagonist's life. Finally, one of the aspects of the protagonist's life was never explained to an appreciable extent. All that being said, if you're looking for a good thriller ride against the backdrop of Nawlins, this isn't a bad choice.
July 24, 2025
Although it’s a good story and I love tales set in New Orleans, it seemed to go and on. I kept saying to myself, let’s have something actually happen and also let’s get some early explanation of the main character’s phobia about water. I liked the characters and the writing was quite good. I like the twist at the end and though highly improbable, I enjoyed the innovative methods used to escape certain demise.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2020
When Chaz is contacted by a brother in law that she did not know she had to come to New Orleans to help him find her missing sister she is shocked. This is a great mystery thriller that I could not put down. Wonderful story I look forward to more from Eileen Dreyer.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 22, 2022
Great page turner. I also really liked the ending!
September 19, 2020
Excellent suspense thriller set in New Orleans. The heroine, who has the POV throughout, is a forensic nurse with a traumatic past. She is called to New Orleans by a brother-in-law she didn't know existed to help find the missing sister she hasn't seen in 10 years. She doesn't really know how to do a missing persons search, so she enlists help from a friend in the forensic nursing field and the friend's cousin, a burn-scarred ex-fireman cab driver. It's a great story. I liked it a lot.
September 7, 2021
Thrills and chills in the French Quarter!
NO SPOILERS HERE. When trauma nurse/forensic nurse liaison Chastity Byrnes receives a phone call from a brother-in-law she didn’t know she had to help locate her estranged sister who has gone missing, she is drawn into a complex and twisted path of mystery and intrigue. I am not sure if this book is best categorized as a medical thriller, a psychological thriller, or just as a riveting mystery, but I can tell you that regardless of what you call it, it was a compelling story filled with plausible characters navigating a multitude of twists and turns set against the atmospheric backdrop of the French Quarter. It kept me up flipping pages late into the night and I wouldn’t trade a minute of that time for something as mundane as sleep. What a ride!
Be advised that this book was previously published in 2005 as Sinners and Saints, so if you already have that book, you may want to skip this one. Not having read Sinners and Saints, I do not know if there was an extensive re-write or any major changes between the two versions.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily offering my honest and unbiased review.
NO SPOILERS HERE. When trauma nurse/forensic nurse liaison Chastity Byrnes receives a phone call from a brother-in-law she didn’t know she had to help locate her estranged sister who has gone missing, she is drawn into a complex and twisted path of mystery and intrigue. I am not sure if this book is best categorized as a medical thriller, a psychological thriller, or just as a riveting mystery, but I can tell you that regardless of what you call it, it was a compelling story filled with plausible characters navigating a multitude of twists and turns set against the atmospheric backdrop of the French Quarter. It kept me up flipping pages late into the night and I wouldn’t trade a minute of that time for something as mundane as sleep. What a ride!
Be advised that this book was previously published in 2005 as Sinners and Saints, so if you already have that book, you may want to skip this one. Not having read Sinners and Saints, I do not know if there was an extensive re-write or any major changes between the two versions.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily offering my honest and unbiased review.
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December 5, 2008Forensic nurse Chastity Byrnes is trying to put her past behind her. It has been ten years since her actions shattered her family and sent her into exile. Ten years since she's seen her sister Faith. But now, Faith needs her help. She's missing from her upscale home in New Orleans, and Chastity has to find her.
Along the way she battles her own demons in a city where forensics is an old boy's club and a woman can find trouble in her sleep. She has to investigate fertility clinics, the powers of St. Roch, and the mysteries of voodoo to find her sister.
As a hurricane threatens New Orleans, Chastity puts more than her life on the line to rescue her sister from the threat that stalks them both...
Along the way she battles her own demons in a city where forensics is an old boy's club and a woman can find trouble in her sleep. She has to investigate fertility clinics, the powers of St. Roch, and the mysteries of voodoo to find her sister.
As a hurricane threatens New Orleans, Chastity puts more than her life on the line to rescue her sister from the threat that stalks them both...
August 20, 2010
This was a decent thriller, really. I got it because it's set in New Orleans, and I'm a sucker for the Crescent City. The backdrop didn't disappoint, and neither did the three central characters. I enjoyed how flawed but engaging they were. The heroine, especially, is unique and messed up and courageous as hell. And I liked that the hero was sexy as all get out but wounded. It's gritty, for sure, which I always like. I could have used a little more suspense, though. It felt like the murderer was kind of pat. But there are psychotics, and zealots, and voodoo priestesses, and society types, and lesbians, sexual deviants, and bad, bad parents, and missing people, and tarot readings, and drag queens, so that's fun.
July 4, 2013
Classic Eileen Dreyer, the plot of Sinners and Saints' twists through multiple layers and secrets, and arrives breathlessly at a very satisfying ending amid a New Orleans Hurricane.
Read Saints and Sinners yourself - if you like mysterious tales with memorable characters and dark twists, you'll be glad you did!
I'm an Eileen Dreyer fan from years back. Now that I've finished this book, I'm about to start reading my new copy of her If Looks Could Kill. I read this shadowy, pulse-pounding Elaine Dreyer years ago, and can't wait to revisit Dryer's Pyrite, Missouri, and the Heroine of If Looks Could Kill.
Vanessa
Read Saints and Sinners yourself - if you like mysterious tales with memorable characters and dark twists, you'll be glad you did!
I'm an Eileen Dreyer fan from years back. Now that I've finished this book, I'm about to start reading my new copy of her If Looks Could Kill. I read this shadowy, pulse-pounding Elaine Dreyer years ago, and can't wait to revisit Dryer's Pyrite, Missouri, and the Heroine of If Looks Could Kill.
Vanessa
March 19, 2016
Sinners and Saints is about three sisters who were physically and emotionally abused as children. One has committed suicide, one is missing, and the other is trying to find her missing sister. Chastity Byrnes receives a call from her brother-in-law asking her to come to New Orleans to help him find his missing wife. Once Chastity arrives in New Orleans, she finds help from a fellow forensic nurse and her cousin who drives a cab. Their search leads to lots of twists, turns, and revelations involving Chastity's past, all of which come into play before the story ends. Though I've never read anything by Dreyer before, I really enjoyed this suspense mystery.
June 7, 2012
3.5 stars
Although it took a little while for me to warm up to the main character (and her friend who speaks about herself entirely in the third person- creepy), this story was well worth the effort. Set in New Orleans, Dreyer captures the atmospheric tone of that city, and she kept the plot humming along- especially towards the very satisfying end. With a nice mix of suspense, shocking revelations and a touch of romance, this was a nice introduction to Dreyer's work. I'll definitely look for more.
Although it took a little while for me to warm up to the main character (and her friend who speaks about herself entirely in the third person- creepy), this story was well worth the effort. Set in New Orleans, Dreyer captures the atmospheric tone of that city, and she kept the plot humming along- especially towards the very satisfying end. With a nice mix of suspense, shocking revelations and a touch of romance, this was a nice introduction to Dreyer's work. I'll definitely look for more.
April 16, 2014
the main character, Forensic nurse Chastity Byrnes, is fighting her own personal battles with the past. She is not a perfect heroine, but is all the more likeable because of it.
She finds herself in New Orleans trying to find her sister at the request of a brother-in-law she didn't even know existed. Her mother and sister deserted her ten years ago.
Bit of a stretch in believing the police would so easily share information with her, but that's ok. Lots of intrigue and relationships and craziness to keep your interest.
She finds herself in New Orleans trying to find her sister at the request of a brother-in-law she didn't even know existed. Her mother and sister deserted her ten years ago.
Bit of a stretch in believing the police would so easily share information with her, but that's ok. Lots of intrigue and relationships and craziness to keep your interest.
March 3, 2008
Eileen Dreyer moves from St. Louis to New Orleans for this book about a forensic nurse who gets a call asking her to come to NO to search for her missing sister. The sister, and her mother, have been missing from her life for several years. During her investigation, she falls in love with New Orleans, makes new friends, deals with her fear of water and makes some surprising discoveries. The ending suggests that a series may be in the offing and I would be very happy if that were so.
December 22, 2021
Previously titled Saints and Sinners.
Great thriller that kept my interest. I am not one for analyzing plots and picking apart how the write writes. For me it is all about whether the story draws me in and keeps my attention and this story did that. Chastity is an interesting character. Her background has been a tragedy of abuse but she makes something of herself.
I hope the resurgence of her backlist means that something new will be coming out in the near future!
Great thriller that kept my interest. I am not one for analyzing plots and picking apart how the write writes. For me it is all about whether the story draws me in and keeps my attention and this story did that. Chastity is an interesting character. Her background has been a tragedy of abuse but she makes something of herself.
I hope the resurgence of her backlist means that something new will be coming out in the near future!
July 15, 2014
This was the first book by Eileen Dreyer that I have read. Not going to lie...the title is what caught my attention and the reason I picked it up.
The back summary held my attention and so I got it. And I really liked it. The story flowed at a even pace, it was well written and entertaining as hell. I look forward to my next encounter with Eileen's writing.
The back summary held my attention and so I got it. And I really liked it. The story flowed at a even pace, it was well written and entertaining as hell. I look forward to my next encounter with Eileen's writing.
June 25, 2007
Oh, Ms. Dreyer. Your flagrant references to places I know in St. Louis amuse me, and your consistently entertaining mystery/romances never fail to, well, entertain. Throw in a little New Orleans, too, and I'm hooked.
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