The Sin Eater

by Lee McIntyre

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO SAVE YOUR CHILD?

What if Child Protective Services knocked on your door late one evening and threatened to take your child, based on a complaint from your new nanny?

Adam Grammaticus is a high-tech executive in Portland, Oregon, who grew up in a trailer park on the wrong side of town, but now lives the good life with his wife Kate and daughter Emma in Lake Oswego. When CPS shows up at his door one night, Adam has to fight back shock waves upon hearing the incredible -- and false -- allegations against him. Later, when he becomes the prime suspect in a murder, CPS return to take Emma and Adam becomes frantic.

He turns for help to his best friend Tugg Morgan -- an ex-military, Harley-riding drifter, who's trying to outrun his own dark past, including a fatal secret that he and Adam have kept since childhood. Adam and Tugg escape to the open road, where they embark on a journey to find Emma.....and make everyone pay who had anything to do with this. They're in Tugg's world now: a world of outlaw bikers, risky choices, and brutal justice, which eventually leads them to a vast conspiracy that explains what happened to Emma, even while it threatens to remove Adam from her life forever.

Genres: Fiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published July 11, 2019

About the author

I am a philosopher and my goal is to write books that engage our minds and connect with issues that we all care about. In my non-fiction, I am particularly interested in defending science against all forms of science denial and post-truth. In my fiction, I seek to raise moral questions that push us to the limit of what we would do to protect the people we love. It gets me excited when I reach an audience who may never have thought they would like philosophy, but it speaks to them. These days I still do some philosophical scholarship--and I teach ethics--but most days I can be found at my desk writing, with two big German Shepherds snoring at my feet.

Reviews

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of this book and I’m so happy I did. “Page turner that you can’t put down” is an understatement for this gripping novel from Lee McIntyre. Too often in thrillers, protagonists are reduced to immoral urges or a sort of “outside of oneself” morality that doesn’t seem realistic or possible in the day-to-day of real life. No the case with The Sin Eater. McIntyre manages to create two characters, Adam and Tugg, who are both inherently good men whose loyalty to each other creates loyalty around them. I believed every choice and every action - everything felt completely authentic to the characters and the situations they were in. Through the twists and turns of the story (there are many and I didn’t guess any of them - my favorite type), the reader comes to gain a profound understanding of what true love is and how family can be so much more than blood shared. I never expected to be moved by a thriller, but I was in a very entertaining way.

I’ve read all of McIntyre’s non-fiction work, and I’m ecstatic to get to experience this part of his repertoire. I hope that a sequel is in the works, because I want more of these characters and their adventures fighting the system.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lee McIntyre's fiction debut is a smart, twisty, humane thriller that begins with an explosive act of violence before jumping decades into a picture of happy domesticity that's threatened by a different, but equally wrenching, kind of explosion. Following a bogus child abuse allegation, married couple Adam and Kate are dropped into a Kafka-esque nightmare of attorneys and accusations—and that's just the beginning of the upheaval about to unfold.

McIntyre weaves together a wholly unpredictable plot that explores the resiliency of marriage, the bonds of male friendships, and the different ways in which toughness manifests itself during the most trying of times, be it physical, mental, or emotional. Each of these richly drawn characters is tested in surprising ways, and McIntyre imbues them all with such relatable humanity that we root for their success and fear for them during their lowest moments.

The Sin Eater is tense and propulsive, fueled by graceful writing, twisty plotting, and memorable characters. As much as I enjoyed the strong marriage between Kate and Adam, the lifelong friendship between Adam and Tugg is truly marvelous. If you crave action, love, and loyalty in your fiction, make The Sin Eater your next read.

[Sharon Pasternack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to accept an offer from BookFunnel to read an advance copy of Lee McIntyre’s debut novel THE SIN EATER. This thrilling novel does not fail to satisfy. McIntyre lays out a harrowing tale of how your normal everyday life can go so wrong so quickly.
When the main character's nanny lies and falsely accuses him of hurting his three year old daughter and she is quickly taken away by family services, his whole world is turned upside down. His determination to get her back is filled with colorful characters, love, family, loyalty and violence. His incredible relationship with a childhood friend paves their way and holds them together against all odds.
It’s a fast pace fun read and a bromance I want more of.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for this ARC. I literally could not put this book down. Part mystery, part action thriller, part love story, it hit all the points and told it in a way that was interesting and unpredictable. I was invested in the characters from the very beginning and wasn't sure where they were going but I was happy to go along for the ride. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, very well written, would highly recommend it!

[Swarleey Aka Swarlz Barkley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly loved this book. What would you do? It’s hard to say but for some…there is no limit so therefore no full answer. The story of the sin eater has always been a fascination of mine. Someone that tries to take all of the bad from others and carry it themselves so that some in the world lucky enough to cross paths with them get their whole being back…but at what cost? What if that sin eater is the one truly worthy of being forgiven and starting again with no sins? I always pray to be able to see this one day ring true because at its core a sin eater may just be the closest thing to what we may witness as a truly altruistic act. One capable of such an act must be the one in itself deserving of the best life possible.

This is a good show of if you eat too many you may lose yourself…and worse your loved ones lose you.

[Bre Dubuque · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually loved this thriller. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to have your child taken from you under false accusations. Adam and his life long friend hit the road to find his daughter and find out why he's taking the wrap for abuse he didn't commit. I love the loyalty between Adam and Tugg. Adams relationship with his wife and daughter pulls at the heart strings. Always good to see the underdog fight back. The twists and turns had me wrapping this book up in a couple days.

[H Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

Started out promising. As the prose quality and class diminished, the work failed to fulfil its promise. Then. Just gross. When I got to the gratuitous biker club sex test scene, I returned this book.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good first novel, with a lot of action and excitement and a mystery that is not solved until near the end of the book. When Child Protective Services takes Emma from her home with Adam and Kate it is a horrifying example of how everything in your life can go wrong in an instant, putting you on the defensive trying to prove your innocence, and that desperate people do desperate things.

Even though it jumped around in time and place, with a lot of flashbacks and long paragraphs about foster care, biker gangs and Native American reservations, the first third of the book kept me on the edge of my seat wondering how Adam being on the run with his long-time best friend from childhood Tugg was going to work out. However, things started to go a bit off the rails after the first third or so, and as the quality of the story declined so did my interest. The jumping around became more confusing – the story of the reservation was interesting but detracted from what should have been a thrill-laden, pulse-pounding search for a three year old. Emma seemed to recede in the background a bit. The characters and setting and atmosphere didn’t have quite enough depth to sympathize with or fully understand them or feel immersed in the story.

All in all, The Sin Eater was a compelling read by an author with promise that perhaps just needs some polish. There was some really odd phrasing in the story; I assume the author was trying to mix things up a bit and avoid being repetitive, but a lot of it falls flat or is unnecessary, like the long description of breakfast at Denny’s that doesn’t add anything to the plot. And while I was not offended at some of the crudeness and off-color words and events, it was at times awkwardly written and out of place.

The ending wraps up a few things in a satisfying way and leaves others hanging. I wasn’t sure if that was to allow for a sequel or just to allow us wonder on our own what happened next. Either way the ending was a good one. Thanks to the author for providing an ARC for my honest review.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sin Eater is a great debut novel that tackles tough issues and takes the reader through some horrible situations. Hard to bear at first, but explodes when the main character decides to take action against his sea of troubles. It's got everything: unreliable witnesses, dark conspiracies, action enough for a thriller, and a complicated web of lies and intrigue enough for a spy novel. A roller-coaster read that once you're hooked, will make you race through to the end. Lots of heart, some esoteric information, and touches on some thorny issues. Great start from a promising writer.

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC from the author. It was a decent read, but I felt it jumped around a lot and that made it kind of confusing. I was glad for a happy ending, even if it was a tad unrealistic. I really liked the inclusion of a disabled mom. I’m a disabled mom and I never read anything that I can relate to in that sense. But overall it was an enjoyable read mostly.

[Tena Bremmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. The thought of someone taking your child under false pretenses would be a horrible feeling! It is a well written book. A great suspense read!