Sinner's Prayer (A Dan Randolph/Greg Zhu Mystery)
by Dwain Lee
About Sinner's Prayer
Sinner's Prayer (A Dan Randolph/Greg Zhu Mystery)
LGBTQ+ Traditional Mystery
2nd in Series following Plausible Deception
Settings - Primarily Louisville, Kentucky, along with southwestern Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Maison Laide Press
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 25, 2026
Print length ‏ : ‎ 328 pages
Paperback
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8218702953
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0GT28D7W6
Digital
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8218704353
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0GTC9G4C6
The remains of a highly regarded church member who disappeared without a trace almost forty years earlier are found buried in the basement of Parkvale Presbyterian Church in Louisville. Almost immediately after the discovery, another much-beloved former member dies by suicide at a lonely scenic roadside overlook. Are the two deaths related?
Presbyterian minister Dan Randolph is pondering his legacy as retirement nears. Now, he's got to deal with the murder, too, which hasn't just dug up bones, but also long-held secrets of misconduct, sexual abuse, and scandal-along with angry demands for his own ouster, with some claiming he's mishandled the situation.
Who killed the man in the basement-and why?
Dollycas's Thoughts
Parkvale Presbyterian Church was going through some renovations when a body was found beneath the cement floor in the basement. The remains were quickly identified as Steve Brighton, who was very involved in the church, serving as the youth leader until he went missing. Soon after the body is found, Minister Dan Randolph is notified that a treasured former member of the church died by suicide.
Dan had been thinking about retirement and how his term at Parkvale would be remembered, but now he needs to focus on the murder and whether Mark Mackenzie's suicide was in any way connected. He never imagined the horrific things that would be uncovered and how much blame would be thrust upon him for how everything was handled.
___
I was introduced to Dan Randolph and his husband, George Yu, in Plausible Deception, which was described as a “Quozy”—a cozy mystery featuring LGBTQ+ characters. In this book, though, author Dwain Lee raises the stakes considerably, tackling timely, difficult issues in a story that kept me turning pages.
Dan Randolph is a Presbyterian minister, and George Yu is an internationally respected violin maker, living at a time when LGBTQ+ rights feel increasingly uncertain. They have a plan to leave the country if necessary, which adds an undercurrent of tension to the story. While George is away on business—speaking, traveling, and delivering his violins—Dan is left managing challenges at home. Even from a distance, though, their partnership remains steady, especially when Dan becomes the target of painful accusations. After the first book, I said these were characters I could truly root for, and this novel only deepened that feeling.
I appreciated the author’s warning that suicide plays a major role in this novel. After losing my son to suicide, I have to be careful about what I read. Because of that, I connected deeply with Catherine Mackenzie. She is struggling not only with her son’s death, but with how that loss will be understood by friends, family, the community, and even by God. She is also carrying the unbearable weight of knowing her son was in profound pain and that she could not save him. I know that pain intimately. I live with it every day. Mr. Lee portrays a mother’s love and the devastation of losing a child to suicide with honesty and compassion. For me, it was not triggering—it was validating. My son’s life was not the same as Mark Mackenzie’s, but the ending was heartbreakingly familiar.
The murder of Steve Brighton is both intricate and compelling. Lee moves between the present day, 2024, and flashbacks to 1984 and 1985 with impressive ease, creating a narrative that feels seamless rather than fragmented. As members of the church community come forward and fall back, the novel carefully examines their emotions, memories, secrets, and motivations. Theological questions are woven naturally into the story, and the emotional range is wide as the truth slowly emerges. Beyond the central mystery, the novel also engages with difficult subjects such as sexual abuse, spousal abuse, clergy denial and coverups, prejudice toward LGBTQ+ people, political influence, suicide, morality, and murder. Lee handles all of it thoughtfully, crafting a story that is not only moving but also likely to stay with readers and challenge them to think more deeply.
Each chapter is titled after a piece of music, usually classical, which creates a kind of built-in playlist for interested readers. In Plausible Deception, I learned quite a bit about luthiers and violin making. In Sinner’s Prayer, I found the musical references just as engaging. My own tastes lean more contemporary, so I was especially amused to spot both The Beatles and an alternative rock band on the list.
One quote in the book that especially stayed with me comes from Father Mychal Judge, the New York City Fire Department chaplain who was killed at Ground Zero on 9/11: “Lord, take me where you want me to go; let me meet who you want me to meet; tell me what you want me to say; and keep me out of your way.” Those are powerful words—simple, humbling, and worth carrying with you.
A Sinner’s Prayer is, on its face, a heartfelt plea for forgiveness and acceptance of Jesus Christ. This book Sinner's Prayer is far more than a murder mystery—and definitely not a Quozy. It is a poignant story of grief and faith, courage and accountability, punishment and justice. It may be the kind of book you finish in just a few days, but it is also the kind that lingers long after the final page. It has already earned a place on my Best Reads of 2026 list. Dwain Lee has a distinctive writing voice, and I’m genuinely excited to see where he goes next.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the authorfor providing me with an ARC.
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About Dwain Lee
DWAIN LEE is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA). He is a graduate of Penn State University and Trinity Lutheran Seminary. Before entering the ministry, he was an architect in private practice for many years, mostly in Columbus, Ohio. He and his husband currently live in Louisville, Kentucky, where he works, writes, supports the arts, and is active in various forms of social justice advocacy. He has two daughters he is immensely proud of, enjoys travel, gardening, home repair, camping, and yoga, and is a member of the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels.
Author Links
Author's Website    Facebook: Dwain Lee, Author     Instagram: dwain.lee.author  Â
Purchase Links
Author's Online Store (preferred) Amazon    B&N
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