The Holy Mark

Book excerpt: Father Tony should have never been a priest. With the family money, he could have pursued his interest in literature or worked with young boys-only free of all those Church strictures. But there was no priest in the family, so when his immigrant grandmother beheld a peculiar mark on his newborn head and declared it a sign from God, his destiny was set. But those marked by God are often marked by men as well: Tony's jealous uncle will never forgive him for finding favor with the old woman. And with his ties to the city's Catholic hierarchy, he'll plot to destroy his nephew if it takes forever.