Famed NYPD homicide detective, Dax McGowan, seeks to track down and kill the pedophile priest that caused his daughter to commit suicide. What starts out as an inner city foot race soon turns into an international manhunt leading to the Gates of Vatican City and beyond with startling results.

Lt. McGowan encounters obstacles at every turn. A politically weak response by the D.A.’s office, an intransigent and deceitful Catholic hierarchy, and a cast of highly trained assassins bent on killing Dax, conspire to thwart his every move. Why so much protection for this one, seemingly unimportant, hermit-like priest?

Further complications ensue as he encounters other players whose assistance he seeks to reach his prey. A female, child protecting, SVU detective is a constant reminder of what real duty means. A critically needed history expert predicts some surprising “penances” in store for the Catholic Magisterium. Most notably is Dax’s introduction to the leader of the world’s largest clergy sex abuse survivor’s network. A woman of intriguing secrets, she offers him a chance at love with unexpected limitations.

A Note to Readers from the Author

While it was always my plan to be a writer, I had no idea my first foray would revolve around the subject of clergy sex abuse. However, viewing the Academy Award nominated documentary, ‘Deliver Us from Evil’ set me off on an almost obsessive mission to write, ‘The Millstone Prophecy’. It was my way of educating a larger audience to what was still happening to kids, while hopefully treating folks to what I believed was a good thriller of a story. I have to say, I’m extremely pleased that the many good reviews I’ve received tell me my readers experienced both an entertaining read and an absorbing of the facts.

The research and interviews I did for the book availed me of some inside information that was not only historic, but was woven into the pages of my work. Shortly after my book was released, on 9-13-2011, an official complaint was filed with the International Criminal Court at the Hague charging the Vatican and other named players of crimes against humanity. My friend and famed mystery writer, Mary Jane Clark, in support of my book, wrote on her Facebook page, “It’s as if Jack Harney had a crystal ball!” This sure said to me as a new author how critically important solid research really matters.

Jack Harney

An Excerpt from the Novel

Every few seconds, a muted “clear” could be heard as they checked out their assigned rooms. They finally stood together at the very back of the house in the kitchen.

…Dax had an excellent view of them. He was sitting stone cold still, curled up inside a dumbwaiter located in the kitchen and was peering at his wannabe assassins through the peek-a-boo slit of its door covering…their faces were covered by ashen colored masks shaped in the face of a wolf.

…He expected their next move would be to check the basement where he boarded the dumbwaiter.

…He could hear them now inches below him looking for any sign of his presence. He was struggling to breathe very shallowly. He wondered if his heart pounding in his ears was audible to his attackers. He knew the slightest sound would mean shots fired into the bottom of the platform draining his body of all its blood onto the basement floor. He concentrated on not blinking, concerned that the one additional sound, though minute, might make the difference and cause his discovery. He pictured the stoic and motionless stare of an extremely pensive Sherlock Holmes as his model of silence…