Contact: Rose Trabbic, Publicist, Ignatius Press, 239-867-4180, rose@ignatius.com

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 25, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Novelist T.M. Doran has been a fan of murder mysteries for over 30 years. Now, after the success of his popular first novel, "Toward the Gleam" (Ignatius Press, 2011), Doran has crafted a riveting murder mystery of his own: "Terrapin."

What exactly makes a great mystery so exhilarating? T.M. Doran explains, "I've read, studied, and learned from the best mystery writers, among them Arthur Conan Doyle, G.K. Chesterton, S.S. Van Dine, John Dickson Carr (the locked room master), Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, Rex Stout, Dorothy Sayers, and P.D. James. The best of these mysteries are not only head-scratchers but also display a moral dimension, though this dimension is sometimes opaque."

Terrapin certainly reveals a moral dimension, as the main character, Dennis Cole searches for answers to the startling mysteries that unfold, but also for the answers to pressing questions that have haunted him throughout his life.

The novel opens when Cole and his three best friends from childhood gather for a weekend reunion. On the first night, one of the men is murdered -- or is he?

A professor of engineering by day and a writer of detective fiction by night, Cole and the other survivors try to piece together the mysterious fate of their friend. This suspenseful "mystery noir" moves back and forth between the unfolding reunion gone bad and formative childhood events that involved these friends who grew up on the same street.

Looming largest in the memory of Dennis is the striking character of his widowed father, T.A. -- Marine veteran of the Korean War and blue-collar philosopher. In his interactions with T.A., Dennis tries to make sense out of life; but instead of simple answers, puzzling questions about evil, human freedom, and the possibility of transformation are all T.A. seems to provide. These questions follow Dennis through young adulthood and beyond; they finally catch up to him in the surprising and thrilling climax of this novel.

A murder mystery and a coming of age story, with many twists and turns, "Terrapin" is about man's potential for doing either good or evil and his response to the consequences of his actions.

To request a review copy or an interview with author T.M. Doran, please contact:

Rose Trabbic, Publicist, Ignatius Press, (239) 867-4180 or rose@ignatius.com