The Church Builder

The Church Builder is the first book in a series of thrillers written by A. L. Shields, the pseudonym of New York Times best-selling author of The Emperor of Ocean Park, Stephen L. Carter.

Bethany Barclay is running for her life. She’s a struggling attorney who’s been framed for the murder of a client. To clear her name, she must follow the trail left by her friend Annabelle to find out who killed her and why.

Meanwhile, members of a centuries-old secret society known simply as The Garden track Bethany’s every move, aiding her when they can. Because The Garden knows that Bethany has been targeted by the ruthless Wilderness Society . . . and to advance their agenda in a centuries-old battle they’ll find out what she knows and then kill her too.

Each of the novels in this series revolves around the struggle between The Garden and The Wilderness. Working insidiously over the centuries, The Wilderness orchestrates “snakebites”-tiny scandals that cumulatively will bring an end to belief.