Brief

Following the passing of his Jesuit priest mentor, a journalist uncovers evidence that the other man was looking into a string of abuse left behind by another priest who was protected by the Catholic Church. The farther the journalist digs, he finds ties not only to the Vatican but to the president of the United States’ reelection campaign.

What We Liked

This book has such a strong story backed by an intriguing mystery. Watching Peter connect the dots that his mentor left behind is fascinating, and the audience can be swept up in his fervor. With a fast, page-turning pace, this is a narrative that would appeal to a large swath of audiences. Both Peter and Ally are strong, complex characters that are easy to relate to, and it’s a pleasure to follow their stories.

Film: There is a long history of political thriller films, and for good reason. They’re always compelling and able to garner a wide audience, and the religious element introduced here makes this even more unique. Peter and Ally get drawn farther and farther into this rabbit hole, and the audience will easily follow them. The mystery established is a topical one, and it reflects real life in a satisfying way to keep the viewer engaged. This is a film that could open the public’s eyes to very real conspiracies and backdoor deals made every day.

TV: Great television hinges entirely on its characters, and every character in the book is so realistic and well-drawn. Even the minor characters present for a single scene are still given an emotional stake and motivations within the wider story. If the characters shine this clearly on the page, they would pop even more onscreen. Beyond that, the mystery is so strong that it could sustain an entire season, and this would work well as a limited series for that reason. What’s great is that Peter could easily then move onto another mystery for a second season.

Key points: 1. Compelling mystery
2. Topical premise
3. Fast-paced story
4. Strong characters
5. Feels like a true story

Synopsis

Journalist PETER MERRICK is asked by his alma mater to do a retrospective about his mentor, FATHER JAMES INGRAM, after his passing. Peter’s wife EMMA tries to be there for him, but Peter has been pushing her away since an assignment months earlier in Kashmir left him with PTSD. At Ignatius, Peter stumbles across letters that were returned to Ingram, written to people in places that seem to have no connection to where Ingram worked for the church through the years. Bishop OWEN FEENEY mourns the death of Ingram as well. They grew up together and remained close friends, despite Feeney climbing the cutthroat ladder within the Catholic Church.

ALLY LARKIN recently moved to Washington, D.C. and is working on PRESIDENT WYNCOTT’s reelection campaign. Ally doesn’t have a special interest in politics, but she needed a job post-college and a cardinal she interned for recommended her to MILTON CASEY. Casey is the sharp chief in charge of the reelection effort, and he’s in contact with CARDINAL MULCAHY for research on how to get Catholic voters. Normally they’d go for conservative candidate Wyncott, but an independent candidate named ARCHER is a Catholic. Mulcahy recommends Casey work with Feeney on this.

Casey sends Ally and her coworker STEVE to Pennsylvania to do some recon with the Latinx Catholic community there. They learn that Archer’s policy doesn’t let the Church use the people’s money to pay off abuse victims while closing schools and churches in poor areas. Ally works on a proposal in answer to Archer’s, but Steve steals it and presents it as his own. Casey knows the truth, but it still infuriates Ally.

Meanwhile Peter finds a connection among the three people he has letters for — they were all involved somehow in sexual abuse cases settled out of court. He’s horrified that Ingram was involved, because the letters are all apologies to the three. Peter flies to Wisconsin to talk with KEVIN. Kevin is still traumatized, and he explains that Ingram wasn’t involved, he only reached out years later to apologize on behalf of the Church. The man who abused him was WILLIAM HARTNETT.

Peter learns that Hartnett was implicated in such cases multiple times, including in each of the three areas that the letters were addressed to. He was moved from parish to parish, and there was never any indication given to the new church about his behavior. The Church kept it quiet, including payouts to victims that sued and had to sign non-disclosure agreements. One of his postings was to take over from Ingram at a summer camp. When Ingram learned what kind of monster Hartnett was, he felt guilty. He began his own investigation into Hartnett and who transferred him around, trying to make it right. Peter follows in his footsteps.

Casey and Feeney work together on a letter from the Vatican that directs priests to not give communion to anyone who is pro-life. This includes Archer, so it’s a direct political attack, though of course Casey and Wyncott publicly have nothing to do with it. They also sneak a line into a bill that would protect the Church from having to pay victims of abuse between when the bill is approved and when it’s voted on. Ally discovers this and contacts Peter. He leaks the information, and Ally quits knowing she did the right thing. Casey takes full responsibly and resigns, knowing he’ll be provided for by Feeney, and there is no hard evidence to prove his collusion with the other man.

Peter figures out that it’s Feeney who continued to move Hartnett around from parish to parish, and in exchange he got promoted again. Peter finds letters with Feeney’s signatures proving this hidden under Ingram’s desk. Peter turns all of his evidence over to a lawyer, TED MERCIER, lobbying on behalf of the victims. The Catholic Church leaves Feeney out to dry, and he takes the fall along with jail time. Archer wins the election, booting Wyncott out. Ally begins work at a community center, with Peter’s recommendation. Peter opens up to Emma about the horrors he saw in Kashmir, and they take a vacation. It’s while abroad that Peter reads the news about Feeney pleading guilty.

About The Author

C.S. Farrelly was raised in Wyoming and Pennsylvania. No stranger to the intersection of power, money, and politics, her eclectic career has spanned investment banking, New York City government and, most recently, the British Government’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office. She is a Presidential Leadership Scholar and obtained a master’s degree from Trinity College Dublin, where she was a Senator George J. Mitchell scholar. She has lived in New York City, Washington, D.C., Ireland, and England. An avid hiker, she camped her way through East Africa, from Victoria Falls to Nairobi. She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her family. The Shepherd’s Calculus is her first novel.