REVIEW: The Priest by Tiffany Reisz

In The Priest by Tiffany Reisz, The move to New Orleans a short while ago has been working out well for erotic romance writer and dominatrix Nora Sutherlin and her eccentric group of friends, who are more like family. But there are changes on the horizon for them all. She tries to keep notorious Kingsley Edge calm as he awaits the birth of his child and drives them all insane with his nervous energy. And then there is Nora’s beloved master, Søren. The Jesuit priest is contemplating whether to go back to his role with the church after his suspension is over or whether it is time to basically retire and spend time with his son.

“You’re kind of friendly for a dominatrix,” Cyrus said. “Where’s the whip and chains?”
“You wanna see ’em?” She glanced at him over the top of her sunglasses.
He pointed at her. “You’re trouble.”

It’s when Nora is contacted by local NOLA private investigator Cyrus Tremont that things really get tricky. Somehow a priest called her just minutes before he committed the ultimate sin and killed himself. And it’s a man Nora has never met or spoken to before. Unable to give Cyrus answers, she instead insists on helping him with his investigation. The PI didn’t realize that the dominatrix has a tendency to attract trouble–and weird people–wherever she goes, but he realizes quickly that it could put them both in danger. With his wedding to Paulina mere months away, Cyrus would like to remain upright and breathing. But as he and Nora run down clues, they uncover even more than they bargained for.

“You don’t know much about priests if you think we’re better people than everyone else. I am living proof of that. In fact, if I had one piece of advice to give you as you investigate your case–”
“I’ll take it,” Cyrus said.
“Assume the worst.”

The Priest is just what Tiffany Reisz fans need right now, with its dash of mystery and a heaping dose of our favorite sexy trio: Søren, Nora and King. Set in sultry New Orleans, you can only imagine what outlandish escapades this holy trinity had together.

‘The master. The monster. The beautiful sadist. That was the secret she never told anyone, not even herself, that she loved him more for his cruelties than his mercies.’

I can’t tell you how happy I was to see a brand spanking (pun intended) new Original Sinners novel! And it was everything you could want. Seriously. We of course got up to date with Nora, Søren and Kingsley–and there was a whole lot happening in their lives since the end of The Queen. There were some play scenes between Søren and Nora that took a turn I wasn’t expecting, but that was unbelievably perfect for the kinky pair. Nora also got embroiled in a case that local PI Cyrus Tremont was investigating involving a priest committing suicide. Plus, as you would expect, there was a whole host of kooky people who popped up in Nora’s life along the way, which kept things interesting to say the least.

I should mention that The Priest can be read as a standalone if you are new to this series. Reisz included some of the more important aspects of Søren, King and Nora’s background so their dynamic will mostly make sense. As well, if you are new to The Original Sinners, there is some fairly hardcore BDSM that takes place. Not as much in this novel as in others. But it’s definitely part of the story, along with how Søren being a priest brings religion into his relationships and greatly complicates everything.

New guy to the Sinners world was Cyrus, who I adored. He had a rough past and did some things he wasn’t proud of. But finding the love of his life, Paulina, changed it all and had him atoning for his sins–in his own way. I think fans will get a kick out of the (platonic) chemistry between Cyrus and Nora as they worked on the suicide investigation. They had awesome bantering and were just enough alike in personality and previous experiences that they understood each other on a fairly deep level. And when Søren and Kingsley were introduced to Nora’s new bestie? So. Much. Fun.

The Priest will take readers on a decadent journey filled with hard truths, fragile bonds, the meaning of love and sacrifice, and even a bit of the mystical–it was set in NOLA after all. Highly recommended.

Book Info:

Publication: Published March 19th 2020 | 8th Circle Press | The Original Sinners #9

New Orleans, four months after the events of THE QUEEN…

Søren has been suspended from the Jesuits for a minimum of one year after confessing to fathering a child. To say he’s struggling with his newfound freedom is an understatement.

Kingsley is about to be a father again and is convinced something very bad is about to happen. Nerves? Or is he right that the time has come for the Sinners to pay for their sins?

And if things couldn’t get worse, a handsome private detective shows up and tells Mistress Nora that a priest has just committed suicide, and she was the last person he tried to call. He would like to know why…

She doesn’t know, but Nora and her new detective friend will turn over the city to find out, meeting liars, vampires, and witches along the way. When she finds what she’s looking for, she may wish she’d never stepped foot in New Orleans.