Author explores Scottish roots in new book

Nov. 26, 2012 - PRLog -- Rochester --  The Redemption of Reverend McKinney (CreateSpace), a new novel by Bonnie Frankenberger, explores themes that her readers will find fascinating—complex relationships, human emotion and motivation, and crises of faith--as well as the early use of forensic science in criminal investigations.

In the novel, Andrew McKinney believes he was "saved" from the streets of Glasgow in 1885 by the grace of God. When Reverend  Alan McLean offers to take Drew into his home, Drew insists he is unworthy.  But soon the young boy realizes the only way to escape the life of crime is to take Reverend McLean up on his offer.  With the Reverend's help, he learns to read and write and becomes an altar server at St. Stephen's Church.  There he encounters an unfriendly parishioner, Catherine Westwater, who seems determined to destroy the young man.  

When Drew returns from three years in seminary, he finds he has lost his love, Mairi Macalister, to Catherine's son.  Then Catherine commits the worst crime of all.  Privy to her past, Drew sets out to see her pay for her crimes with the help of his friend, Hugh Henderson, the newest forensics officer for the Glasgow Police Department.   When Catherine is convicted, Drew feels some relief until he realizes her mission has not been completed.

For Frankenberger herself, it was also an opportunity to connect with her Scottish heritage. Although story is fictional, Frankenberger’s writing was influenced by memories of her grandmother, Christina McLean, whose parents emigrated to Canada from Scotland in the mid-1800s.

The Redemption of Reverend McKinney is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble and is available in both paperback and e-book. To the delight of her readers, Frankenberger is currently working on the sequel, The Salvation of Reverend McKinney, due out in 2013.

About the Author

Bonnie Frankenberger has been writing adult and young adult fiction for twenty-five years.  A retired Speech-Language Pathologist, she lives in Webster, NY with her husband, Michael.  She has two adult daughters.  A member of the McLean Clan on her mother's side and the Gray Clan on her father’s, Bonnie has always been interested in exploring her Scottish roots.  She is a founding member of the Webster Writer's Group.  When not writing, she enjoys reading, gardening, and traveling.