Something Must Change Here - by Margaret Reilly (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

For fans of Lisa Jewell and Harlan Coben, a literary thriller set in Haiti that explores faith, power, and moral courage.

In 1999, the Vatican sends Georgetown professor Jack Carson to Haiti to investigate the life of Bernard Emmanuel, a young social activist who died thirty-five years ago. Jack must determine if this indigent, pious man is worthy to be declared a saint by the Catholic Church. Amid murder, secrets, and devastating poverty, Jack discovers competing interests for manipulating Bernard's legacy. The US government, ambitious politicians, local clergy, and the Vatican each have their own motives for shaping Bernard's story and what he should represent.

Events take a perilous turn when Annie O'Leary, an aspiring public relations executive, arrives in Haiti with her own ideas about saint-making. She inadvertently blunders into a world of secret police, violence, and extortion in this unfamiliar world, threatening Jack's investigation and irrevocably intertwining her own mission with his.

Pulsing with suspense and grappling with themes of faith, moral complexity, and personal responsibility, Something Must Change Here reveals tensions between politics and religion while uncovering the saintliness of ordinary people.

All author's proceeds from Something Must Change Here will be donated to two organizations working in Haiti: Hôpital Albert Schweitzer and NPH USA, which supports an orphanage and pediatric hospital.

Review Quotes

"Captivating! A fast-paced story set in Haiti, a land of liberty and ingenuity. I will not be surprised if readers finish the book in one sitting. Amize w! (Enjoy!)"--Jacques Pierre, Lecturing Fellow in Haitian Creole and Creole Studies, Duke University & Stanford University

"The characters draw us into a world where power and corruption leave heavy marks on humanity."--Marlene Byrne, author of Do Not Discard and Music Has Legs

About the Author

Margaret Reilly made her first trip to Haiti in 1972. There, she and her physician husband volunteered at a rural hospital where they encountered the country's desperate poverty and urgent medical needs. Over the years, she has visited Haiti several times to support the hospital and a local orphanage. Margaret has a Master of Public Health from Harvard and has spent her career as a health researcher. Something Must Change Here is her first work of fiction. She lives in New York City.