CSI's William Petersen, who recommends the book on its back cover, was impressed by the authentic way "The Living Wills" portrays his hometown of Chicago. He writes: "It really brings the city of the broad shoulders to life, and makes me homesick."
An excerpt from Chapter 5: "Holy Smokes"...
Reed was always struck by the incongruities of Holy Name Cathedral. The inscription in the cornerstone read: “AD 1874—AT THE NAME OF JESUS EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW—THOSE THAT ARE IN HEAVEN AND THOSE ON EARTH.” The inscription looked slightly worn, but not from age. Portions of those words had been riddled with bullets during the 1920s; collateral damage from the murder of gangster Hymie Weiss. A holy cathedral’s holy words forever holey.
Holy Name Cathedral also boasted a magnificent 210-foot-tall gothic spire, but the nearby high rises and skyscrapers like the John Hancock Center and the Bloomingdale’s Building now dwarfed it, seemingly laughing at the comparatively puny church, daring it to retain its dignity and majesty.
Every day between now and its release date, I'll be unveiling more elements of "The Living Wills".
