Reviews

Hogan’s prose is gritty and observant, particularly his descriptions of the various outlaws who populate his pages… an impressive tale about criminals that will hold readers hostage.

…the novel sincerely grapples with many of the tensions of modern Catholicism…the reading experience is an unexpectedly engaging one. 

–Kirkus Review

The Empty Confessional uses the thriller format to take the reader behind the scenes of a horrific event, educating them on the workings of the Church while they follow twists and turns. A frighteningly realistic, compelling tale of retribution.

A fast-moving but also deep “ethical thriller”.

Hogan writes with the acumen of someone who has been on the inside of an institution capable of turning a blind eye to heinous acts.

The Empty Confessional plunges readers into the dark workings of the Catholic Church and its tacit policy of protecting pedophilic priests.

In the final scene, readers are treated to a brilliant kabuki dance, with Carla visiting Gabe as he is hearing confessions, but neither one acknowledges the other by name.

An evocative work of fiction rooted in one of the darkest eras of history.

Read full review here.

… The plot surges along, equal parts murder mystery and immersive history, building to a climax that will leave readers gasping.

Perla Divko, along with her husband Shimon, is an Auschwitz prisoner forced by Kommandant Rudolf Höss to solve a murder (of Höss’s accountant) and the theft of millions in gold extracted from the teeth of gas chamber victims. 

Read complete interview here.

Hogan writes with the acumen of someone who has been on the inside of an institution capable of turning a blind eye to heinous acts.

The Devil’s Breath provides a detailed and, as far as it could be, a balanced education in the Holocaust combined with a lively and entertaining action thriller.