This was a dark, politically charged thriller that blends crime investigation with religious corruption and apartheid-era tension 😳
I really liked Francois as a detective figure—he’s pulled into something far bigger than a missing person case, and I liked how his investigation slowly expands from a local mystery into a sprawling conspiracy involving power, politics, and control.
What I enjoyed most: the dual perspective between Francois and Millie 🕵️‍♂️⚡ It adds real depth, especially because Millie isn’t just grieving—she has her own hidden agenda tied to political activism, which makes every move feel layered and dangerous. I also really liked the setting of 1980s apartheid South Africa, which adds constant pressure and moral complexity to every decision the characters make.
The portrayal of the megachurch as a façade for organized crime and political influence is especially gripping—it turns faith into something unsettling and manipulative, which keeps the tension high throughout.
If you love dark conspiracy thrillers, political crime fiction, corrupt institutions, dual POV investigations, and morally complex characters, this is intense, thought-provoking, and very gripping 📖🔥

Blood Money Faith
by Haris Steed

Thank you, #NetGalley , #HarisSteed author, and # HarisSteedPublishing, for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Review: A Great Mystery/Thriller

Blood Money Faith is a fast-paced thriller set in 1980s South Africa. It’s a great look at a mix of a classic detective story and a deep look at a world of secrets and "blood money."

The Story:

When teenager Sofie Sassoon vanishes after a frantic call to her pastor, Noel, the mystery begins. Soon after, Noel is found dead. The police call it a suicide, but former detective Francois Stoltz suspects a cover-up. He teams up with Millie Cromwell to take on a greedy religious group called "The Body of Christ" that is hiding a web of scheming, corruption, and murder.

The Characters:

* Francois Stoltz: A tough, ex-cop, who was determined to find the truth.
* The Pastor’s Sister, Millie Cromwell: She travels from London to get justice for her brother. She also carries secrets of her own.
* Sofie Sassoon: The missing school girl whose disappearance starts the whole investigation.

The Ending:

The ending is a real nerve-racking experience! Stoltz finally exposes the corruption at the heart of the church and forces the scoundrels to face the truth. It’s a powerful finish that shows how brave people can stand up to evil, even when things look hopeless.
If you love thrillers with big twists and complex characters, you won't be able to put this down!

#NetGalley
#BloodMoneyFaith
#HarisSteed
#HarisSteedPublishing

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Francois was a private eye. And he had a daughter, Rachel, who lived with her mother. They all lived in South Africa. Sophie was a 15-year-old who was troubled, and she confided in a pastor named Noel. There was a huge alleged Christian conglomeration called The Body that was pastored by Mark. It started out a huge gathering of young people, but eventually adults were added. They made millions of dollars year after year by duping their parishioners to give, by running several businesses and by partnering with a crook named Leeson who ran a cutthroat operation called Taxis4Life.

Late one night at 3:00 in the morning. Sophie place a call to Noel and the next day she disappeared without a trace. Her father hired Francois to find her. In the meantime, Noel was murdered within the same time frame, Noel's sister, Millie, came to town and asked Francois to help her find out who killed her brother. Noel had been investigating The Body and had repeatedly spoken out against them, so Millie thought they were responsible for his death. When Francois did not immediately find Sophie, her father fired him and went to the police, but he decided he was going to find her anyway. Sophie had been involved with The Body and it was thought that they had kidnapped her.

After Noel's funeral Millie disappeared. Francois assumed she had gone back to London. But in fact, she had infiltrated The Body. They liked her immediately and she became their chef. Noel had journaled incessantly about this group and after he passed away Millie found his writings. She took the journal with her to The Body. In it was all of his findings about the group and it disappeared from Millie's apartment. She knew someone from the group had stolen it.

Millie had befriended Francoise investigator, Amara. One day, Millie sent Amara a letter telling her where she was. She also told her where she would be on Wednesday afternoons and she wanted Amara and Francois to meet her there. When Amara met her, she told her all about Francois's plan and Millie was all for it.

Francois's plan was to take the group down. He had been a police officer in his previous life and had enlisted one of his police friends to help him with a takedown. Mark was going to marry Glynnis and the wedding was going to be huge. Francois knew everyone would be there so he planned along with his police friend to take down the leaders there.

This was one of those books that was hard to put down. I commend the author for how well The story was told. And all of the characters were believable. The author did an excellent job crafting them. I was well pleased with this book and I gave it five stars.