W hen Ray Parker dies unexpectedly in Bethulia Park Hospital, his suspicious family launch a campaign for justice. They recruit the young and idealistic hospital chaplain Father Calvin Baines to find a beautiful nurse who might unmask the doctor they believe is guilty of murder. When Emerald Essien enters his life, the priest finds his high principles are put to the test in a way that drives him to the edge of despair as he is propelled into a dark world of sexual obsession, danger and death …

Sex, Drugs, and Doctor Death ~ The Imaginative Conservative

Dr Ashenden speaks to S.P. Caldwell about some of his characters and they discuss literary inspirations and writing style. Caldwell also reads exclusively from the book for the first time in public. The book, due to published by Gracewing later this month, has been described as a “wonderful” psychological thriller underpinned by Catholic themes. It tells the story of a young and idealist priest who is pitched into a dark world of sexual obsession, danger and death when he becomes embroiled in a campaign to unmask a murderous doctor. Dr Gavin Ashenden talks to the journalist Simon Caldwell about his debut novel, The Beast of Bethulia Park, in this 21st episode of Merely Catholic, the podcast series for The Catholic Herald. This novel aptly summarises the grisly reality of euthanasia beyond public debates about “compassion” and “dignity”. On this earth and Caldwell’s fictional one, the beasts are roaming far beyond Bethulia Park.Enthusiastic and creative English teacher with a passion for literature, communication and writing. Green likes to present himself in this way.It is how he sees himself.In a recent interview with the Guardian, he brushed off objections to the sexually explicit language in his children’s books as ‘a convenient excuse for homophobia’. Canadian Catholic novelist Randy Boyagoda spoke of wanting to write his novels in the “here and now.” Caldwell manages that, placing his characters firmly in the here and now Britain of gamers, pornography, Tesco grocery stores and the NHS.

The Beast of Bethulia Park - CMQ Book Review: The Beast of Bethulia Park - CMQ

The Beast of Bethulia Park is a gripping psychological novel with Catholic themes but is also a wonderful thriller in its own right. Caldwell is an exciting new voice with a journalist's eye for crime detail and medical research. The priest belongs in the top literary gallery of priest protagonists who are all too human and find themselves up against clerical authority. A major new talent has arrived.” William Cash Strategic copywriter and speechwriter for companies, public figures and leaders at the top of their game. Ex-Daily Mail Foreign Desk. Green and those like him are not serving the interests of free speech and expression, but are imperilling it. Most of us are very wary of censorship but if we are going to avoid it authors and publishers have a duty to behave responsibly, especially when it involves children. Need cheering up? Then get down to the Campbell Room of St John's Church, Standishgate, Wigan, on Friday June 9 where from 7pm I'll be speaking for 45 minutes about 'the 21st century Catholic novel' - and a bit about my own debut novel, The Beast of Bethulia Park ( https://amzn.eu/d/6CYOyvb). Q&A and refreshments to follow. All are welcome.Journalist Simon Caldwell’s debut novel The Beast of Bethulia Park might just be the most believable thriller on our shelves this year. Indeed, for the archdiocese to fail to halt the promotion of such materials on its premises would have been a gross dereliction of duty. But don’t expect the mainstream media to tell you that. Areas of Catholic Herald business are still recovering post-pandemic. The magazine is now reaching many UK parishes and its globals subscription base continues to rise. The young journalist is repelled by the way that the nurses are flirting with the dashing young doctor, forgetful of the fact that they are in a courtroom, “the little coquettes, joking and laughing with him as he settled into their midst, batting their eyelashes and giggling playfully as he held court, those closest to him leaning into him with their breasts.” She is repelled but she is also feeling an uncomfortable attraction and is embarrassed when Klein glances up and catches her staring at him. Dr Klein is instantly discernible as a wrong ’un, with his snotty remarks to the hospital chaplain about the hospital “not being a religious playground”. Father Baines should have retorted that modern hospitals were invented by medieval monks.