IMPERFECT ACTS draws a middle-class family into a torrent of moral conflict, family upheaval, and murder. Jason, the teenage son, wants to become a priest, but is also in love with Cari, the girl next door. His almost idyllic existence disintegrates when his father witnesses a murder. Jason begins to question his beliefs, but is most disturbed when Cari's life may be threatened. What can he do when his faith and his sense of justice collide? The novel paints a dark canvas as it questions our concepts of right and wrong. It also portrays a rich tapestry of courage, loyalty and the sustaining value of love. IMPERFECT ACTS by Peter Shianna is a profound yet fast-paced and gripping novel evocative of the classics of modern literature, including Theodore Dreiser's AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY and Graham Greene's A BURNT-OUT CASE. Shianna masterfully interweaves the themes of young love, evil, religious faith, and insanity. This superbly crafted novel is a must read for anyone interested in the best new American fiction. Malcolm McConnell, New York Times number-one bestselling author of AMERICAN SOLDIER A young man of faith accepts good and evil as opposing intellectual principles until tragedy turns philosophical debate into a crucible. In that crucible he discovers that his faith requires action while his religion demands a passivity he cannot accept. Sarah Nell Summers, PhD. IMPERFECT ACTS is a novel of the interplay of good and evil-and their cost. Mitchell Smith, Author