Soon after publishing his first murder mystery, “Murder in a Small Town,” in November 2017, Don Lawrence began thinking of a sequel using the same characters in the same town.

“I figured that I knew a lot about churches and being a pastor, so that was the direction I went with the storyline,” said Lawrence, retired pastor of Christ’s Church of Fountain Hills.

“Murder in a Small Town Church” was published earlier this month.

Amazon’s synopsis of the paperback novel reads:

“Who would murder a church pastor? Furthermore, why would anyone murder one of the most respected pastors in the small town?

“The list of suspects grows as the Chief of Police, Frederick Earl, investigates the shocking murder of First Church Pastor, Todd Pierce. The brutal mode of the homicide has the chief wondering what clues are hidden in the execution. The investigation leads the chief and his officers through a series of interviews including other pastors, church members, those hostile toward the church, trespassers, protestors, loyal church members and others.

“Will the murderer strike again before the case is solved? Are other pastors and priests in the small town potential victims? Was more than one person involved in the murder?”

The paperback sells for $10.99. A Kindle version is available for $3.99.

The story is a work of fiction although Lawrence selected names of people he knows for the characters. Readers may be intrigued to read the blended names of local pastors, such as Todd Pierce, Bill Bergeson and Trent Pavia.

As an avid reader of biographies, historical fiction, Westerns, war stories, sports stories and murder mysteries, Lawrence said he wondered if he could write a mystery, which led to his first novel.

“I hadn’t originally planned on publishing it, but as individuals heard that I was writing a murder mystery, many began to ask if they could read it once I had finished it,” said Lawrence.

Self-publishing through Amazon made it convenient to make the book available and accessible to those who were interested.

In addition to the two murder mysteries, Lawrence published a daily devotional, “Lessons from Life: 52 Short Devotionals,” in March 2018.

He is completing a second devotional book for publication. A book of 52 communion meditations, “Remembering Jesus,” will be published sometime this spring.

He currently is working on a Bible commentary on the Book of Revelation. A third murder mystery may be on tap, but not this year.

A photograph of an actual church in Wabeno, Wisconsin is the cover photo of the current novel.

Publishing his books has become a family effort with his wife and daughters, along with a few friends, proofing and editing.

Daughter Andrea was the graphic designer for the cover. Daughter Michelle formatted and uploaded the manuscript to Amazon.

In 1984, Lawrence became the founding pastor at Christ’s Church, where he served until his retirement in 2017.