Reviewed by Lucinda E Clarke for Readers' Favorite

Saint Joseph by J. Salvatore Domino takes a fresh look at investigative journalism. As a young boy, David Kern St. Joseph was a nerd; he read books while others of his age in Cleveland pursued girls, dances, and bars. Disappointing his parents by attending college far from home, Joseph was inspired by his professor to adopt the Hypothesis-Based Inquiry into producing articles that were thoroughly researched and impeccably true. He was determined to be successful. In pursuit of a story, he accompanies Melinda Donne into the jungles of Pakistan, but bows out and runs back to the US. He works hard on stories that bring him recognition, and then he falls for Marjorie Sykes, who travels the country raising money for worthy causes. Their love affair suffers several setbacks due to distance, misunderstandings, and is further complicated when an innocent man, related to Marjorie, is accused of murder.

Journalism is having a hard time these days, thus I was reassured to read about Hypothesis-Based Inquiry, a scientific approach where researchers formulate testable predictions and dig deeper into the real facts of a story. Freelancer D.K. St. Joseph, the hero of J. Salvatore Domino’s book Saint Joseph, follows this route. Many other themes are included; Joseph is white, and his love, Marjorie, is black, and he handles this really well against a backdrop of racism. Long-distance relationships are explored, as we wonder if their love story will ever survive. There is tension as a murder takes place, dragging Joseph into an investigation he is unwilling to cover; his work focuses on uncovering corruption and politics. An extra thread is from Melinda in Northern Ireland, including some interesting background on the troubles there. Altogether, it is an enjoyable read, with minimal sex and violence, which will keep you turning the pages. A book I enjoyed and one that will appeal to readers who like to learn as well as enjoy a good story.