The Church needed a father. He was still a son.

In the wake of the pandemic, Matt Marduke is still finding his footing—rebuilding his family, his diocese, and a Church that feels increasingly out of step with the world. And then the Pope promotes him, but he can't get to Rome for his cardinal ceremony. He's focused on the work: livestreamed Masses, digital outreach, and holding Nick and Bernie's baby every chance he gets, as if to say, this is who we're doing this for.

But leadership comes at a cost.

As pressure mounts and old power structures push back, Matt begins to find his voice—shaped by the quiet faith of his family, the relentless questions of his sister Katie, and the growing sense that the Church he loves may not survive the future unless it changes.

And just when he thinks he knows what kind of leader he wants to be—the world changes again. A death in Rome. A conclave on the horizon. And a Church that may not be ready for the kind of father he's becoming.
It certainly isn't ready for his sister.

Father is the most intimate and far-reaching installment of the Marduke Manor series yet—a story of legacy, reform, and the quiet courage it takes to lead with love, even when the world isn't ready for it.