The Painter is a novella that spans a quarter century in just over a hundred pages. Based on his experiences as a federal probation officer and Christian, with an evangelical calling, Lopez creates characters and tells stories rooted in the harsh realities of crime and punishment and the miraculous, redemptive power of the love of Christ. Through the eyes and heart of Giordano Bruno (The Painter), a capo in the Patriarca Crime Family of New England, Lopez takes his readers from the dark point of murder, in the name of business, through the halls of justice, imprisonment, depression, and prophetic revelation. There are no excuses for the sins we commit in the name of whatever rationalization or justification we can fathom in our minds. For Gio, it was kill or be killed. However, through an examination of one's life, we can discover explanations for the decisions we make and the actions we take. Through accepting these buried truths, which are often excruciatingly painful, God can help us follow the pathway of his plan for our lives (Jer 29:11) if we allow him to use them (Rom 8:28) for the good of all things.
