Wednesday, July 29, 2015

A Shameful Murder: A Reverend Mother mystery by Cora Harrison

Reverend Mother Aquinas never expected to find a dead body at the gate of the convent chapel and she certainly didn't expect it to be tied to her past.  She was seventy now and had left that world behind.  But it hasn't left her behind...

Severn House and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published September 1st, so you can snag a copy then.

Nuns have always fascinated me.  I went to a parochial school (St. Joseph's in Chehalis, WA) and our teachers were nuns.  They always wore these strange uniforms, were staid and steadfast, and you never got away with anything.  Most were very intelligent women and I learned a lot from them.  So when this nun is involved with this case, I knew it was going to be a fun read for me despite the murder.

The young woman is identified as the daughter of a monied man.  When the police check into the matter, they find that the woman was just about of age to collect her inheritance, which would have left her father and brother destitute.  The assumption is that of them has killed her.  Reverend Mother isn't so certain, though.

First she discovers that while the young woman resembles the daughter, she's not.  She's a prostitute's child and was fathered by that fine society man who "lost" his daughter.  That adds a whole new angle to the case.  She also locates the missing girl because of her knowledge about the past.

The nun goes back in history and drags out facts to support her suppositions.  I was amazed at who the killer was.  The guilty party was not even on my list of suspects!

When the killer is identified, he commits suicide.  The police superintendent just lets it die a quiet death so it won't become a big news item and embarrass people.  I'm glad the nun knows an independent journalist.  It won't be under the rug for long...

I like this new team of nun, retired doctor and an up and coming young detective.  They make a mean team (and eat lots of pastries).  I hope to read more in this series.

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