Sister Carol Anne O’Marie, Murder at the Monks' Table

Murder at the Monks' Table

Sister Carol Anne O'Marie

Dunne, Jun 2006, $23.95

ISBN: 0312357672

The relatives of Sister Eileen buy her and her friend Sister Mary Helen tickets to attend the Oyster Festival in Ballyclarin, Ireland. The two nuns appreciate the kind gesture and quickly enjoy all types of activities at the gala. They especially gain pleasure meeting some of the local eccentric residents.

The good time comes to an abrupt halt when Sister Mary Helen discovers the murdered body of detested reporter Willie Ward in the ladies' bathroom at the Monk's Table. Detective Inspectors White and Reedy investigate; they quickly learn the victim made many enemies who would want him dead, and from the San Francisco Police department, that the two nuns tend to get involved in homicide investigations (see REQUIEM AT THE REFUGE). Though they caution the Sisters to stay out of their investigation, and both try to adhere to the official warning, Sister Mary Helen and Sister Eileen keep stumbling into the middle of the case.

The killer is obvious, and the clues found by the Sisters are more caused by chance than real investigating, yet readers will love this delightful Irish police procedural-amateur sleuth tale. The storyline is amusing, as the two detectives begin to wonder if the visiting Sisters have heavenly intervention, as they seem to lurch from one clue to another that the cops missed. Fans of the series will enjoy the latest traveling escapades of the Nuns sleuthing on the run.