Bad Faith: A Sister Agatha Mystery [Hardcover]

Aimee Thurlo (Author), David Thurlo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2002

Sister Agatha is one of the two extern nuns in a cloistered order in the Our Lady of Hope Monastery in the New Mexico desert. As an extern, it is her role to be the link between the order and the outside world. On most days, that means picking up supplies in the "Anti-Chrysler," the order's aging, ailing station wagon, providing support to the priest who is the chaplain to the order and dealing with the business of the monastery's scriptorium.

Her not-exactly quiet life is shattered, however, when the order's chaplain, Father Anselm, comes to the monastery to celebrate mass with the nuns but dies suddenly and mysteriously while consecrating the host. The local constabulary, in the person of Sheriff Tom Green, is convinced it was murder and that it was an inside job - that he used to date Sister Agatha many years ago before she took the veil only serves to make her job as extern all the more complicated. Determined to protect the cloistered sisters, yet fearful that the sheriff might well be right about one of them being somehow involved, Sister Agatha must use the skills from her former life and unravel the many puzzles surrounding Father Anselm's death. As the mystery deepens and time is running out, it soon becomes clear that the answer lies closer to Sister Agatha than she could have ever believed.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Have you ever wondered what life in a convent would be like? Welcome to New Mexico's Our Lady of Hope Monastery, home to a small community of cloistered nuns in this beguiling new series opener by the authors of the popular Ella Clah series (Changing Woman, etc.). Sister Agatha is one of the extern sisters, the convent's link to the outside world. She is also the novice mistress, responsible for the spiritual formation of two young women who aspire to the convent's religious life, which revolves around the celebration of Mass and the singing in chapel of the divine office every three hours, day and night. The sisters' peaceful routine is shattered when, at the most solemn moment of the Mass, their chaplain, Father Anselm, drops dead. Summoned with the ambulance, the local sheriff, whom Sister Agatha dated in her pre-convent days, confirms that the priest was poisoned, and the entire cloister is suspect. A former investigative journalist, Sister Agatha is enjoined by her superior to find the murderer. Luckily, she can turn for help in her quest to a retired police dog who adopts her for help in her quest. Lay Catholics curious about convent life will find the details ring true, while even non-Catholics will find themselves caught up in the orderly round of work and prayer. of Second Sunrise: A Lee Nez Novel, the first of a vampire mystery series due later this fall.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* The Thurlo team has already given readers seven acclaimed mysteries starring a strong woman in an unusual job--Ella Clah, Navajo reservation cop. Now they introduce a heroine whose very occupation would seem to prevent her from solving crimes. Sister Agatha is a member of the Sisters of the Blessed Adoration, a New Mexican cloistered community. She is one of two "extern" nuns, giving her some contact with the outside world when she buys groceries and makes frequent trips to salvage the rattletrap monastery car, which she calls the "anti-Chrysler." Sister Agatha is no walled-up innocent, however. Before entering the monastery in her thirties, she worked as an investigative journalist. Her background gets full play after Father Anselm, the monastery's chaplain, suffers an excruciating death in the midst of celebrating Mass, and the toxicology report identifies poison in his bloodstream. The nun springs into action, activating her old skepticism, including even nuns as suspects, clashing with the local sheriff (her boyfriend in her other life), and fully capitalizing on all external opportunities to solve the crime. The Thurlos write with the same grace, savvy, and sense of place that make the Ella Clah mysteries so absorbing. Sister Agatha deserves a place with Father Brown in the gallery of canny religious sleuths. Connie Fletcher
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312290810
• ISBN-13: 978-0312290818
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #664,847 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars strong investigative tale, November 16, 2002

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bad Faith: A Sister Agatha Mystery (Hardcover)

Once she was known as Mary Naughton, an investigative reporter, but a tragic event in her life set her on a new path. She is now known as Sister Agatha an extern nun living in the cloistered monastery of the Sisters of the Blessed Adoration in Bernalillo, New Mexico. She is one of two nuns who have contact with the outside world while the rest of the sisters remain isolated dealing only with one another.

One day when Father Anselm is giving the sacrament to the nuns, he has a seizure and dies. At first everyone thinks he had a heart attack but it isn't long before it is discovered that he has been poisoned. It is unthinkable to Sister Agatha that anybody from the monastery could have done such a horrendous deed but she uses the skills she obtained as a reporter to prove to the police that the nuns are innocent of committing murder.

Readers get an insider's look at a cloistered monastery and will find themselves fascinated by a group of gentle women who have chosen to cut themselves off from the world. The audience will find it very entertaining to see the heroine piece together who did it and why. The Thurlos have another winning series to their credit.

Harriet Klausner

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I maybe wouldn't put this on my favorites list, but..., December 4, 2002

By 

Monica K. Van Ness (Aurora, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Bad Faith: A Sister Agatha Mystery (Hardcover)

"Bad Faith" was interesting enough to hold my attention. I
liked most of the characters - even the sheriff once he stopped
only being angry about the past. The author did a good job
of introducing and explaining bits of things about what goes on
in a convent, and why some women still choose to live the life
of a nun.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great new series!, August 25, 2007

By 

Coppertop (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bad Faith: A Sister Agatha Mystery (St. Martin's Minotaur Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

These two authors have written a number of series, most of which I find very strange, but one of the most recent features Sister Agatha, an extern nun for a cloistered order. These are cozy murder mysteries and I found the first one, Bad Faith, highly enjoyable (haven't gotten around to reading the rest yet). Sister Agatha was a journalism professor before becoming a nun and when a murder brings suspicion to their monastery, the Reverend Mother asks Sister to work with the police to try to keep as much as possible away from the cloister. Sister Agatha and the other nuns of her order (including a novice and a postulant) are all wonderful characters with interesting depths. The story line keeps you interested - both the murder investigation and Sister's own spiritual journey. This is just the kind of book I love - suspense and Christian spirituality teamed with great characters.