False Witness (A Sister Agatha Mystery) [Hardcover]

Aimee Thurlo (Author), David Thurlo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 16, 2007

Our Lady of Hope Monastery can't catch a break. Situated in rural New Mexico, the cloistered monastery squeaks by on donations and various craft and skilled jobs suited to their cloistered, contemplative life. But when a stolen SUV crashes through their outside walls, they are faced with financial demands that far exceed their means. So when a major donor offers a great deal of money for what seems a simple task, they are quick to accept. The very ill John Gutierrez is looking for his estranged niece, believed to be in the area, and having heard of Sister Agatha, the extern nun, and her investigative skills, he turns to them for help. All Sister Agatha has to do is track down the woman, and the monastery's financial worries will be over.
      But nothing is ever as simple as it seems. Sister Agatha's investigation quickly lands her in the midst of a deadly situation, and  it's up to her to uncover the truth before it all takes a deadly turn for everyone involved.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The pallid fourth Sister Agatha mystery from the Thurlo husband-and-wife team (after 2006's Prey for a Miracle) piles on New Mexico smalltown color, but lacks a challenging puzzle. Agatha is an extern-authorized to interact with the outside world-for Our Lady of Hope Monastery, a small community on the cusp of financial ruin. When a drunk driver crashes his SUV into its security gate, the nuns must scramble to find the funds for repairs. Meanwhile, a hacker is disrupting the computer work the community relies upon for much of its income, and the adjacent vineyard may be sold to a developer. Salvation seems at hand when dying millionaire John Guttierez, aware of Agatha's reputation as an amateur investigator, offers her a lucrative payday if she succeeds in tracing his estranged niece. The descriptions of monastic life are compelling, but too-pat miracles and too-simple mysteries will disappoint all but the most devoted series fans. (Oct.)
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Review

"Charming...Sister Agatha, with her winsome ways and no-nonsense faith, is sure to delight readers." --Publishers Weekly on PREY FOR A MIRACLE

 

“Fascinating…[Sister Agatha is] intelligent, deteremined, funny, and deeply religious, yet completely unstuffy, and adds both interest and appeal to this thoughtful mystery series.” --Dallas Morning News on BAD FAITH

 

"THIEF IN RETREAT is a thoroughly absorbing, sharply drawn story with a protagonist who is courageous, intelligent, and endearing. Sister Agatha, with her restored Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and ex-police dog Pax are a dynamic team that's hard to beat... I eagerly await Sister Agatha's next adventure." --Earlene Fowler, author of DELECTABLE MOUNTAINS

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (October 16, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312322127
• ISBN-13: 978-0312322120
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #726,664 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars exciting Sister Agatha who-done it, October 16, 2007

By 

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

This review is from: False Witness (A Sister Agatha Mystery) (Hardcover)

In the Our Lady Of Hope Monastery resides a community of nuns bound by a vow of enclosure which means they have nothing to do with the outside world. Three extern nuns who are not bound by enclosure are the spokeswomen for the monastery and have dealings of all kind with the outside world. Sister Agatha is one of those and her ability to get donations has saved the monastery from going broke on more than one occasion.

They are currently in a financial bind, having won a bid on a computer contract; they are plagued by a hacker who wants them shut down. Their electrical wiring needs fixing before the place burns down and someone crashes through the gate that keeps them secure in their own private world. They don't have the money to pay for repairs but a monastery patron who plans to sell the vineyards that border on the nun's home and bring civilization to their doorsteps makes a deal with them. If Sister Agatha finds and reconciles him with his niece before he dies of cancer who is in hiding after testifying at the trial of a killer and land fraud scammer he will give her the money to fix up the monastery and create a buffer zone between the nun's home and the property he wishes to sell. When something sounds too good to be true it really is.

The latest Sister Agatha mystery is an exciting who-done it that gives a glimpse into the workings of a cloistered monastery that must be financially self-sufficient. Aimee & David Thurlo captures the prescience and serenity as well out the tenseness of community that exists behind the walls of the monastery. There are several layers to the mystery each one getting closer to the truth but it takes a while to peel away each layer to the core that reveals the killer. FALSE MYSTERY is truly a well crafted mystery.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars False Witness, November 9, 2007

By 

PeggyC - See all my reviews

This review is from: False Witness (A Sister Agatha Mystery) (Hardcover)

This is the time of year to curl up next to the fire with a good book. This is the book! Just when you think you know "who dunnit" you don't!! Keep reading, don't read the end first! You will love this book a perfect "cozy". The Thurlo's have written a first rate mystery.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not one of my favorites..., December 17, 2008

By 

Cynthia K. Robertson (beverly, new jersey USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: False Witness (Sister Agatha Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

There aren't too many mysteries that I don't enjoy, but False Witness by Aimee and David Thurlo would not be anywhere near the top of my favorites list. The plot has potential, but there were too many other issues that got in the way.

False Witness takes place in New Mexico, and centers around the Hope Monastery. Sister Agatha is one of the resident nuns, and serves as an extern--one of the few nuns who ventures outside the grounds and deals with outsiders. Sister Agatha is also an amateur sleuth. The monastery is having some financial problems and a number of issues makes things even worse. First, their stone wall is hit by a hit and run driver in a stolen truck. Second, they do contracting work for a mail order company, and their computers have been hacked into and they've been receiving email threats. Finally, the vineyard next door is for sale, and it appears that a developer will build a huge housing project that will threaten the peace and quiet of the monastery. The new vineyard owner, John Gutierrez, claims he is dying and wants to find his long-lost niece. He hires Sister Agatha for the job, pledging money to the monastery and also, a buffer zone between the houses he plans to build. Sister Agatha suspects that Gutierrez might actually be an escaped convict who is a swindler and murderer.

This whole book is a stretch. First, the idea of a nun being a private detective is laughable. We're not talking Brother Cadfael here. Then the entire religious theme gets extremely tiring. False Witness is filled with dialogue like "God won't let us lose this job. The monastery needs rewiring, and we're in a financial hole" or "You'll always have God." It's not that I'm not a religious person, but the authors go way overboard.

The Ella Clah series by the Thurlo's was much better and I might try another one from this series. Unfortunately, Sister Agatha and I will be parting ways.