Killing Gifts: A Shaker Mystery (Shaker Mysteries) [Mass Market Paperback]

Deborah Woodworth (Author)

Book Description

Series: Shaker Mysteries | Publication Date: February 6, 2001

The Depression's winter gloom has crept into the summerhouse of the Hancock Shaker Village in Massachusetts. The dead body of a woman "of dubious reputation" -- a lost soul befriended by many of the brothers and sisters -- sits at a table in an evening gown, snow swirling around her frozen ankles, her lifeless arms stretched out before her. A frantic call goes out to Kentucky, begging Eldress Rose Callahan to brave the February cold and come East, where her keen eye and peerless deductive powers are needed to help lift a terrible weight from the bereft and dwindling community of Believers. But Sister Rose's arrival is greeted with local suspicion and spreading terror when murder once again scars the gentle village. And as the fury of winter further isolates the small village from its suspicious neighbors, Sister rose and her dear friend Gennie Malone must race to unmask a killer who may be mad enough to keep killing throughout this frigid season of dying.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"(Woodworth) makes accessible the beliefs and behaviors of a little-known group while also spinning a good yarn." -- --Dallas Morning News

"Deborah Woodworth offers mystery readers an excellent novel....[a] Shaker story worth its salt." -- --St. Paul Pioneer Press

About the Author

Deborah Woodworth spent her childhood in southern Ohio near theabandoned sites of several Shaker villages. Before turning to writing, she earned her Ph.D. in Sociology of Religion and spent a decade conducting research and teaching. She lives in New Brighton, Minnesota, near the Twin Cities.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Avon (February 6, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380804263
• ISBN-13: 978-0380804269
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,664,135 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An intriguingly fresh mystery, February 1, 2001

By 

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

This review is from: Killing Gifts: A Shaker Mystery (Shaker Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

At the height of their ascendancy, the Shakers were a large religious sect with communities all over the country. The Shakers were not only celibate, but also insulated themselves from the rest of society. As time moved on, the members died and no new converts joined the movement. By the Great Depression, the membership was so small, the sect hired outsiders to farm the land and manage the stores.

Eldress Rose Callahan receives a request to travel from her home, the North Homage Shaker Village, Kentucky to Hancock Shaker Village, Massachusetts to investigate a homicide. Once Rose, accompanied by her friend Gennie Moline, arrive, they immediately feel the taint of evil. Strange happenings and outbursts from people who have not signed the Convent provide the detecting duo with a plethora of suspects. When another murder occurs, Rose increases her search only to place herself and Gennie in danger.

Deborah Woodworth does a fantastic job of explaining the Shaker religious and philosophical beliefs, and their efforts to survive the dwindling population during the 1930s. The only remnant of this once powerful movement is their hand carved furniture. Within that backdrop interwoven into the plot lies a mystery with many suspects having motives and opportunities. This leaves the reader wondering just who the killer is and that answer occurs when the heroine provides it. The who-done-it of KILLING GIFTS is well orchestrated as with the previous books in this strong historical mystery series, but the gift in this tale and its predecessors is the warm detailed glimpse of a fascinating bygone culture.

Harriet Klausner