A Matter of Time (Faith Abbey Mystery Series, Book 3) [Hardcover]

David Manuel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2002

David Manuel's third installation in the acclaimed Faith Abbey Mystery Series follows A Matter of Roses (2000) and A Matter of Diamonds (2001). In the latest addition, A Matter of Time, monastic sleuth Brother Bartholomew takes a personal retreat in Bermuda to unravel a deep-seated spiritual crisis of his own, but soon finds himself untangling a bizarre murder mystery involving a local fisherman.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Though this third installment of Manuel's Faith Abbey series isn't as smoothly paced as last year's A Matter of Diamonds, fans of Cape Cod monk Brother Bartholomew will enjoy seeing his character unfold. In Bermuda for a long-overdue spiritual retreat, Brother Bartholomew stumbles onto a murder involving an international drug ring and must join with his old pal, Eastport (Mass.) chief of police Dan Burke (who also happens to be vacationing in Bermuda), to solve the mystery. As usual, Manuel offers a marvelous sense of place, evoking the sultry beauty of Bermuda as readily as he has the windswept landscape of Cape Cod. Manuel clearly knows the world of competitive ocean sailing, so the novel's backdrop the high-stakes competition of Bermuda's annual Gold Cup Regatta comes alive. He also provides a richly textured spiritual crisis for Brother Bartholomew, who spends the first half of the novel coming to terms with his growing distance from God. The book's greatest strength is the time Manuel takes with its key characters. However, this can also be a weakness; apart from a thrill-ridden and murderous second chapter, the plot doesn't really gain momentum for a full hundred pages. A subplot about a failing marriage turns out to have little relevance for the overall story, and the climax which involves a chase scene on the high seas during a tropical storm is predictable.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Normally at home in the abbey on Cape Cod, Brother Bartholomew (A Matter of Roses, A Matter of Diamonds) winds up in Bermuda during a sailing regatta. Unfortunately, he takes part in a horrible murder investigation that becomes his worst nightmare. For most collections.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Paraclete Press (MA); First Edition edition (October 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557253056
• ISBN-13: 978-1557253057
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,178,746 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Matter of Time: A Faith Abbey Mystery, April 20, 2006

By 

Patricia I. Langston "book worm" (Hillsborough, NC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Matter of Time (Faith Abbey Mystery Series, Book 3) (Hardcover)

Of greater interest to the reader with knowledge of Bermuda and sailing than to one who values subtle writing. The plot and characters are disappointingly transparent.