Murder by Sacrilege [Mass Market Paperback]

Doris R. Meredith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1993

"Don't miss D.R. Meredith's High Plains mysteries. Delightful characters, vast Texas landscapes, dandy yarns."

TONY HILLERMAN

Nobody approved of the preacher's wife--a truck-stop waitress. But when she was found murdered and plunked in the Christmas nativity scene dressed as the Virgin Mary, well that's too much. John Llloyd Branson agrees to defend the seemingly guilty minister, but John Lloyd is stuck with a client who refuses to discuss his actions.

It will all lead to a spectacular courtoorm battle that pits the unflappable Branson against Amarillo's most formidable assistant D.A. And as the minister awaits his destiny, the murky secrets of the Church of the Holy Light are exposed to the bright light of day....

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Rev. David Hailey shocks the folks of Canadian, Tex., by adding a disturbing figure to his church's life-sized, outdoor nativity scene: Amanda, his flirtatious 19-year-old wife, dressed as the Virgin Mary and dead of a head wound from a blunt instrument. Doing this in full view of the church's budget committee is incriminating enough--Amanda was alive and well earlier in the evening--but one churchgoer, Canadian DA Glen Williams, says that after the meeting he saw Hailey pick up a rock and head straight for the parsonage. Williams, as a witness, relinquishes prosecuting duties to Amarillo DA Cleetus "Maximum" Miller, while Hailey is championed by the brilliant, dapper defense attorney John Lloyd Branson and his volatile aide and significant other, Lydia Ann Fairchild. Hailey refuses to discuss his wife's death. As the murder trial progresses, Lydia is astonished to realize that "the Panhandle's would-be Perry Mason" seems to be bungling the defense. Meredith ( Murder by Reference ) effectively makes the courtroom a stage on which tragedy and farce play simultaneously. And if the irascible Lydia wears thin at times, there's always hope she'll grow up before her next appearance.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap

"Don't miss D.R. Meredith's High Plains mysteries. Delightful characters, vast Texas landscapes, dandy yarns."

TONY HILLERMAN

Nobody approved of the preacher's wife--a truck-stop waitress. But when she was found murdered and plunked in the Christmas nativity scene dressed as the Virgin Mary, well that's too much. John Llloyd Branson agrees to defend the seemingly guilty minister, but John Lloyd is stuck with a client who refuses to discuss his actions.

It will all lead to a spectacular courtoorm battle that pits the unflappable Branson against Amarillo's most formidable assistant D.A. And as the minister awaits his destiny, the murky secrets of the Church of the Holy Light are exposed to the bright light of day....

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 45 pages
• Publisher: Fawcett (November 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345376935
• ISBN-13: 978-0099417118
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,156,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fine form, August 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Murder by Sacrilege (Mass Market Paperback)

Excellent combination of mystery, comedy, romance and drama -- with a touch more realism than is comfortable, perhaps. Readers who have followed Lydia and Sgt. Larry Jackson through the course of the John Lloyd Branson series will be pleased as well as surprised at the turns their development reveals. Enjoy!