Customer Reviews

In St. Patrick's Custody (A Patrick and Grace Mystery, Book 1)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
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In St. Patrick's Custody, by born storyteller Janet Elaine Smith, introduces us to Grace Johnson, a diminutive and quirky senior sleuth with a down-to-earth attitude and considerable spunk. Grace calls on her life experience and innate keenness to delightful advantage as she confronts potentially deadly mysteries, all the while fighting a personal battle of high stakes. Not a moment too soon, Grace finds a perfect sleuthing partner in redoubtable "retired" New York City detective Patrick O'Mally, with whom she forms a vibrant relationship. Readers in search of a mystery that delivers a lump in the throat along with a pleasurable zing of suspense and discovery should consider picking up this heartwarming novel.

(Review by Jimmy Fox, author of Deadly Pedigree, Lineages and Lies, and Jackpot Blood)

Grace Johnson, recently widowed New York City housewife, sits on a bench in Central Park each day and feeds the birds. Retired cop Patrick O'Mally comes to the park daily, too. Is it coincidence that just before Grace's children decide to put "mother" into a rest home, these two finally introduce themselves - and it's an instantaneous CLICK? Or is it just everything going according to plan?

I'm not a mystery reader, and that's probably because I'm not fond of formula books. But I have read and enjoyed two of Janet Elaine Smith's historicals, so I ordered IN ST. PATRICK'S CUSTODY fully expecting a good read.

I was not a bit disappointed. This "mystery without the cliches" is gently told, and filled with characters whose human foibles make them real. It's also (dare I say this, or will I scare someone away?) a curiously inspirational tale. While the author never preaches, and never allows her characters to do so, either, their faith in the Higher Power watching over their lives comes through loud and clear.

Threaded through the book, also, is another theme dear to my heart: that life for the aging Grace Johnsons and Patrick O'Mally's of this world is far from over. Their love story, and (running parallel to it) Grace's discovery that she can make a satisfying life of her own after years of being simply "wife and mother," are the tale's most memorable elements.

Grace Johnson was an unlikely candidate to be involved in solving a mystery. Grace was an elderly woman whose children wanted to put her away in a nursing home after the death of her husband, James. Grace decided that there was still some life in the old girl yet and that she wasn't quite ready to be sent to an old folk's home. She ran away from her children and her empty life. Grace ended up in a New York City homeless shelter where she found happiness in being needed.

Patrick O'Mally was an ex New York City policeman with a grudge, a grudge against the Vince Bellazoni who had killed in his son. He was also a very lonely man since his wife, Margaret, died. Meeting Grace Johnson was the best thing that had happened to him in a long time.

Someone tried to poison Father O'Brien. Who would try to kill such a beloved old priest? Someone stole the statue of St. Patrick from St. Patrick's Cathedral. Who would stoop so low as to do such a thing? Was that really a leprechaun that Grace kept seeing every time she saw that poor dirty little homeless girl? Did Vince Bellazoni really kill Patrick's son?

In Saint Patrick's Custody by Janet Elaine Smith is a lighthearted mystery chock full of surprises, twists and turns. Read along and be delighted by the story of Patrick and Grace as they try to solve the mysteries - and end up falling in love along the way.

***

Reviewed by Kristie Leigh Maguire, author of Emails from the Edge, Desert Triangle, co-author of No Lady and Her Tramp and contributor to Calliope's Mousepad...

If you haven't met Patrick and Grace yet, In St. Patrick's Custody, is the perfect place to be introduced. It's the first book in Janet Elaine Smith's Patrick and Grace series. Ok; think funny, touching, and a retired NYCDP cop in one novel. Then add Grace, a priest and a homeless shelter. Mix in a little girl who seems to be on her own, an old unsolved murder, and a missing statue. What do you get? Another great cozy mystery by Janet Elaine Smith. Be sure to catch her other books, too!

Grace Johnson, recently widowed New York City housewife, sits on a bench in Central Park each day and feeds the birds. Retired cop Patrick O'Mally comes to the park daily, too. Is it coincidence that just before Grace's children decide to put "mother" into a rest home, these two finally introduce themselves - and it's an instantaneous CLICK? Or is it just everything going according to plan?

I'm not a mystery reader, and that's probably because I'm not fond of formula books. But I have read and enjoyed two of Janet Elaine Smith's historicals, so I ordered IN ST. PATRICK'S CUSTODY fully expecting a good read.

I was not a bit disappointed. This "mystery without the cliches" is gently told, and filled with characters whose human foibles make them real. It's also (dare I say this, or will I scare someone away?) a curiously inspirational tale. While the author never preaches, and never allows her characters to do so, either, their faith in the Higher Power watching over their lives comes through loud and clear.

Threaded through the book, also, is another theme dear to my heart: that life for the aging Grace Johnsons and Patrick O'Mallys of this world is far from over. Their love story, and (running parallel to it) Grace's discovery that she can make a satisfying life of her own after years of being simply "wife and mother," are the tale's most memorable elements.

I knew I was going to like Grace Johnson the minute I met her in Janet Elaine Smith's Partick and Grace mystery series. These books are warm and human with real people and intriguing mysteries. I hope they keep coming and highly recommend them to everyone who enjoys a good read. They're fun!

Grace is afraid her daughter is about to put her in a nursing home, so she runs away. Her friend Patrick puts her in a homeless shelter so her children can't find her. She's not sure if her sons are in on it or not, but doesn't want to take a chance.

Thus begins the adventure of her lifetime. She and Patrick go to the park almost every day. They begin seeing a child that appears homeless, but she won't let them get near. They leave her food as often as they can.

Grace also makes many friends at the shelter, including Mr. Douglas who runs it. He used to be a priest until he met his wife. Grace gets off to a shaky start with Anne Douglas. Anne feels threatened by Grace and tends to make life unbearable at times.

The St. Patrick's statue is stolen from a nearby church. Patrick is asked to help find it. Patrick is a retired New York Detective. Grace insists that he let her help him. She has an idea that she might know where the statue is.

There is something in Patrick's past that still haunts him. Grace is determined to find out what it is and to try to help him get past it.

They have many adventures, some fun and some dangerous, as they try to unravel the mysteries.

This is the first book in this series that I have read. It is a very delightful mystery and so easy to read. I look forward to reading more in this series.

Grace is the type of person you would want to invite over for dessert if she lived in your neighborhood. Who couldn't like her!

Janet Elaine Smith has created wonderful characters and such a terrific setting. I highly recommend this book.

Janet Elaine Smith Does It Again!
How does she do it? How does she write so many books whose popularity is global? What makes people she does not know send her a post card from a location from which one of her novels take place (Dunnottar)?
Well, recently I made the time to read In St. Patrick's Custody, by Janet Elaine Smith who has written Dunnttar, and is currently translating her romance novel Pampas into Spanish. In the last three years, she has penned twelve books each of which have fluidity of language and wonderful character development.
In, St. Patrick's Custody this talent captures us and allows us to look in on two people who might otherwise be seen as average. These characters who are each filled with humanity, dignity and independence become the main characters in what is affectionately know as The Pat and Grace Mysteries.
The story opens with Grace, a widow, who enjoys feeding the birds and going to St. Patrick's Cathedral. One day Grace overhears her neighbor's conversation with her daughter. During this eavesdropping, Grace discovers that this neighbor is planting the ugly seed of her incompetence into the mind of her daughter.
Grace is understandably angry. Although she lives alone, she has become comfortable with her routine. She fears that the guilt her children may feel about living at a distance may cause them to yield to the misinformation this busy body that has no right to interfere in her life is sharing. There is also the minor point that she is not incompetent. Distracted, she goes out to look at what real options are available to her. If her children were to decide she needed to be "somewhere" safe, well she guessed it could all be arranged.
It is on this morning that Grace goes out to feed the birds and meets Patrick, a retired policeman. Despite Grace's reluctance, Patrick convinces her to see him march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade. The next day, she goes to the parade and sees him marching proudly in his uniform. What she did not expect was for him to usher her into the parade and even less that her daughter would happen to be watching the parade with her in it!
This is a warm and beautifully crafted mystery that begins with the worry of pending incompetence to a little girl with a dirty puppy to the vision of an elf and a secret in Patrick's past. Both Patrick and Grace discover her penchant for solving mysteries just by Grace being Grace- a grandmotherly type everyone cannot help but trust. Carefully woven is the story of how everyone is inter-connected and how Grace finds her future and true self within her independence.
Most poignant is the grandmother turned Cinderella and the truth that romance and youth are not just for the young. This is a book that , after reading, gave me a very fulfilling sigh.

This is a must read feel-good-book! Regardless of your age, you are guaranteed a wonderful read. So sit back, enjoy and redefine retirement in a totally unique way!

Cate Cavanagh, Author, Gifts Of The Spirit, ISBN 1-59286-876-2, amazon.com

Widowed Grace Johnson is content to spend her golden years feeding the birds in Central Park and pursuing a friendship with retired policeman Patrick O'Mally, though in the back of her mind there is always a sense of emptiness and a yearning for self-worth. Her children want to banish her to a rest home, themselves content with satisfying obligations at holidays and weddings. As out of touch as the Johnson brood is with their mother, they are more than surprised when Grace takes drastic measures to preserve her freedom -- namely running away from home to a homeless shelter.

It is at the shelter where Grace's life is renewed, with new friends, a new job, and growing self-confidence which comes from doing the Lord's work, as Grace might say. When a prized statue of St. Patrick is stolen for her home church and its pastor poisoned, a sense of adventure is sparked in Grace, not to mention curiosity, particularly every time would-be suitor Patrick tenses at the mention of a possible suspect. She comes to find that still waters -- and danger -- do run deep.

Janet Elaine Smith has created an endearing amateur sleuth in Grace Johnson, who sharpens with charm as the story progresses. As far as mystery goes, the storyline is a bit thin, and the abrupt disappearance of Grace's children in the first third of the book was a slight disappointment. I would like to have seen more development in that particular sub-plot, as Grace's interaction with other characters in In St. Patrick's Custody is certainly a strong element in this novel.

"In St. Patrick's Custody" is a novel rich in characters. Grace is a widow with grown children, quite ready for new adventures, and fleeing from the possibility of being placed into a home for old people. Patrick is a reluctant retiree from the New York Police Department. Mikki is a poor little orphan living on the streets and very good at disappearing. Shawn is a midget, who could easily be mistaken for a Leprechaun. Father O'Brien is a well loved priest who very nearly dies from rat poison. The place is New York City, with St. Patrick's Cathedral, Central Park, and a shelter for the homeless. Mixed together they all play a part in a thriller, written by a church friend of us all, Janet Elaine Smith. It's a mystery full of puzzles to be solved, wrongs to be set right, and even a bit of a love story. Try it and see.