Prey for a Miracle (A Sister Agatha Mystery) [Hardcover]

Aimee Thurlo (Author), David Thurlo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 13, 2006

Sister Agatha is an extern nun in the cloistered order at the Our Lady of Hope Monastery near a small New Mexican desert town. As such, Sister Agatha is the link between her cloistered sisters and the outside world. Usually this means running errands in the monastery's slowly dying car (dubbed the Anti-Chrystler) or their motorcycle, with Pax, the order's German Shepard, in the side car. But sometimes it means something a bit more -- like now when the diocese is upset by reports of a young girl whose parents claim is receiving visitations from the Virgin Mary and providing insight into future events.

Wanting neither to ignore a real miracle, nor give credence to what might be merely an attempt to defraud the faithful, they ask Sister Agatha to investigate. But her inquires are soon complicated when the girl herself disappears, apparently having been kidnapped, and Sister Agatha will need more than faith to bring her home.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the Thurlos' charming but imperfect third cozy involving New Mexico's Our Lady of Hope Monastery (after 2004's Thief in Retreat), Sister Agatha is charged with looking after Natalie, an eight-year-old whose mother lies in a coma after a bad car wreck. Sister Agatha and her buddy, Sheriff Tom Green, suspect that the wreck was no accident—someone is after Natalie and her mom. If protecting a precocious little girl isn't enough to manage, Sister Agatha is also burdened by her convent's financial problems. The order is short on cash and needs to replace the roof, a subplot actually more engaging than the somewhat thin mystery surrounding Natalie and her mom's stalker. Indeed, the Thurlos could have provided a more plausible lineup of suspects and a less predictable ending. Still, Sister Agatha, with her winsome ways and no-nonsense faith, is sure to delight readers. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School–This squeaky clean and straightforward suspense story is the third in a series featuring one of the extern (that is, public-meeting) nuns in a contemplative monastery in New Mexico. Sister Agatha, who drives a Harley with a sidecar that is frequently inhabited by either her former police dog, Pax, or Sister Bernarda, a former Marine, regularly lends assistance to the local sheriff. In this outing, a little girl who insists that she can see angels must go into hiding at the monastery after her mother is badly injured in a suspicious car accident. Subplots include the nuns entering the baking business to pay for their new roof, a tabloid news reporters trying to track down the child because of her putative connection to angels, and an ex-con from a previous case that Sister Agatha cracked. The pace is sprightly and rides along on the waves of almost-probable events. There are plenty of admirable characters who will appeal to teens who like old-fashioned cozies or inspirational fiction. The lives of the contemplative sisters are portrayed realistically and accessibly, adding a dimension for those who may wonder what such a life must be like in the modern world. Readers dont need to know or care about Catholicism in order to be engaged by Sister Agathas adventures or the ethical issues that she and other characters raise.–Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (June 13, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312322100
• ISBN-13: 978-0312322106
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,754,306 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great ecclesial mystery, June 17, 2006

By 

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

This review is from: Prey for a Miracle (A Sister Agatha Mystery) (Hardcover)

Jessica's daughter Natalie claims she sees an angel who stopped a car that was about to run over a man in a wheelchair. The angel Samera told Jessica that her friend's house was in danger and if her friend wasn't watching, the house would have burned to the ground. The angel was right. Natalie made no secret of having an angel always by her side but the resulting media attention and the people begging Natalie to perform a miracle for them wore mother and daughter down. Threatening letters and phone calls made Jessica realize they would need to move if they are to have a peace.

Jessica is on her way to her brother, a priest's church to give him something when a pick-up runs them off the road. Jessica is injured but before she falls into a coma, she tells Natalie to run. After an extreme search, Sister Agatha finds Natalie and brings her to the monastery as a safety precaution. Agatha vows to protect her at all costs while she tries to find the person who injured Jessica and who is seeking Natalie.

This is the best book in the Sister Agatha series and one of the best books the Thurlos have written. Readers see how the nuns believe God watches over them at the same time Sister Agatha has to deal with the outside world in order to help Natalie who might actually see angels. Her faith allows her to take risks confident that God is with her. She is the one who figures out who the criminal is but not before he kidnaps Natalie and puts her in danger. PREY FOR A MIRACLE is a great ecclesial mystery reminiscent of the Father Dowling who done its.

Harriet Klausner

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Flawed But Enjoyable, November 6, 2006

By 

Louis N. Gruber "Author of Jay" (Lexington, SC United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prey for a Miracle (A Sister Agatha Mystery) (Hardcover)

Sister Agatha is one of the externs in a contemplative religious order, that is a nun who conducts the monastery's business affairs with the outside world. Natalie is an eight year old girl who says she sees (and converses with) an angel named Samara. Jessica Tannen is Natalie's struggling single mother. Father Mahoney is Jessica's brother and Natalie's uncle. Pax is the monastery's dog.

All these improbable characters and many more are drawn together in a whirlwind of complicated events after Jessica is run off the road in a violent hit-and-run accident that may not have been an accident. The last thing she tells Natalie is to run and hide. Natalie ends up in the monastery where the sisters try to keep her hidden and safe while solving the "case" of her mother's accident.

There's a lot more, so I won't try to explain all the sub-plots. Let's just say it will keep you turning pages. Authors Aimee and David Thurlo do a good job keeping the reader interested and engaged with an enormous cast of characters and ever thickening intrigue. The writing is a bit ragged and the characters hard to keep straight. The authors talk a lot about the contemplative silence in the convent, but the sisters are surprisingly chatty and busy, even when they're not sleuthing. Still, with all its flaws, this is a fun, light-hearted read and I recommend it. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thurlo does it again, August 22, 2006

By 

Dottie P. "read all night" (Carrollton, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prey for a Miracle (A Sister Agatha Mystery) (Hardcover)

Another top notch mystery by the Thurlos. Sister Agatha and the other nuns of Our Lady of Hope (located in the desert of New Mexico) save an eight year old girl who sees angels and seems to have the power to heal. The nuns, including Sister Bernarda (an ex-marine),innocent Sister de Lourdes and, of course, Reverand Mother, use their wits to protect the child, hiding her among them. Pax, the nun's German shepherd, the nun's old motorcycle with its useful sidecar, and the monestary's broken down car known, affectionately, as the anti-Chrysler all play their parts.