Customer Reviews

A Very Private Grave (The Monastery Murders)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A Very Private Grave by Donna Fletcher Crow is the first book in the Monastery Murders. Felicity Howard is studying for her Anglican priesthood at a monastery in Yorkshire when her beloved friend Father Dominic is found brutally murdered in his room and another monk, Father Antony is standing over him covered in blood. When the authorities naturally suspect Antony, his superior orders him to flee with Felicity to discover what treasure that Dominic had discovered on his recent pilgrimage had caused his murder. The two retrace his path and that of St Cuthbert's body across northern England in hopes of finding the murderer and maybe even a treasure, while Felicity tries to forget that her traveling partner just may be a murder. Readers looking for a fast-paced treasure hunt will be disappointed with this book; The DaVinci Code it ain't. But readers who love a good historical yarn mixed with modern day suspense will fall in love with Crow's quiet and cerebral writing. Much of the book is a fascinating retelling of the mysterious life of Saint Cuthbert, as well as the travels of his body, which were even more fascinating! Antony is a tortured character with a secret past that haunts him in his interactions with Felicity. She is a smart and beautiful heroine who doesn't always have the best instincts when it comes to men. This intelligent writer has the potential to write a terrific series.

Donna Crow is the author of more than 35 novels and a member of The Arts Centre Group and Sisters in crime. I was not at all disappointed by this fast paced treasure hunt. This is the first book in the Monastery Murders series, Her descriptions of the English and Scottish settings were very impressive.
It is a contemporary novel with a thoroughly modern heroine learning ancient truths to solve the mystery and save her own life. Lovers of both British and church history will be pleased with the author's knowledge of the subject. Felicity Howard is a young American, studying at the college of the Transfiguration in Yorkshire and she is devastated to find her beloved Fr. Dominic bludgeoned to death and her church history lecturer, Fr. Antony, soaked in his blood. There is plenty of suspension, intellectual puzzles, romance, and both modern and ancient clues.

Felicity was quite naive, I found her heading off without thinking of her possible danger and falling in love a bit too quickly but other than that I found the characters in the book to be fairly well drawn.
The book is a fascinating retelling of Saint Cuthbert life and dreams. I was quite interesting in the church history but if you are not, you might find the scripture and quotations to be a bit much. They were necessary to the plot, and I found myself caught up in the saga. I am not a mystery reader usually so I can only speak for myself. I would consider reading the sequel "The Darkly hidden truth" and I think the book fills a nitch in the church library fiction collection that is not present.

Donna Crow is a lifelong Anglophile and history buff, most of her 30 books deal with British Christianity so she knows her material. She lives in Boise Idaho and has often traveled to Britain and Scotland on research trips and pilgrimages. Be prepared to enjoy her writing and the mystery of the unraveling mystery.

Donna Fletcher Crow's A VERY PRIVATE GRAVE has Felicity Howard and Father Anthony traveling across England in search of a brutal killer. Who hated Father Dominci, a gentle man hunting funds to establish a hospital for children with AIDS in Africa?
Felicity is an American student at the Anglo-Catholic College of Transfiguration and Father Anthony is her church history professor. A more unsuitable pair of sleuths hunting for clues is not found in modern mystery fiction. Felicity is head strong and obstant in her convictions. Father Anthony is hesitant and questions each of his actions. Though neither will stand aside from the challenge forced upon them. Both are innocent when faced with the forces of evil which does not let anyone block their path.
Father Dominci, before his death, gave Felicity a small travel note book filled up his jotting and the expenses incurred on a recent retreat. Following his path may result in their own demise if they cannot out wit a killer who also following a trail steeped in the early church history of England.
This was my third Kindle read and I kept flipping the next page button, though I had to pull an old copy of KINGS, RULERS AND STATESMEN from my shelves to check names and dates.
Nash Black, author of Indie finalists WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS and HAINTS.

In A Very Private Grave, the first book of The Monastery Murders, a young American, Felicity Howard, is studying to become a priest at the College of the Transfiguration in Yorkshire. Her beloved Fr. Dominic is brutally bludgeoned to death, descending Felicity into devastation. However, shortly before Fr. Dominic is murdered, he stops to see Felicity and gives her a gift, which she thinks is a book of his poems.

Felicity's church history lecturer, Fr. Antony, is found with Fr. Dominic's blood dripping from his hands.

Later, while Fr. Antony and Felicity are going over the `gift book,' which is actually Fr. Dominic's itinerary of his last pilgrimage, they are told to flee, as the police are looking to arrest him. They are thrust into a search to find the treasure Fr. Dominic alludes to, eluding the police, and finding the murderer(s).

I loved the way Donna mixed the narrative style of writing into her storyline, delineating the ancient history of the church through Fr. Antony, who is literally a `walking history book.' She intertwines murder, stalking, ancient historical puzzles, romance, and the search to find the murder(s) and clues, which keeps you as intrigued, frustrated and frazzled as her characters, wondering how the puzzle pieces fit together. In fact, it ended too abruptly, as I was expecting to read more about the main characters. She definitely has you wondering who had the motive and opportunity to bludgeon Fr. Dominic, and why!

There are a few things I did not like, such as insinuating that St. Cuthbert was the `Holy One who would not see corruption,' as that pertains to Jesus Christ in the Scriptures, as well what constitutes a saint, which does not agree with what I see in Scripture. Some of the ancient history bogged me down, but it was necessary to work out the plot.

That said, I wouldn't hesitate to read additional books she writes in The Monastery Murders series!

Special thanks to Donna Fletcher Crow for sending me a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

An excellent mystery thriller with several different twists to the plot. I liked how Felicity was presented as a student who was actually more interested in the aspects of saving the world than in learning about God like so many people of today. I also liked that Father Antony was given to uncertainty, a very human failure often overlooked in the traits of priests. The book was full of ancient history about St. Cuthbert, the early history of the church and the myths developed over the years around the travels of his body. As a first book it certainly sets the stage for the series.

Death. History. Present. Unforgettable characters. Those are some of the things that make up this start to a new series by Donna Fletcher Crow, an extremely talented author. I loved reading this novel. The only down side I had was the very first page, the prologue. It sort of dragged a bit. But once I got past the prologue and on to the first chapter, Donna had me captured and pulled into the center of this awesome book right along side the characters. I felt a part of the story as if Donna had created me as a character.

Felicity is an amazing character. She really drew me in from the start, with her wit and her grit. She was all set to take on solving the mysterious puzzle of what happened to Fr. Dominic, her best friend and mentor at her college in England. Fr. Antony, who is being pinned as a suspect in the murder of Fr. Dominic, is partnered with Felicity as they travel this journey across the lands, following clues left by Fr. Dominic. These clues involve ancient history, and present day, making it more of a history lesson wrapped up into a murderous crime solving situation.I fell in love with both these characters as I, too, went on this captivating puzzle solving, spiritual journey with them.

A Very Private Grave is an incredible start to this series. It's suspenseful and thrilling, full of lessons in faith and honesty, belief and a splash of romance for added flavor. There was a need-to-know-what-happened-next thrill to this story making it a page turner! The mystery is fulfilling and the historical aspects and lessons from God are intriguing and riveting. So, if you're in need of a great new mystery novel, this 4 star book by Donna Fletcher Crow is the best place to start. It will leave you hungry for more work by her and make you anxious for the next book in the Monestary Murders series!

*This book was provided for review by FIRST WildCard Tours and the author*

I have to say I tried very very hard to enjoy this book, but it was just a bit too academic for my taste in reading. The author was very precise and accurate with her telling of historical events, but it was often like attending a lecture in college. Which is understandable since two of the main characters are teachers in colleges. Father Anthony, Felecity and Jonathon Breen are on a quest, following the steps of Father Dominic's last pilgrimage. Hoping to find something that will reveal the murderer of Father Dominic and clear Father Anthony's name. Wherever they go, however they find themselves in danger. I really think this book would have held my attention much better if there had been less of the "lecture" type passages, and more action. All in all I think the book was good, just not my cup of tea. I give this author a 3 star rating for her excellent research skills and her ability to translate those skills into her story!

This book was provided for review purposes only, no payment was received for this review.

In a Very Private Grave , Donna Crow, brings the history of the church of England alive and interesting with action and suspense in between. I enjoyed the building friendship between Felicity and Antony, and the potential romantic relationship that might be there. There is a handful of suspects to decipher through and even suspicion arises about Antony throughout the story. What I found most intriguing about A Very Private Grave was the richness and color of not only the English countryside but of the people and culture as a whole. I highly recommend this book to any who love great story telling.

The long-dead St. Cuthburt, whom I didn't know had existed, is the non-present center for this entriguing tale. Donna Fletcher Crow wove the ancient legends and history into a modern treasure hunt in a way that kept drawing me in. Along the way I discovered when I was expecting one thing, another surprise was there. An additional delight is realizing that this is not a figment of her imagination only, but is based on solid research concerning a real person. And, her descriptions of the places visited are written as by one who has been there and seen that. The skillful weaving of past and present demonstrates that our present cannot be severed from our past without being greatly impoverished. I look forward to the next Monastery Murder.
Leonora Pruner
Aerie of the Wolf

I must say that the first thing I did after reading Donna Fletcher Crow's historical novel, A Very Private Grave was to check the Wikipedia and see if there really was a Saint Cuthbert. And yes, he really did live from 633 to 687 AD.

Not being a great history enthusiast nor a member of the Catholic Church, I had wanted to read the book for the mystery, so I was not expecting what I found!

From the very first I was enthralled with this literary gem. Yes, there is a mystery--in order to solve the mystery, readers are led through the life and travels of Saint Cuthbert. But the author has done an outstanding job in pacing so that the history we are learning is provided as the next "clue" and, in that way, the author successfully captures and retains the total interest of her readers--or at least this one!

The two main characters are a young intelligent American female student, Felicity, and her history professor. In fact, it is to Felicity that Father Dominic entrusts his work diary, filled with notes and scriblings--just before he was murdered!

Felicity had been friends with the Father since she had entered the College of the Transfiguration which, as she admitted, she had chosen to attend in a moment of insanity. That day, Father Dominic did not stay since he was to assist in the Ash Wednesday ceremony...

But he never arrived...

Felicity hurried back to her room and found it had been vandalized, searched. She thought it was just other students, so continued on with her original plan, picked up a book of poetry for the Father and went to see if he had gone to his room, perhaps not feeling well. She found Father Antony, her history lecturer, standing with bloody hands over her beloved Father Dominic's body! Her first reaction was that her friend had been murdered--by her teacher!

And Indeed later, after the initial police investigation was over, and Felicity and Father Antony were charged with finding out what had happened by the school principal. Only before they were ready to start, a message was sent to them that the police were going to arrest Father Antony and that they were to leave immediately to conduct their assigned work. Only to be followed by Jonathan Breen--welcomed by Felicity to whom Jonathan immediately began paying much attention--and mistrusted by Father Antony.

Father Antony had become somewhat dissatisfied with his life. One major issue was whether or not he would further commit to the church and adopt celibacy as his lifestyle. As he traveled with the beautiful young and enthusiastic Felicity, he became more and more troubled about his future, especially realizing that he was jealous of Breen's relationship with Felicity.

Aside from the love triangle that seemed to be developing, there was danger on the route Father Dominic had traveled, murder attempts against Felicity and murder of individuals they had met along the way. Father Antony took much time to teach Felicity about the historical background of their travels and while she thought it was totally unnecessary to solve the murder, little by little she was learning and putting facts together until they were able to put together a potential list of those who might have killed Father Dominic.

Because Father Dominic had definitely been excited about potential money being found to help him with his hunger to help the children in Africa who were suffering from AIDS. And finally the clues pointed to the possibility that he knew where treasure had been hidden, together with the body of Saint Cuthbert. But his body was not where everybody thought it was...

The mystery portion of this reads like a Sherlock Holmes type of story, as the religious church doctrine and history are explored, examined and used to arrive at the answers. You will be taught, entertained, and totally drawn into the mystery of where the body of a holy man, and his treasure, lies. Don't miss this one; it is not only highly recommended, but will soon be followed by A Darkly Hidden Truth which will continue with Felicity and Father Antony... Get A Very Private Grave and be prepared when Book 2 is announced!

Book Received Via
Book Giveaway Contest

G. A. Bixler