A Vow Of Compassion [Hardcover]

Veronica Black (Author)

Book Description

Series: Sister Joan Mystery | Publication Date: December 1, 1998

When Mother Dorothy, Prioress of Daughters of Compassion inherits a considerable estate from her godmother, Sister Joan does not realise that the death of one old lady will turn out to be one of her most dangerous cases. With the help of Sergeant Mill she sets a trap to catch a murderer. From the author of VOW OF ADORATION.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Small coincidences and a strong gut feeling propel Cornish Sister Joan in her 10th contemplative cozy (following A Vow of Adoration). When Prioress Mother Dorothy's godmother, Mrs. Cummings, dies of a heart attack while she waits for hip replacement surgery, Sister Joan becomes uneasy after questioning the staff about the event. Something just isn't right at short-staffed St. Keynes Cottage Hospital, she decides. The overworked nurses seem to be acting strangely?they're often away from their posts at crucial moments?while the young doctor gets surly when asked about a patient's status. In this morass of sporadic care, Sister Joan hears about another patient, a little girl who's the victim of abuse, who refuses to speak. Troubled by the chaotic nature of the place and a journal entry she reads in Mrs. Cumming's diary hinting that her medication has been altered, Sister Joan confers with Mother Dorothy about her suspicions. But it isn't until an alcoholic gypsy woman dies in the hospital, another gypsy disappears, the young girl is snatched and one of the nurses presumably commits suicide that Sister Joan's forebodings are borne out. What do these disparate occurrences have in common? Again the good Sister teams up with Detective Sergeant Mill to solve the mystery. Along the way, Black contemplates the similarities between policemen and nuns, and between religious and secular lives, leaving readers with the delightful notion that the gap is much smaller than they might think.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap

When Mother Dorothy, Prioress of the Order of the Daughters of Compassion, inherits a considerable estate from her godmother, Louisa Cummings, nobody would guess that the death of the old lady will lead to one of Sister Joan's most dangerous and puzzling cases yet. Linked with the mysterious death are an apparent suicide and the disappearance of an abused child.

In the local hospital suspicion and fear stalk the wards and, in the convent high on the Cornish moors, that fear is reflected--for someone is watching and waiting.

With the help of her friend Detective Sargeant Mill, Sister Joan sets out to trap one of the most dangerous of killers, and in the process discovers the true nature of compassion.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (December 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312193548
• ISBN-13: 978-0312193546
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,012,346 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, November 29, 1998

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Vow Of Compassion (Hardcover)

Sister Joan really doesn't mean to become involved with all those murders that keep happening around her. She can't help having a suspicious mind, an observant eye, and a vocation that leads her to help all those who are suffering.

This is another excellent entry into the Sister Joan series of mysteries set in England. The characters are well developed and enjoyable. I recommend this series to everyone. Again I also recommend that you start with the first in the series so you can enjoy the growth of the characters and the details that make this series very enjoyable.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mother Dorothy becomes an heiress, September 29, 2001

By 

Karen Potts (Lake Jackson, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Vow Of Compassion (Hardcover)

Mother Dorothy's godmother is in a local hospital awaiting a hip replacement. Suddenly the shocking news comes that she has died before the operation could take place. Mother Dorothy is the sole inheritor of her godmother's estate and she uses it for various worthwhile causes. Meanwhile, other bodies begin to turn up in the hospital. The deceased seem to have no relationship to one another, but there are too many bodies for it to be a mere coincidence. Sister Joan and Detective Sergeant Mill begin investigating and are puzzled by a seeming lack of motive to tie the deaths together. Finally the detective's legwork begins to pay off and the perpetrator is revealed. As always, this is an enjoyable mystery with likeable characters and enough red herrings to keep the reader guessing to the very end.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars every one of her books is excellent, July 24, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: A Vow Of Compassion (Hardcover)

If Veronica Black is reading these reviews, PLEASE give us another in this wonderful series...it's been too long!