The Way of the Guilty: A Hope Street Church Mystery (Hope Street Church Mysteries) [Mass Market Paperback]

Jennifer Stanley (Author)

Book Description

Series: Hope Street Church Mysteries | Publication Date: August 31, 2010

Cooper Lee has a new outlook on life, thanks to her friends at Hope Street Church. Spending time with the Sunrise Bible Study Group nourishes her mind and soul. But home is where the heart is—along with Mrs. Lee’s baked treats—and Cooper is indeed happy to have such a great family to come home to when not spending time with Nathan, a friend from the group who just might be (fingers crossed) The One. So when her sister, Ashley, is implicated in a gruesome murder, Cooper snaps into action. Along with Nathan and her friends from Hope Street, Cooper vows to solve this unholy mess—with a wing, a prayer, and a small dose of snooping…

Editorial Reviews

Review

Jennifer Stanley’s engaging new series makes your attendance at Hope Street Church mandatory.”—Emilie Richards, author of the “Ministry is Murder” mystery series

“Stanley’s faith-based crime detection has plenty of charming appeal.”
—Publishers Weekly

“A DELIGHTFUL SURPRISE, a lovely, never-preachy story of friends.”—Donna Andrews, award-winning author of Swan for the Money

“INSPIRED…Stanley never preaches to her readers but lets deeds, not words, accomplish their goal.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch

From the Back Cover

At Hope Street Church, you always know who your friends are.
But knowing who your enemies are is a whole ’nother story…

Cooper Lee has a new outlook on life, thanks to her friends at Hope Street Church. Spending time with the Sunrise Bible Study Group nourishes her mind and soul. But home is where the heart is—along with Mrs. Lee’s baked treats—and Cooper is indeed happy to have such a great family to come home to when not spending time with Nathan, a friend from the group who just might be (fingers crossed) The One. So when her sister, Ashley, is implicated in a gruesome murder, Cooper snaps into action. Along with Nathan and her friends from Hope Street, Cooper vows to solve this unholy mess—with a wing, a prayer, and a small dose of snooping…

“THIS ISN’T YOUR GRANDMA’S SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS.

Jennifer Stanley’s engaging new series makes your attendance at Hope Street Church mandatory.”—Emilie Richards, author of the “Ministry is Murder” mystery series

“Stanley’s faith-based crime detection has plenty of charming appeal.”
—Publishers Weekly

“A DELIGHTFUL SURPRISE, a lovely, never-preachy story of friends.”—Donna Andrews, award-winning author of Swan for the Money

“INSPIRED…Stanley never preaches to her readers but lets deeds, not words, accomplish their goal.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch

 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1 edition (August 31, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312376847
• ISBN-13: 978-0312376840
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #863,211 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jennifer (JB) Stanley taught 6th Grade Language Arts in NC for the majority of her 8-year teaching career. Raised as antique-lover by her grandparents and parents, Stanley also worked part-time in an auction gallery. An eBay junkie and food lover, Stanley lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband, two young children, and three cats. She is the author of the Flab Five Supper Club mystery series, the Molly Appleby Antiques & Collectibles Mysteries, and The Hope Street Church mystery series.

For book club discussion questions or contact information, kindly visit www.jbstanley.com.

Thank you for supporting traditional mysteries.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A well done cozy, May 1, 2011

By 

Lou Phillips "MizLoo" (Philly PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Way of the Guilty: A Hope Street Church Mystery (Hope Street Church Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

A better than average cozy with a better than average plot and a realistically depicted seriously Christian, church-going, Bible-reading protagonist. Cooper doesn't come across as a goody-goody, simply a woman who tries hard to be a good person according to her religious tradition, takes her faith seriously and works at it. It's a stronger statement than the quiet faith of Miss Marple or Miss Silver, and a pleasant glimpse into the worldview of a committed Christian who is both tolerant and fallibly human - very much in the manner of Anne LaMotte. An interesting place to visit. I certainly didn't find it any more off-putting than the glimpses into the minds of seriously depraved individuals I've met in other murder stories. I like to see into worlds that are not my own. I found this one enjoyable.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars strong inspirational mystery, September 3, 2010

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Way of the Guilty: A Hope Street Church Mystery (Hope Street Church Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Cooper Lee has a good job, nice friends that she met at Hope Street Church who formed a Bible Study Group; a great boyfriend; and a wonderful family. Her sister Ashley does not feel as lucky because she wants a baby so badly but is having trouble conceiving due a medical condition. Ashley's husband owns a car dealership and when she is given a loaner she freaks out to find a body in the trunk.

Cooper is on her way to Ashley's house when she gets a flat. She meets ex-con Edward Crosby who feels he owes her for uncovering who killed his father. He takes her to Ashley's place and eventually the sisters learn the victim is Miguel Ramos who worked as a head lot attendant. Cooper wants justice done by catching Miguel's killer. However, she also learns he was involved in a shady operation because he lived in an expensive place, had expensive clothing and had a wad of money in his home. Shortly after Miguel was killed, the son of the title clerk was also murdered. Cooper feels the two people murdered are linked in some way and with Edward's help, she starts down a path that she hopes will lead to a cold blooded killer.

This inspirational mystery dramatically demonstrates that even the most diabolical person can change and seek redemption. Not preachy, this amateur sleuth focuses nevertheless on lessons learned that retain applicability today. This whodunit is riveting with a believable cast so the audience will complete the tale in one sitting.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun and witty, but a bit heavy on the bible study, September 25, 2010

By 

Gigi - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Way of the Guilty: A Hope Street Church Mystery (Hope Street Church Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

Great plot, character developement, witty. Had everything a fun mystery should have. Just a bit too much bible study. And I'm Christian. Its just I felt it was half mystery and half bible study, and I was buying a mystery... I would buy anything by the same author where I didn't have to weed through so much exteraneous message to follow the plot and characters.