Amazon.com: False Witness (A Sister Agatha Mystery): Aimee Thurlo, David Thurlo: Books

From Publishers Weekly
The pallid fourth Sister Agatha mystery from the Thurlo husband-and-wife team (after 2006's Prey for a Miracle) piles on New Mexico smalltown color, but lacks a challenging puzzle. Agatha is an extern-authorized to interact with the outside world-for Our Lady of Hope Monastery, a small community on the cusp of financial ruin. When a drunk driver crashes his SUV into its security gate, the nuns must scramble to find the funds for repairs. Meanwhile, a hacker is disrupting the computer work the community relies upon for much of its income, and the adjacent vineyard may be sold to a developer. Salvation seems at hand when dying millionaire John Guttierez, aware of Agatha's reputation as an amateur investigator, offers her a lucrative payday if she succeeds in tracing his estranged niece. The descriptions of monastic life are compelling, but too-pat miracles and too-simple mysteries will disappoint all but the most devoted series fans. (Oct.)
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Review

"Charming...Sister Agatha, with her winsome ways and no-nonsense faith, is sure to delight readers." --Publishers Weekly on PREY FOR A MIRACLE

“Fascinating…[Sister Agatha is] intelligent, deteremined, funny, and deeply religious, yet completely unstuffy, and adds both interest and appeal to this thoughtful mystery series.” --Dallas Morning News on BAD FAITH

"THIEF IN RETREAT is a thoroughly absorbing, sharply drawn story with a protagonist who is courageous, intelligent, and endearing. Sister Agatha, with her restored Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and ex-police dog Pax are a dynamic team that's hard to beat... I eagerly await Sister Agatha's next adventure." --Earlene Fowler, author of DELECTABLE MOUNTAINS

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Product Details

Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (October 16, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312322127
ISBN-13: 978-0312322120
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #719,164 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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This is item 4 in The Sister Agatha Mysteries Series.

Inside This Book (learn more)

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Sister Agatha, Sister Bernarda, Reverend Mother, Sister de Lourdes, John Gutierrez, Sister Gertrude, Sister Ignatius, Angie Sanchez, Sister Clothilde, Sister Eugenia, Father Mahoney, Ralph Simpson, Siesta Inn, Sheriff Green, Jimmy Garza, Father Rick, Great Silence, Terri Montoya, Catholic Charities, New Mexico, Deputy James, Our Lady of Hope Monastery, James Garza, Our Lord, Liz Leland

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	66% buy the item featured on this page: False Witness (A Sister Agatha Mystery) 4.0 out of 5 stars (5) $18.68
	12% buy Bad Faith: A Sister Agatha Mystery (Sister Agatha Mysteries) 4.1 out of 5 stars (11) $6.99
	10% buy Prey for a Miracle (A Sister Agatha Mystery) 4.6 out of 5 stars (12) $6.99
	9% buy Thief in Retreat: A Sister Agatha Mystery (Sister Agatha Mysteries) 4.0 out of 5 stars (6) $6.99

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars exciting Sister Agatha who-done it , October 16, 2007

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

In the Our Lady Of Hope Monastery resides a community of nuns bound by a vow of enclosure which means they have nothing to do with the outside world. Three extern nuns who are not bound by enclosure are the spokeswomen for the monastery and have dealings of all kind with the outside world. Sister Agatha is one of those and her ability to get donations has saved the monastery from going broke on more than one occasion.

They are currently in a financial bind, having won a bid on a computer contract; they are plagued by a hacker who wants them shut down. Their electrical wiring needs fixing before the place burns down and someone crashes through the gate that keeps them secure in their own private world. They don't have the money to pay for repairs but a monastery patron who plans to sell the vineyards that border on the nun's home and bring civilization to their doorsteps makes a deal with them. If Sister Agatha finds and reconciles him with his niece before he dies of cancer who is in hiding after testifying at the trial of a killer and land fraud scammer he will give her the money to fix up the monastery and create a buffer zone between the nun's home and the property he wishes to sell. When something sounds too good to be true it really is.

The latest Sister Agatha mystery is an exciting who-done it that gives a glimpse into the workings of a cloistered monastery that must be financially self-sufficient. Aimee & David Thurlo captures the prescience and serenity as well out the tenseness of community that exists behind the walls of the monastery. There are several layers to the mystery each one getting closer to the truth but it takes a while to peel away each layer to the core that reveals the killer. FALSE MYSTERY is truly a well crafted mystery.

Harriet Klausner

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not one of my favorites..., December 17, 2008

By	Cynthia K. Robertson (beverly, new jersey USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: False Witness (Sister Agatha Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

There aren't too many mysteries that I don't enjoy, but False Witness by Aimee and David Thurlo would not be anywhere near the top of my favorites list. The plot has potential, but there were too many other issues that got in the way.

False Witness takes place in New Mexico, and centers around the Hope Monastery. Sister Agatha is one of the resident nuns, and serves as an extern--one of the few nuns who ventures outside the grounds and deals with outsiders. Sister Agatha is also an amateur sleuth. The monastery is having some financial problems and a number of issues makes things even worse. First, their stone wall is hit by a hit and run driver in a stolen truck. Second, they do contracting work for a mail order company, and their computers have been hacked into and they've been receiving email threats. Finally, the vineyard next door is for sale, and it appears that a developer will build a huge housing project that will threaten the peace and quiet of the monastery. The new vineyard owner, John Gutierrez, claims he is dying and wants to find his long-lost niece. He hires Sister Agatha for the job, pledging money to the monastery and also, a buffer zone between the houses he plans to build. Sister Agatha suspects that Gutierrez might actually be an escaped convict who is a swindler and murderer.

This whole book is a stretch. First, the idea of a nun being a private detective is laughable. We're not talking Brother Cadfael here. Then the entire religious theme gets extremely tiring. False Witness is filled with dialogue like "God won't let us lose this job. The monastery needs rewiring, and we're in a financial hole" or "You'll always have God." It's not that I'm not a religious person, but the authors go way overboard.

The Ella Clah series by the Thurlo's was much better and I might try another one from this series. Unfortunately, Sister Agatha and I will be parting ways.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars False Witness, November 9, 2007

By	PeggyC - See all my reviews

This is the time of year to curl up next to the fire with a good book. This is the book! Just when you think you know "who dunnit" you don't!! Keep reading, don't read the end first! You will love this book a perfect "cozy". The Thurlo's have written a first rate mystery.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Sister Agatha takes on a missing person's case
The sisters of Our Lady of Hope Monastery are startled when an SUV crashes through their front gate. Read more

Published 5 months ago by Karen Potts

5.0 out of 5 stars False Witness
After finishing the "Ella Clah" series I was searching for something to read and it was suggested that I look at the "Sister Agatha" series. Read more

Published 12 months ago by William Hurst

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