The Corporal Works of Murder

Rating:
Summary: realistic cerebral cozy
Review: Although she is seventy years old, Sister Mary Helen of Mount Saint Frances College still tends to her duties and has no intention of retiring even if her Sisters and the San Francisco police force think it would be the best thing that could happen to them. After forty years of teaching she is now ministering at the Shelter, a refugee for homeless women.

Sister Mary Helen notices a new woman in the shelter, who very obviously has not been on the streets long. The next time she sees that homeless person, the woman is dying from a bullet through her chest. It turns out that Sarah was an undercover vice cop so when Sister Mary Helen learns this, she decides once again to insinuate herself into a murder investigation.

Readers who like the Father Darling mysteries will appreciate this long running series. Sister Carol Anne O'Marie writes a realistic cerebral cozy starring a protagonist it is impossible not to like. The author deals with some major social issues and she gets her point across without preaching.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Sorry to have to say this
Review: Sadly for all fans of Sister Carol's books, "The Corporal Works of Murder" shows clear evidence the series may be wearing itself out.

The central clue is a timeworn device, and the link between it and the murderer is so jarringly made clear that it is obvious to any reader two-thirds of the way in exactly how the plot will play out.

There's also some shockingly bad editing; the final clue -- another hoary old cliche -- is presented clearly first, but then oddly garbled when shown through another set of eyes. The discrepancy is never explained, which make it apparent that it was not intended. The ending is rushed, leaving many points unexplained.

All the familiar characters are back, but the stories of their lives barely budge. Characters introduced for this book are one-dimensional and their actions are driven only by the need to provide plot points, sometimes making them do weird unnatural things. To note one without giving away any of the plot, we learn that one character is an undercover police officer when that person, with no motivation, simply announces it to Sister Mary Helen.

Those who adore the nun will, of course, want to read this book no matter what. But they would be well advised to get this one from the library or wait for the [less expensive] paperback edition -- and pray that the publishers provide Sister Carol with an editor before the next book comes out. She has produced a neat series; it is a terrible shame to see it fall to this level.

Rating:
Summary: Series is getting as old and tired as Sister Mary Helen
Review: This latest Sister Mary Helen is pretty much a rehash of all of the preceding ones...and you can figure out who the murderer is very quickly...a fast read, but a disappointing one as well!