Oldest Sin (Sophie Greenway Mystery)

Rating:
Summary: Best for fans of the Sophie Greenway series.
Review: Heroine: plump/voluptuous

Sophie Greenway has fought hard to put her past as the wife of a strict religious leader behind her, painful though it was to lose custody of her young son in the process. So she is more than a little disturbed when she finds that the family hotel is now hosting a convention of her former denomination, the Church of the Firstborn. But she welcomes contact with some of her old college roommates, other girls who had been sequestered in the campus' fat farm dorm. Sadly, though, not all of her chums are present, as one passed away during their time at Purdis Bible College.

But Sophie's reunion is marred by murder, and the heinous crime throws the death of their classmate many years before in a new light. Suddenly there is a conspiracy afoot, and Sophie no longer knows who she can trust. One of the women she long counted as a friend may well indeed be a killer, and Sophie herself may be the next victim.

What worked for me:

I felt the mystery was the best part of this book, for despite having a fairly transparent opening it was difficult to be sure who the killer was.
   
         Size-wise Sophie was voluptuous as a girl.

What didn't work for me:

The writing was uneven, breezing along in some spots and lurching through others. And for some readers it might feel a bit soap-boxy, but the message resonated with me, both on the issue of big girls and oppressive religions.

Overall:

Worth the read for die-hard fans of the Sophie Greenway series.

Warning: there is some coarse language in these books, and discussions as well as religious insights that might offend some people.

If you liked "The Oldest Sin" you might also enjoy the Tory Bauer mystery series, the Odelia Grey mystery series, the Southern Sisters mystery series, the Josephine Fuller mystery series, "Death by Dessert", "Lady Blue", "Teacher's Pet", or "Love by the Pound".