The Corporal Works of Murder
By Sister Carol Anne O'Marie
The Corporal Works of Murder
By Sister Carol Anne O'Marie
Ulverscroft: Large Print (2008)
ISBN: 978-1-84782-097-6
Genre: Mystery
Reviewed by Auggie Moore - May 6, 2008
The Corporal Works of Murder is another great cozy mystery from the pen of Sister Carol Anne O'Marie. It is part of her beloved Sister Mary Helen mystery series. In this case, the semi-retired nun and amateur sleuth finds herself dead in the middle of a tragic murder investigation. Nearly on the doorstep of the Refuge for Homeless Women a young woman is shot. On her way to help out at the Refuge, Sister Mary Helen arrives on the scene just in time for the victim to die in her arms. At first glance the young woman appears to be nothing more than just another victim of crushing poverty, but as Sister Mary Helen looks deeper into the case she notices many signs that the young woman was not really homeless, or if she was, had not been on the streets for more than a couple of days - a hunch that quickly proves true.
Poking her nose into the police investigation, Sister Mary Helen soon finds herself stepping on the toes of San Francisco homicide detectives Kate Murphy and Dennis Gallagher. While they find her assistance a bit annoying, in the end they find her logical mind set and keen observational skills essential to solving the case - a case that becomes more and more muddied as the bodies begin to pile up.
The Corporal Works of Murder is a wonderfully suspenseful and intriguing mystery set in the underbelly of San Francisco. O'Marie's writing is graceful and her plotting just complex enough to keep you engrossed in the story, but not so complex that you'll have any trouble discovering whodunnit. A must read for all fans of this delightful series and its energetic, 70-year-old plus heroine.
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