Description:

From Publishers Weekly

In the Thurlos' charming but imperfect third cozy involving New Mexico's Our Lady of Hope Monastery (after 2004's Thief in Retreat), Sister Agatha is charged with looking after Natalie, an eight-year-old whose mother lies in a coma after a bad car wreck. Sister Agatha and her buddy, Sheriff Tom Green, suspect that the wreck was no accident—someone is after Natalie and her mom. If protecting a precocious little girl isn't enough to manage, Sister Agatha is also burdened by her convent's financial problems. The order is short on cash and needs to replace the roof, a subplot actually more engaging than the somewhat thin mystery surrounding Natalie and her mom's stalker. Indeed, the Thurlos could have provided a more plausible lineup of suspects and a less predictable ending. Still, Sister Agatha, with her winsome ways and no-nonsense faith, is sure to delight readers. (July)
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From School Library Journal

Adult/High School–This squeaky clean and straightforward suspense story is the third in a series featuring one of the extern (that is, public-meeting) nuns in a contemplative monastery in New Mexico. Sister Agatha, who drives a Harley with a sidecar that is frequently inhabited by either her former police dog, Pax, or Sister Bernarda, a former Marine, regularly lends assistance to the local sheriff. In this outing, a little girl who insists that she can see angels must go into hiding at the monastery after her mother is badly injured in a suspicious car accident. Subplots include the nuns entering the baking business to pay for their new roof, a tabloid news reporters trying to track down the child because of her putative connection to angels, and an ex-con from a previous case that Sister Agatha cracked. The pace is sprightly and rides along on the waves of almost-probable events. There are plenty of admirable characters who will appeal to teens who like old-fashioned cozies or inspirational fiction. The lives of the contemplative sisters are portrayed realistically and accessibly, adding a dimension for those who may wonder what such a life must be like in the modern world. Readers dont need to know or care about Catholicism in order to be engaged by Sister Agathas adventures or the ethical issues that she and other characters raise._–Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA_
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.