The Shadow of Death: A Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn Mystery
The Shadow of Death: A Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn Mystery book cover

The Shadow of Death: A Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn Mystery

Hardcover – Box set, April 10, 2018

Price
$5.69
Format
Hardcover
Pages
336
Publisher
Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1683315568
Dimensions
5.7 x 1 x 8.5 inches
Weight
15.2 ounces

Description

Praise for The Shadow of Death : “Sprightly...The rich life and personalities of this religious community, coupled with Sister Agatha’s devotion to the sage advice of a retired inspector turned podcaster, guarantee reader impatience for the next installment.”— Publishers Weekly "You’ll be rooting for Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn all the way in this delightful tale. And you won’t see the last twist coming ."—Catriona McPherson, bestselling and multi-award-winning author of A Most Misleading Habit " A delightful cozy with a feisty heroine who heads off on a wing and a prayer to solve the mysterious death of the abbey’s sexton. Set against an enchanting Welsh backdrop , this charming cozy will have you glued to the page.”—Peg Cochran, USA Today bestselling author"In the tradition of the Father Brown and Grantchester mysteries, Sister Agatha demonstrates that a cloistered life is not without danger ."—Alice K. Boatwright, author of the award-winning Ellie Kent mysteries"Pour yourself a nice cup of warm Glengettie tea and prepare to be immersed in this delicious and charming story about a feisty Anglican nun, a small Welsh convent and an accidental death...that might just be murder. Sister Agatha is sure to appeal to fans of that other great Agatha. "—Susan Breen, author of the Maggie Dove mystery series Jane Willan wants to live in a world where everyone has time to read their favorite books, drink good coffee and walk their dog on the beach, but until that can happen she enjoys life as a pastor and writer. When she’s not working on a sermon, or hiking with her husband, Don, you can find her re-reading Jane Eyre, binge-watching Downton Abbey and trying out new ways to avoid exercise. This is her first Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn mystery.

Features & Highlights

  • Perfect for fans of G. M. Malliet and M. C. Beaton,
  • The Shadow of Death
  • is divine entertainment from a talented debut writer.
  • A charming and clever traditional mystery debut set at a bucolic Welsh convent,
  • The Shadow of Death
  • introduces Sister Agatha, a mystery-loving nun who finds herself in the midst of a real-life murder case.
  • The sisters of Gwenafwy Abbey have cherished their contemplative life—days spent in prayer, reflection, tending the Convent’s vegetable gardens and making their award-winning organic cheese, Heavenly Gouda. Life seems perfect, except for Sister Agatha, a die-hard mystery fan who despairs of ever finding any real life inspiration for her own novel. That is, until the Abbey’s sexton is found dead under an avalanche of gouda. Despite the reservations of the local constable, Sister Agatha is convinced it’s murder and the game is afoot.Armed only with the notes she’s scribbled during her favorite podcast, How to Write a Mystery Novel, as well as a lessons learned from crime heroes ranging from Hercule Poirot to Stephanie Plum, Sister Agatha leads the nuns of Gwenafwy Abbey (and her unwitting sidekick, Father Selwyn) as they begin a race against time to resolve the death of Jacob, save the Abbey, exonerate a beloved postulant, and restore the good name of their cheese.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(70)
★★★★
25%
(58)
★★★
15%
(35)
★★
7%
(16)
23%
(53)

Most Helpful Reviews

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I enjoyed this book

I enjoyed this book. It was fast paced, entertaining, and added an element of humor throughout the pages. The nuns of Gwenaffay were all interesting and complex characters with lots of room to grow in future installments. I’m looking forward to seeing where Jane Willan takes this series in future books!
2 people found this helpful
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Enjoyable read for fans of cozy mysteries

I quite enjoyed this book. The characters are fun and quirky, the setting delightful, and the story interesting. the ending was satisfying and tied things up nicely. I think that fans of cozy mysteries would like it very much. Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn make a wonderful team that readers are sure to enjoy in future books from this author.
1 people found this helpful
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What's Not to Like?

The Anglican nuns in an abbey in North Wales are an endearing, quirky bunch. All but one are senior citizens, and when each reaches 60 years of age, the other sisters chip in to help her realize a long-held dream. Sister Agatha, who has always wanted to write a mystery novel, gets an MFA in creative writing and can't help getting involved (aided by her "sidekick," Father Selwyn) when the abbey's young sexton is found dead, crushed by heavy shelves. At the same time, the abbey and its inhabitants are threatened by closure and touched by sabotage when they are no longer deemed relevant by the bishop.

I loved the descriptions of the abbey and the Welsh countryside, the details regarding the sisters' cheese-making project (aptly named Heavenly Gouda), and the scattered references to fictional sleuths and their authors, not to mention The Great British Bake-Off! Reverend Mother wears expensive designer sneakers and is comforted by her basketball, and another sister knits her fellow nuns Hogswart scarves for Christmas. What's not to like?

This is a charming beginning to a series, written by a Lutheran pastor, that I will surely follow--the next offering is already on my TBR list. Highly recommended.
1 people found this helpful
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A great start to a new series

A great start to a new series. Quirky but likable characters, twists and turns in the storyline and a surprise outcome made this a very interesting read.
1 people found this helpful
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4 stars

This is a great start to a new series. The plot has many twists and turns and the story is very interesting. I enjoyed Sr. Agatha and the other characters and how they interacted with each other. I look forward to the next book in this series.
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Good first book by a new author

I really enjoyed this first book by new author Jane Willan. I liked the characters, Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn are the main characters, but I liked all of the nuns at Gwenafwy Abbey and reading about their daily life at the abbey. This book is set in Wales in a small town where Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn know everyone personally. A man dies in the cheese barn at the abbey where the sisters make their Heavenly Gouda and Sister Agatha thinks it was a murder, but the local authorities believe it was just an accidental death. Sister Agatha, who loves reading mysteries and is trying to write her own mystery, decides to investigate with her "sidekick" Father Selwyn. The mystery was well thought out and plotted and had many twists and turns. I am looking forward to reading more books in this series.
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Great Debut Mystery!

Thank you to Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for the chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a good debut mystery story set in a Welsh convent. When the Abby's sexton, Jacob, is found dead Sister Agatha is on the case. Even though his death is listed as an accident, Sister Agatha believes he was murdered. I found Sister Agatha to be a very likeable character, and I liked her interest in solving mysteries. I hope the author continues to write more stories about Sister Agatha. I enjoyed it!