Roman Catholics and Anglicans Dominate Murder Mystery Genre

Would You Believe: A Shaker Murder Mystery

Deborah Woodworth, who lived her childhood in southern Ohio near several abandoned Shaker villages, has given us six with a woman sleuth, Sister Rose Callahan. On the cover of her first novel in the series, Death of a Winter Shaker, published in 1997, Woodworth describes her sleuth and her mission:

Sister Rose is on a mission: To Catch a Killer. 

The peaceful Shakers, pledged to hard work, worship and nonviolence could scarcely believe there was a dead body in their herb house. The handsome young drifter known as a "Winter Shaker" had professed to be a Believer to find refuge from the cold and the Depression. Now he'd gotten himself murdered. 

Shaker Sister Rose Callahan, with her practical knowledge and worldly experience is assigned to find answers the sheriff refuses to consider--even if it mean discovering one of their own is the killer. But to protect a declining Shaker population, Rose must keep the sinful details hidden from the outside world. What the good Sister uncovers among the brethren are more than a tad of Earthly temptations, some un-Godly rivalry, and enough shameful secrets to raise havoc among the faithful...and to tempt some misguided soul to commit the most diabolical sin of all.

Sounds like an exciting read. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on it.

For a good description of Sister Rose, her author, and her six murder cases, go to Philip Grosset’s excellent web page. You may find author Deborah Woodworth at her web site.