Murder Most Holy

A young nun, the daughter of a very unpopular newspaper publisher is killed in a car bomb. The car happens to belong to the father. Stan is just getting past a failed relationship. This case comes at a perfect time, as he was supposed to be getting married. Now Detective Jerome “Stan” Stankowski must find out who the intended target was, the daughter or father, before he can solve this baffling crime, a MURDER MOST HOLY.

Sit back and relax! MURDER MOST HOLY is a wild ride. Who would want to kill a nun? But was she the true target? Much to Stan’s irritation the Attorney General’s office has sent a former prosecutor Parker to help with the investigation. Parker and Stan must decide just who is running this investigation and who is just there to assist. This leads to some humorous prose as the tale is told in first person point of view, that of Stan. These were moments that this reviewer looked forward to the most. Many unsettling events and the long list of possible suspects will keep Stan and Parker on their toes.

Stan is determined to solve the crime and enlists the help of the friend of the victim, a cute and spunky girl named Buffy. Buffy is a charming character. She is gung-ho and anxious to do all she can to help. It doesn’t help that there is an attraction between her and Stan. Buffy seemed to be quite immature to this reader and at times this storyline seemed a bit farfetched because while this reader isn’t on top of police protocol, it seems strange that a civilian would be allowed such a pivotal role in an investigation.

All in all, MURDER MOST HOLY is a book well worth the read. It is one that made this reader laugh and cry. At times the flow of the book was a little slow but always managed to pick up. A very surprising end will leave the reader very satisfied.

October 2006