A Simple Shaker Murder

Sister Rose Callahan #4

by Deborah Woodworth

Despite the hardships of the Great Depression, Sister Rose Callahan's Shaker village of North Homage is surviving nicely. Now they have visitors—a group of "reformers" hoping to create a utopian community that allows more freedom. Rose is disturbed by the group's attitudes... and stunned when one of their members is found hanging from a tree.

The police are quick to rule the death a suicide but as Rose is leaving the orchard she notices a child hiding in a tree. She is Marin, the orphaned foster child of the dead man, and Rose believes she may have witnessed the hanging. The little girl appears to be deeply troubled, and Rose is shocked to discover the cruelty and neglect that has cursed her short life. Rose's fears grow as Shaker beliefs are challenged, questions about the death remain unanswered, and the little girl draws strange and mysterious pictures of her dreams... images revealing a terrible evil, and the danger that someone may be plotting to silence the only witness to a murder.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Historical Mystery

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Deborah Woodworth spent her childhood in southern Ohio near the abandoned sites of several Shaker villages. Before turning to writing, she earned her Ph.D. in Sociology of Religion and spent a decade conducting research and teaching. She lives in New Brighton, Minnesota, near the Twin Cities.

Reviews

[Laurie D'ghent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed it, though I wish I had read these in order from the start.

[BookAddict · Rating 3 out of 5]

These Shaker mysteries are just adorable. Sister Rose is sassy and kind and smart. The mysteries are always quite complex for a cozy. Always well worth a quick read, Deborah Woodworth weaves a fun tale.

[Priscilla Herrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the early 19th century there was a religious awakening in America which gave rise to many new denominations, sects and cults, including Utopian communities. In this later Shaker mystery, it is a century later and a group arrives at North Homage, ostensibly to unite with the Shaker Village. This group calls itself New Owenites, modeled after a (fictitious) communal group of a hundred years earlier. These New Owenites bring dissent rather than unity; apparently their aim is to take over and control the New Homage village. As usual, dissent leads to murder; fortunately Sister Rose and her friends are able to sort everything out.

[Trudy Nye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written, straight-forward mystery, though not too surprising. Sister Rose is a likable character. It was an enjoyable read.

[Carl Brookins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Take one tortured father, one deeply troubled child, and add them to a small closed community called the North Homage Shaker community, sometime in the mid-thirties, somewhere in northern Kentucky. Now add an odd group of utopians calling themselves the New Owenites. It is a recipe for sudden death.

Saint Paul author Deborah Woodworth has, for the fourth time, presented mystery readers with an excellent mystery novel about the people who inhabit the fictional but very real Shaker community of North Homage. Periodically over the years in the United States, there have arisen a variety of religious and idealized societies, many of which were established and soon faded to become footnotes in history. Others persevered or made their mark on American culture and mores in various ways. Such are the Mennonites, the Shakers, Hutterites, the Ammana colony, and the Owenites, who espoused particular educational beliefs.

Woodworth has used her academic background in religious sociology to excellent effect in her series which features Sister Rose Callahan, a Shaker woman who combines the skills of a born administrator and a questioning mind with her strong religious belief to lead the community of North Homage, and to solve crimes.

Callahan is an excellent character, as are most of the other inhabitants of the community. Woodworth's skills as a writer continue to develop and she weaves this simple yet complex plot into a story that will challenge the reader to figure out the murder and the ending.

The New Owenites have come to North Homage to study Shaker beliefs and the daily applications of their doctrine. In part they are there to learn, but also, apparently desire to shape themselves and perhaps their Shaker hosts into something else altogether. Conflict inevitably rises between the two societies and when a New Owenite is found hanging from a tree in the orchard, emotions swirl out of control. While the police are quick to rule the hanging a suicide, Sister Rose is not so sure and when she discovers a disturbed child nearby, a child who may have witnessed the death, Sister Rose is moved to action, not only in her attempt to discover the truth of the man's death, but to save the child as well. The solutions will delight you.

[Mary (Biblophile) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do like the characters in this series. Gives a wonderful insight into the life and times of the Shaker religious life. Always nicely written.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed learning more about the Shaker lifestyle in a mystery format.

[Nancy Pierson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating look at the Shaker community. The mystery itself was mediocre.