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Sister Rose Callahan #1
Death of a Winter Shaker
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.
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.
213 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1997
52 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Woodworth
12 books6 followersDeborah 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.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
July 21, 2020
3.5***
Book # 1 in the Sister Rose Callahan cozy mystery series, set in a Shaker community in 1930’s Kentucky. Their peaceful community is focused on hard work, worship and nonviolence, so they are shocked with a body is found in the herb house. The deceased was a “winter” Shaker – one of the many drifters who professed to be a Believer to escape the harshest season during the unsettled Great Depression.
Shaker Sister Rose Callahan begins to investigate when it becomes clear that the Sheriff has no intention of searching very far for the culprit. The villagers are suspicious of the Shakers, even going to far as to call them witches, and the murder has put them on edge, with some villagers resorting to violence.
I really enjoyed this mystery. Woodworth has given the reader some very interesting and complex characters. Rose is determined, clear-thinking, intelligent and tenacious. She’s also principled and will not hesitate to name a fellow Shaker as the murderer if that is where her investigation leads her. There are plenty of suspects; the Shaker way of life, with its requirement for celibacy and strict division of the sexes, means that the only way to grow the community is to take in outsiders. And the desperation of the times means that people are willing to say anything for the security of a warm bed and enough food to eat.
I look forward to reading more of this series, and from this author.
Book # 1 in the Sister Rose Callahan cozy mystery series, set in a Shaker community in 1930’s Kentucky. Their peaceful community is focused on hard work, worship and nonviolence, so they are shocked with a body is found in the herb house. The deceased was a “winter” Shaker – one of the many drifters who professed to be a Believer to escape the harshest season during the unsettled Great Depression.
Shaker Sister Rose Callahan begins to investigate when it becomes clear that the Sheriff has no intention of searching very far for the culprit. The villagers are suspicious of the Shakers, even going to far as to call them witches, and the murder has put them on edge, with some villagers resorting to violence.
I really enjoyed this mystery. Woodworth has given the reader some very interesting and complex characters. Rose is determined, clear-thinking, intelligent and tenacious. She’s also principled and will not hesitate to name a fellow Shaker as the murderer if that is where her investigation leads her. There are plenty of suspects; the Shaker way of life, with its requirement for celibacy and strict division of the sexes, means that the only way to grow the community is to take in outsiders. And the desperation of the times means that people are willing to say anything for the security of a warm bed and enough food to eat.
I look forward to reading more of this series, and from this author.
January 31, 2010
I don't even know where I got this book, but I'm sure I picked it up because it had Shakers in it. I grew up in Lexington, KY - and right outside of town is Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill (i.e. "Shakertown"). It hasn't been an actual Shaker community for about 100 years (it was one of the last), but has been beautifully restored, and is a national historic landmark.
This book isn't set at Pleasant Hill, but at another shaker community in Kentucky. The story isn't necessarily so great, maybe only worth 3 stars... but the setting is so satisfying - the twilight days of the Shakers, during the great depression. The characters struggle with the decline of their community, and the relationship between themselves and the larger non-Shaker community around them.
Oh yeah, there's a mystery in there too. Which is fine. The resolution is not a big surprise, it was pretty clear who the killer was as soon as they were introduced - but there was some pleasant resolution from a personal relationships perspective.
This book isn't set at Pleasant Hill, but at another shaker community in Kentucky. The story isn't necessarily so great, maybe only worth 3 stars... but the setting is so satisfying - the twilight days of the Shakers, during the great depression. The characters struggle with the decline of their community, and the relationship between themselves and the larger non-Shaker community around them.
Oh yeah, there's a mystery in there too. Which is fine. The resolution is not a big surprise, it was pretty clear who the killer was as soon as they were introduced - but there was some pleasant resolution from a personal relationships perspective.
stopped-reading-unfinished
March 25, 2022I just couldn’t get into this. It’s set in the 1930s but is written in an old-fashioned tone (I think to be Shaker-esque). I really wanted to read a Shaker mystery, but I just wasn’t pulled in by these characters or their setting. I couldn’t stay focused on it and couldn’t keep going.
February 8, 2023
I found this book, Death of a Winter Shaker by Deborah Woodworth, at a used bookstore downtown near me, and since I was interested in mysteries and utopias, I bought it at a good price. I liked the book and it followed the rules of mystery and clues, although some have said that some crucial clues were given very late in the story.
A summary of the story is that the Shaker trustee, a young woman in charge of accounts, mentor to some of the novices, and interface to the outside world, is told of a death in one of the processing buildings. The elders of the community are either too old and feeble to investigate, or only interested in their own advancement. The local law officers are somewhat sympathetic but want to quickly close the case by arresting a scapegoat. The Trustee feels she needs to determine the killer and bring them to justice, to make the community safe again. A Winter Shaker is an outsider who usually comes to the community during winter desiring food, and pledges to abide by the rules in exchange for work, sometimes as little work as possible. The mystery is who would want to kill someone with few ties to the community.
I personally was more interested in character and social structures than the plot, and the author did a good job defining the society. She created several interesting characters as well as an amateur sleuth that tasked herself with solving the crime. She had done her research both on the Shaker culture and on Kentucky in the time period. The time period, the 1930s, was a good choice as it created a background of desperation of the Depression and the hunger of the townspeople who suspected the Shaker ways and were jealous of their harvest bounty. This yielded a town/gown rivalry, like one of a village and an educational institution located within it. The time period also allowed for some modern technology to be present, such as railroads and telephones, without today’s complex connections via the internet. It also was a time of bridging from old ways to new ones in American history, with the Elder character wanting to go back over 100 years to original Shaker ways, and the others satisfied with using some new technology.
The descriptions of the Shaker village, where it stood in context of other Shaker villages, and that of the town were very good. The voices were fairly modern, although the Elder character who wished for the old ways going back to use of Thee and Thou. Ironic, because Thee and Thou had become formal sounding speech, where You was originally a plural co-opted for use as a more formal means of address.
The book followed many of the conventions of the mystery genre. The closed society made for a locked room mystery of sorts, by reducing the number of suspects, many of whom were listed in the front matter. There was personal danger and titillating relations but restrained. And the author did a good job of showing how the dream of a utopia can be so hard to achieve, with the closed society having its own rules and hierarchy that the members chafed against, in spite of living at arm’s length from open society.
My only complaint about the book was that it was quite straightforward and the writing a bit dull. It was easy reading and I learned some additional things about the Shakers, so I would be open to reading more in the series. Folks who like mysteries and want to learn more about communities that are different than open society would be interested in this series.
A summary of the story is that the Shaker trustee, a young woman in charge of accounts, mentor to some of the novices, and interface to the outside world, is told of a death in one of the processing buildings. The elders of the community are either too old and feeble to investigate, or only interested in their own advancement. The local law officers are somewhat sympathetic but want to quickly close the case by arresting a scapegoat. The Trustee feels she needs to determine the killer and bring them to justice, to make the community safe again. A Winter Shaker is an outsider who usually comes to the community during winter desiring food, and pledges to abide by the rules in exchange for work, sometimes as little work as possible. The mystery is who would want to kill someone with few ties to the community.
I personally was more interested in character and social structures than the plot, and the author did a good job defining the society. She created several interesting characters as well as an amateur sleuth that tasked herself with solving the crime. She had done her research both on the Shaker culture and on Kentucky in the time period. The time period, the 1930s, was a good choice as it created a background of desperation of the Depression and the hunger of the townspeople who suspected the Shaker ways and were jealous of their harvest bounty. This yielded a town/gown rivalry, like one of a village and an educational institution located within it. The time period also allowed for some modern technology to be present, such as railroads and telephones, without today’s complex connections via the internet. It also was a time of bridging from old ways to new ones in American history, with the Elder character wanting to go back over 100 years to original Shaker ways, and the others satisfied with using some new technology.
The descriptions of the Shaker village, where it stood in context of other Shaker villages, and that of the town were very good. The voices were fairly modern, although the Elder character who wished for the old ways going back to use of Thee and Thou. Ironic, because Thee and Thou had become formal sounding speech, where You was originally a plural co-opted for use as a more formal means of address.
The book followed many of the conventions of the mystery genre. The closed society made for a locked room mystery of sorts, by reducing the number of suspects, many of whom were listed in the front matter. There was personal danger and titillating relations but restrained. And the author did a good job of showing how the dream of a utopia can be so hard to achieve, with the closed society having its own rules and hierarchy that the members chafed against, in spite of living at arm’s length from open society.
My only complaint about the book was that it was quite straightforward and the writing a bit dull. It was easy reading and I learned some additional things about the Shakers, so I would be open to reading more in the series. Folks who like mysteries and want to learn more about communities that are different than open society would be interested in this series.
March 14, 2020
It's a Shaker community in rural Kentucky during the height of the Great Depression, around 1936. While the surrounding area struggles to put food on the table, the struggles within the Shaker community are profound: the number of Shakers is shrinking as fewer of join the sect, and communities are being abandonned. This has convinced the most senior Elder Wilhelm that returning to the 'old ways' (far stricter, speaking in tongues, visions) is the only way for the Shakers to survive. Sister Rose believes reasonable adaptation is the only survival -- and her elderly mentor, Eldress Agatha, is dying.
It is against this background that murder occurs. Shakers are pacifists, making the death of the 'Winter Shaker' Johann not only ripple across the Shaker community, but also turns the locals against them further than the reactionary practices imposed by Elder Wilhelm. A 'winter shaker' is someone who joins the community solely to have food and shelter during the harsh winters, leaving as soon as the spring arrives. Another murder will occur, some secrets will be revealed, and certain rifts narrowed if not closed by the end of this cozy.
I liked this one, even if it wasn't amazing. The characters are engaging, the community fascinating, and the murder mystery intricate enough to keep me guessing deep into it. I learned a lot about the Shakers even though I already knew quite a bit as I have long admired their craftsmanship and have even visited the Hancock Community Shaker Museum, an easy day trip from NYC. The tensions within the community were realistically and sensitively portrayed, I thought, especially in light of what I have always considered a community that from inception was bound to fail (the whole celibacy thing).
What was weak was some of the writing-- a little too repetitive (we did not need to hear every other page about how inadequate Sister Rose felt to assuming the role of Eldress to the community after the passing of Agatha), too few clues provided (that I picked up anyway) for the reader to solve the mystery. I have one more in the series on my shelves which I will definitely read.
It is against this background that murder occurs. Shakers are pacifists, making the death of the 'Winter Shaker' Johann not only ripple across the Shaker community, but also turns the locals against them further than the reactionary practices imposed by Elder Wilhelm. A 'winter shaker' is someone who joins the community solely to have food and shelter during the harsh winters, leaving as soon as the spring arrives. Another murder will occur, some secrets will be revealed, and certain rifts narrowed if not closed by the end of this cozy.
I liked this one, even if it wasn't amazing. The characters are engaging, the community fascinating, and the murder mystery intricate enough to keep me guessing deep into it. I learned a lot about the Shakers even though I already knew quite a bit as I have long admired their craftsmanship and have even visited the Hancock Community Shaker Museum, an easy day trip from NYC. The tensions within the community were realistically and sensitively portrayed, I thought, especially in light of what I have always considered a community that from inception was bound to fail (the whole celibacy thing).
What was weak was some of the writing-- a little too repetitive (we did not need to hear every other page about how inadequate Sister Rose felt to assuming the role of Eldress to the community after the passing of Agatha), too few clues provided (that I picked up anyway) for the reader to solve the mystery. I have one more in the series on my shelves which I will definitely read.
August 1, 2019
This is the first book in a series. The reader meets Sister Rose Callahan and other residents of the North Homage Village, a fictitious Shaker village in Kentucky. There is a murder, or course, and Sister Rose is instrumental in solving the crime. In the process, there is a great deal of information about the Shakers and their way of life. During the Depression, the Shakers - who were nearly self sufficient - fared better than most and despite the fact that they were generous to the poor, there was also resentment toward them; this tension is a factor in the story including the sheriff's reluctance to help when needed.
September 1, 2017
Quite enjoyable. I've read several of the Sister Rose books now (out of order, I'm so bad), and I've really enjoyed learning about Shakers in an enjoyable, non-textbook way. Mild swearing, mild innuendo.
December 4, 2025
Meh. Not horrible but very predictable. Someone is killed and the sheriff really wants it to be a Shaker who committed the murder.
Killer found at the end. Some incredibly lucky clues discovered. Some incredibly lucky connections discovered. A little bit of romance.
Killer found at the end. Some incredibly lucky clues discovered. Some incredibly lucky connections discovered. A little bit of romance.
May 12, 2019
RATING: 3.5
June 3, 2023
Loved the book. Exciting from start to finish.
May 31, 2025
The Shakers have always interested me. This explains how they lived with mystery as well. Well written and engaging.
December 4, 2025
maybe 3.5 stars - story is OK but the info about the issues facing the Shakers as their numbers dwindled were more interesting to me
February 10, 2020
In many ways a very workmanlike straightforward debut cozy, but Woodworth has created some very warm and memorable characters in the well-researched setting of a fictional early 20th-century Kentucky Shaker community.
January 25, 2023
A good first book to a series. It is set in a (not existing at the time set) Shaker community in Kentucky during the depression so the author took a lot of liberties, so not historical accurate. I really liked Sister Rose and I will read more books in the series. A man staying in the community who may possibly join some day (winter Shaker looking for food and a place to stay in the cold months) is found murdered in the Shaker herb house. Sister Rose knows the Shaker ways and helps the local police.
April 9, 2014
This was a very different sort of setting, a Kentucky Shaker village (completely imaginary)in the 1930s, a time when the Shakers were experiencing serious losses in numbers. The senior women's leader is slowly fading at the beginning and the men's leader is taking over, determined to send the Shakers back in time as far as clothing, language, and worship are concerned, believing that it will draw people to the sect. A young man, recently arrived, is found dead and the police are determined that the perpetrator is one of the Shakers, just as Rose, the next woman leader in line, is hopeful that it is someone from the town. The events become quite convoluted but along the way MS Woodworth provides a sympathetic portrayal of the life style of the Believers.
October 23, 2008
DEATH OF A WINTER SHAKER - Okay
Woodworth, Deborah - 1st in Shaker series
The peaceful Shakers, pledged to hard work, worship and nonviolence, could scarcely believe there was a dead body in their herb house. Shaker Sister Rose Callahan, who has practical knowledge and worldly experience, is assigned to find the answers the sheriff refuses to consider--even if it means discovering a member of their community is the killer.
Cozies just aren't my genre and I found this unbearably slow.
Woodworth, Deborah - 1st in Shaker series
The peaceful Shakers, pledged to hard work, worship and nonviolence, could scarcely believe there was a dead body in their herb house. Shaker Sister Rose Callahan, who has practical knowledge and worldly experience, is assigned to find the answers the sheriff refuses to consider--even if it means discovering a member of their community is the killer.
Cozies just aren't my genre and I found this unbearably slow.
December 7, 2011
I've always been fascinated by the Shakers. Though "North Homage" is fictional, I easily pictured the Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill in KY. I'll read more in this series - I liked Sister Rose and the description of Shaker life.
June 6, 2014
>I enjoyed this cozy mystery about The Shakers in Kentucky. Interesting learning about the Shaker way of life and death was very fascinating. Enjoyed the mystery too and hope to read more from this author.
December 24, 2010
A unique mystery set among the Shaker Villages, enjoyable history of this group plus a good mystery!
August 15, 2011
Not the greatest read, but always enjoy insight about the Shakers.
Read
June 22, 2012Passed on to me by Mom.
November 26, 2012
Okay book. Entertaining but not spectacular. Interesting setting.
December 15, 2012
Nice and simple mystery, a quick read (which is what I wanted). I enjoyed the portrayal of Shaker life as much or more than the story itself.
Read
August 9, 2011 Thought the Shaker aspect made it more interesting.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews