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Ministry is Murder #3
Beware False Profits
There's no rest for the weary Aggie Sloan-Wilcox and her minister husband, who were praying for a relaxing weekend until a member of their flock went missing.
Joe Wagner, president of Emerald Springs's food bank, disappears, and Aggie discovers his secret life-as a female impersonator. Meanwhile, the murder of the mayor's wife at the annual food bank fundraiser puts Joe on top of the suspect list. If Aggie doesn't get to the bottom of things fast, she'll be leading a choir singing the blues.
Joe Wagner, president of Emerald Springs's food bank, disappears, and Aggie discovers his secret life-as a female impersonator. Meanwhile, the murder of the mayor's wife at the annual food bank fundraiser puts Joe on top of the suspect list. If Aggie doesn't get to the bottom of things fast, she'll be leading a choir singing the blues.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 6, 2007
5 people are currently reading
321 people want to read
About the author
Emilie Richards
188 books945 followersI'm the author of seventy-something novels, including romance, women's fiction and mystery. When We Were Sisters debuted in June 2016, a stand alone novel about two foster sisters traveling back into their past together. I loved writing it and love the cover my publisher chose.
I'm also excited about my recent series, Goddesses Anonymous, which started with One Mountain Away and was followed by Somewhere Between Luck and Trust. The third book in the series, A River Too Wide, came out in July 2014. The Color of Light debuted in August 2015. Will there be more? We'll see.
I'm also putting up my newly edited romance backlist and love re-reading and updating them a bit.
Last year my husband and I moved from Virginia, to Osprey, Florida, the state where both of us were raised, met, and married. In the summer we live in Chautauqua, New York. I'm a quilter, knitter, kayaker, and the mother of four children, whom I regard as my greatest creative endeavors. And now there are four wonderful grandchildren to spoil.
Visit me at my web site, emilierichards.com, and my blog, www.emilierichards.com/blog. You can also find me at Twitter and on my Facebook reader page.
I'm also excited about my recent series, Goddesses Anonymous, which started with One Mountain Away and was followed by Somewhere Between Luck and Trust. The third book in the series, A River Too Wide, came out in July 2014. The Color of Light debuted in August 2015. Will there be more? We'll see.
I'm also putting up my newly edited romance backlist and love re-reading and updating them a bit.
Last year my husband and I moved from Virginia, to Osprey, Florida, the state where both of us were raised, met, and married. In the summer we live in Chautauqua, New York. I'm a quilter, knitter, kayaker, and the mother of four children, whom I regard as my greatest creative endeavors. And now there are four wonderful grandchildren to spoil.
Visit me at my web site, emilierichards.com, and my blog, www.emilierichards.com/blog. You can also find me at Twitter and on my Facebook reader page.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
January 23, 2014
This book was as good as the previous two books, but being the third in a series I gave it a 3-star rating because I felt some incidents/interactions/events were becoming a little predictable and perhaps redundant. This is absolutely normal for a series of course, it is always bound to happen, and isn't necessarily a bad thing. It just took me a lot longer to get through than the previous two books.
This mystery started out by being less about a murder and more about a random disappearance. Joe Wagner is a very popular man, who is respected and loved in Emerald Springs. However, his sudden disappearance, and later the murder of the mayor's wife puts him on top of the suspect list.
Aggie, having known Joe, and helping his wife hide the reason for his disappearance, takes it upon herself to find out who the real killer is.
I despised Joe's wife from the very first page - when she calls Ed (Aggie's minister husband) - in the middle of their romantic getaway. Her aloofness and detachment from her son made me dislike her even more. There was something off about this woman, and even Aggie thought so. This book was much more predictable than any of the other books in the series, as all things seemed to point at the real killer from the beginning.
The final showdown between Aggie and the killer is something that I've come to wait for in Richards books. It's always exciting and leaves you sitting at the edge of your seat. I think what I liked most about this book is the development between Aggie, Ed and their 2 daughters.
Definitely an enjoyable read - with not one, but TWO mysteries to solve.
This mystery started out by being less about a murder and more about a random disappearance. Joe Wagner is a very popular man, who is respected and loved in Emerald Springs. However, his sudden disappearance, and later the murder of the mayor's wife puts him on top of the suspect list.
Aggie, having known Joe, and helping his wife hide the reason for his disappearance, takes it upon herself to find out who the real killer is.
I despised Joe's wife from the very first page - when she calls Ed (Aggie's minister husband) - in the middle of their romantic getaway. Her aloofness and detachment from her son made me dislike her even more. There was something off about this woman, and even Aggie thought so. This book was much more predictable than any of the other books in the series, as all things seemed to point at the real killer from the beginning.
The final showdown between Aggie and the killer is something that I've come to wait for in Richards books. It's always exciting and leaves you sitting at the edge of your seat. I think what I liked most about this book is the development between Aggie, Ed and their 2 daughters.
Definitely an enjoyable read - with not one, but TWO mysteries to solve.
January 27, 2016
I haven't read the other books in this series so I can't comment on the hold-up of the setting. Usually with books I would never start out of order, but with some mystery cozies it can be allowable.
I don't think I suffered much missing by beginning with the third book here. Aggie is a cool person with a great personality to follow. Her inner humor is fun and she's not too flighty or obnoxiously risky. I guess this is another series where deaths, bodies, and mysteries keep falling into the heroine's lap. I haven't read a book from the point of view of a pastor's wife before so that was interesting to do. It was in no way religious themed or preachy or anything, so no need to be turned off by that.
At first the story was a bit dry and wasn't the easiest to get sucked into, but it slowly unfolded. This is the main reason is stays a three star. The mystery wasn't the biggest in the world but it was a fun enough ride if you have the book laying around on a rainy day. It was completely a cozy mystery and there was much cuteness to endear the reader. The sense of humor translated naturally across the page thanks to the writer's style and ease of wording.
Really the humor and heroine's personality reigns as the stories strongest point. The mystery was a little lackluster but the end was a bit of surprise with some of what it held. I would read another book in this series to see how much I'd want to continue it, but as of this reading it not a mystery series favorite yet.
I don't think I suffered much missing by beginning with the third book here. Aggie is a cool person with a great personality to follow. Her inner humor is fun and she's not too flighty or obnoxiously risky. I guess this is another series where deaths, bodies, and mysteries keep falling into the heroine's lap. I haven't read a book from the point of view of a pastor's wife before so that was interesting to do. It was in no way religious themed or preachy or anything, so no need to be turned off by that.
At first the story was a bit dry and wasn't the easiest to get sucked into, but it slowly unfolded. This is the main reason is stays a three star. The mystery wasn't the biggest in the world but it was a fun enough ride if you have the book laying around on a rainy day. It was completely a cozy mystery and there was much cuteness to endear the reader. The sense of humor translated naturally across the page thanks to the writer's style and ease of wording.
Really the humor and heroine's personality reigns as the stories strongest point. The mystery was a little lackluster but the end was a bit of surprise with some of what it held. I would read another book in this series to see how much I'd want to continue it, but as of this reading it not a mystery series favorite yet.
January 3, 2016
Minister’s wife Aggie Wilcox is asked by a parishioner to help uncover what happened to her missing husband. Joe Wagner is the beloved director of Helping Hands, the Emerald Springs food bank and their major fundraising event is this weekend. Aggie and her husband discover Joe’s secret pretty quickly, but his disappearance takes a back seat when the mayor’s wife drops dead at the fundraiser. Now both Joe and the mayor are on the suspect list and it’s up to Aggie to find the truth.
It’s a fast read, but not a great mystery. The characters are mostly stereotypes, and Aggie’s “ability” to discern motives from body language and innuendo seems ridiculously simplistic. The plot is convoluted and unnecessarily complicated, and then is wrapped neatly up in a few pages. No wonder the police detective is always telling her to butt out. And speaking of that “hunky” detective … what’s with the constant references to some kind of sexual attraction between them? And the whole continued breakage of the Women’s Society antique crystal punch bowl has more than worn thin.
It’s a fast read, but not a great mystery. The characters are mostly stereotypes, and Aggie’s “ability” to discern motives from body language and innuendo seems ridiculously simplistic. The plot is convoluted and unnecessarily complicated, and then is wrapped neatly up in a few pages. No wonder the police detective is always telling her to butt out. And speaking of that “hunky” detective … what’s with the constant references to some kind of sexual attraction between them? And the whole continued breakage of the Women’s Society antique crystal punch bowl has more than worn thin.
August 3, 2021
Book 3 in the Ministry is Murder series finds Ed & Aggie & girls still in the parsonage in Emerald Springs Community Church.
There is a lot going on at Helping Hands Food Bank. When Ed agrees to look for a director, Joe Wagner, while Ed & Aggie are in NYC for a getaway weekend they learn a lot more than they bargained for! Aggie continues to search when they return to Emerald Springs. The Wilson Family each face new challenges.
A busy cozy mystery with some quirky characters and some deadly ones too.
HPL
There is a lot going on at Helping Hands Food Bank. When Ed agrees to look for a director, Joe Wagner, while Ed & Aggie are in NYC for a getaway weekend they learn a lot more than they bargained for! Aggie continues to search when they return to Emerald Springs. The Wilson Family each face new challenges.
A busy cozy mystery with some quirky characters and some deadly ones too.
HPL
August 15, 2018
Emilie Richards was on a list of mystery writers who have religious characters who solve crimes. Aggie Sloan-Wilcox is the wife of a Unitarian minister in a small town in Ohio. When the manager of the local food pantry disappears and the wife of the mayor is poisoned Aggie sets out to solve both mysteries. Along the way a valuable punch bowl disappears from the parish kitchen, the missing food pantry manager turns up at a drag queen review and a mysterious man who resembles the food pantry manager is lurking in a house Aggie is fixing up for her mother. Emilie Richards has written over 50 novels, mysteries and others. I found the quality of her writing to be uneven. In places I was carried along with the story and could hardly stop reading. But in other sections it dragged and I wondered if it was worth continuing. By the end I liked the Aggie and the other characters. I might even give Emilie Richards another change. But first there are some other churchy mystery writers to check out.
June 22, 2018
There is a lot going on in this little book. It is a series book but there were no problems jumping rght in. A well liked local man is missing, and a local not so well liked woman is dead. Things are just not as they should be at the food bank where they both worked. Then there is a fire at the food bank leaving another person dead, but this doesn't add up because he was in line to be accountable for the missing and already dead!
Enjoyable quick read. There are many twists and turns to the story that keeps the pages turning as well. A "Ministry Mystery" I was glad to see not over the top in topic, in fact brings in some wild and topical life twists to add to ministry and the story. As I recall the book, amazingly and oddly one of the recalls I have is the cold the budding private detective comes down with, it was so real I almost feel stuffy as if the germs where shared to me as I read, odd takeaway but pretty good writing, sniff sniff.
Cozy Mystery on target hit.
Enjoyable quick read. There are many twists and turns to the story that keeps the pages turning as well. A "Ministry Mystery" I was glad to see not over the top in topic, in fact brings in some wild and topical life twists to add to ministry and the story. As I recall the book, amazingly and oddly one of the recalls I have is the cold the budding private detective comes down with, it was so real I almost feel stuffy as if the germs where shared to me as I read, odd takeaway but pretty good writing, sniff sniff.
Cozy Mystery on target hit.
November 12, 2021
(3.5 stars) This is the third book in the series. Aggie and her husband are on a rare getaway trip to New York when they get a call that a member of their church has gone missing and was last seen in New York. Joe is in charge of the food bank and his wife asks them to keep his disappearance a secret. What they find is that Joe has been keeping a secret that he goes to NY to act as a female impersonator. When he is still missing at the food bank’s annual fundraiser, things become even more suspicious when a death occurs. Aggie must help sort out what is going on while organizing the remodel of the house that her mother bought to run her quilt shop The infamous punch bowl makes a return to get her in trouble again.
May 31, 2020
Puzzling Perfection
There are so MANY different facets to this little jigsaw of a mystery... there is a dearly loved missing person, a dead mayor's wife, an exotic dancer, a missing valuable punch bowl, a mysteriously invisible craftsman, a quilt shop, a food bank with irregularities, & a family from out-of-state whose names strongly resemble a Biblical family of an epic good & evil tale of betrayal & restoration.
Ministry is Murder is an absorbing--& fun--series, that while not exactly like this in real life, COULD happen in your average Parsonage...
There are so MANY different facets to this little jigsaw of a mystery... there is a dearly loved missing person, a dead mayor's wife, an exotic dancer, a missing valuable punch bowl, a mysteriously invisible craftsman, a quilt shop, a food bank with irregularities, & a family from out-of-state whose names strongly resemble a Biblical family of an epic good & evil tale of betrayal & restoration.
Ministry is Murder is an absorbing--& fun--series, that while not exactly like this in real life, COULD happen in your average Parsonage...
January 26, 2022
3.5 Third book in this series Aggie and Ed are on a rare getaway to New York City when they find out Joe Wagner a member of their Church community has gone missing. It seems that Joe has a secret life away from Emerald Springs and has been travelling once a month to become a female impersonator.
Things are hotting up in Emerald Springs as a director of Helping Hands Joe is supposed to be a host for a fund raiser and the Mayors wife falls dead. Now once again Aggie is hot to find out just who killed the mayors wife.
Things are hotting up in Emerald Springs as a director of Helping Hands Joe is supposed to be a host for a fund raiser and the Mayors wife falls dead. Now once again Aggie is hot to find out just who killed the mayors wife.
October 27, 2017
The series is totally enjoyable - the interaction between characters is well depicted. Yes, another delightful read.
August 27, 2019
Another entertaining addition to the Aggie Sloan-Wilcox series. I'm not sure how much longer one can play out a cozy in a small town but I'm willing to give the next book a try to find out.
September 14, 2019
The heroine, Aggie Sloan-Wilcox, is hurt (almost killed) until there is a dramatic rescue at the end. More convoluted than the first two.
September 10, 2020
Good series
Highly recommended that you read the books in order to get the maximum enjoyment
Great series to binge read when you have free time
Highly recommended that you read the books in order to get the maximum enjoyment
Great series to binge read when you have free time
dnf
May 24, 2021This book was moving a little too slow and the mystery was a little too complicated for me.
July 13, 2022
Fun little series that is long over with. Another garage sale find!
February 17, 2023
Cute, silly read. The Ministry is Murder series is a fun, quick read.
August 24, 2023
My first in this series about a minister's wife. Very funny!
September 26, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Not as thrilling as the others in the series, but still a good casual read.
Not as thrilling as the others in the series, but still a good casual read.
February 15, 2025
Aggie is up to her neck in murder and mysteries. She tries to help everyone and solve everything. Full of fun and adventure. Nice addition to the series.
May 20, 2025
Each of these get more complicated!
February 26, 2017
This book had me laughing as well as trying to figure out who has the killer. Aggie is not your typical pastor's wife. Plus, there sure is a lot of interesting characters residing in Emerald Springs, Ohio.
April 22, 2018
I never felt as if I connected with the characters to care enough about what happened.
Aggie and Ed Sloan go to New York to have a relaxing weekend and end up getting news that one of their congregants has disappeared and was last known to have been in New York. Aggie's investigation leads to a startling discovery--the man has been performing as Cher in a New York bar once a month.
Back home, the mayor's wife drops dead at the Mayday! celebration. Her husband asks for Aggie's help because he thinks the police suspect him. Hazel's notes seem to point a finger at the food bank charity Joe managed.
Are the two things connected? Aggie investigates further and discovers Joe's brother Rueben squatting in her mother's future home. Luckily he's a contractor and has been doing work another company was supposed to be doing. The Belcore family seems to reflect the Biblical story of Joseph and his brothers.
I didn't guess the culprit, but I don't think I really cared who it was so I didn't try very hard.
Aggie and Ed Sloan go to New York to have a relaxing weekend and end up getting news that one of their congregants has disappeared and was last known to have been in New York. Aggie's investigation leads to a startling discovery--the man has been performing as Cher in a New York bar once a month.
Back home, the mayor's wife drops dead at the Mayday! celebration. Her husband asks for Aggie's help because he thinks the police suspect him. Hazel's notes seem to point a finger at the food bank charity Joe managed.
Are the two things connected? Aggie investigates further and discovers Joe's brother Rueben squatting in her mother's future home. Luckily he's a contractor and has been doing work another company was supposed to be doing. The Belcore family seems to reflect the Biblical story of Joseph and his brothers.
I didn't guess the culprit, but I don't think I really cared who it was so I didn't try very hard.
January 22, 2014
Aggie Sloan-Wilcox is the wife of a minister and her fervent prayer is to be left alone by the interfering church committee and have a quiet life. Unfortunately for her, bodies keep turning up. In the first book LET THERE BE SUSPECTS the body was on her front porch, in the second book, BLESSED IS THE BUSY BODY the body is found in the Christmas display. Now the mayor’s wife has dropped dead at the chocolate fountain while attending the Church’s major fund raising day and a member of the Church’s flock has gone missing. Once again Aggie finds she is on the case :)
This is a cozy mystery. There are a couple of sub-plots going on and the story has a few twists and turns before all is revealed at the end. Emilie Richards has a knack for bringing her characters alive on the pages; and her sense of humour comes through and keeps you from putting the book down.
This is a cozy mystery. There are a couple of sub-plots going on and the story has a few twists and turns before all is revealed at the end. Emilie Richards has a knack for bringing her characters alive on the pages; and her sense of humour comes through and keeps you from putting the book down.
October 23, 2016
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
October 15, 2011
This is the third book in the series and I still found the book fun. Not the best written, but certainly enjoyable. Eventhough I knew the culprit early, I still wanted to finish the book. I really like the fact that she can be a happily married woman and still be physically attracted to another man... but she doesn't act on it. Raising independent thinking daughters is very hard, and yet I liked her approach. I hear there may be a fourth book in the series. Will definitely watch for it.
March 4, 2014
Minister's wife Aggie Sloan-Wilcox has two problems in the third in the series. First, a member of the congregation vanishes. Then the mayor's wife is murdered. Is there a connection? Lots of great twists and very real characters made this book hard to put down.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
September 29, 2015
Happy with Aggie.
Happy with Emilie Richards.
Happy with Emerald Springs.
Another fun mystery.
More Church high jinx.
More family drama.
Aggie looks into two things she "doesn't have to, and finds out things people don't really want her to know.
Teddy as Cinderella?
Deena and the Meanies on the outs?
Junie and crafts and a new house?
The Mayor, the good guy and the detective. What do these things all have in common?
Aggie Sloan-Wilcox.
Read this one for the fun of it all.
Happy with Emilie Richards.
Happy with Emerald Springs.
Another fun mystery.
More Church high jinx.
More family drama.
Aggie looks into two things she "doesn't have to, and finds out things people don't really want her to know.
Teddy as Cinderella?
Deena and the Meanies on the outs?
Junie and crafts and a new house?
The Mayor, the good guy and the detective. What do these things all have in common?
Aggie Sloan-Wilcox.
Read this one for the fun of it all.
August 2, 2010
I must admit that I knew the culprit fairly early on in this book. This, however, did not spoil the book for me. I did not know how Aggie was going to prove it.
I'm so happy her mother, Junie has joined the book as a regular character. She brightens the day!
I'm looking forward to book 4 of the series "A Lie for a Lie."
I'm so happy her mother, Junie has joined the book as a regular character. She brightens the day!
I'm looking forward to book 4 of the series "A Lie for a Lie."
December 11, 2010
A good cozy mystery. Aggie Sloan-Wilcox is an unorthodox amateur sleuth. Wife of a minister, she has a nose for solving mysteries and murder. She investigates the disappearance of Joe Wagner and the poisoning of of the mayor's wife, both local people.
Jacqueline Seewald
THE INFERNO COLLECTION
THE DROWNING POOL
Jacqueline Seewald
THE INFERNO COLLECTION
THE DROWNING POOL
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews