Divine Ruin

Sister Holiday Mystery #3

by Margot Douaihy

In the latest in the USA Today bestselling, award-winning, critically acclaimed series, New Orleans punk rock nun-detective Sister Holiday plunges into a “hellish underworld of drug trafficking, addiction, and her own dark past in a journey that is both riveting and sacred.” (Ana Reyes, New York Times bestselling author of The House in the Pines )

“ Divine Ruin is fearlessly inspired.” (Gillian Flynn)

It’s a steamy, restless end of the school year in New Orleans. Sister Holiday is finishing her music classes and preparing for her permanent vow ceremony, a pivotal moment in her journey of faith. But when one of her favorite students is found dead of a fentanyl overdose, Sister Holiday and her partner-in-PI, Magnolia Riveaux, are determined to track down the drug dealers. As students continue to fall prey to this sinister drug, Sister Holiday becomes more desperate to stop the epidemic—while facing her own past with addiction, a demon that is never too far.

With Douaihy’s signature mix of grit, heart, and faith, Divine Ruin tests the limits of Sister Holiday’s devotion in her darkest and most shocking case yet.

Genres: Mystery, Mystery Thriller, LGBT, Fiction, Queer, Addiction, Thriller

Audible Audio

First published January 13, 2026

About the author

Margot Douaihy (b. Scranton, PA) lives and works in Northampton, MA. She earned a BA in Writing from the University of Pittsburgh and a PhD in Creative Writing from Lancaster University.

Douaihy is the author of the lyrical crime novel SCORCHED GRACE (Gillian Flynn Books), which was named a Best Crime Novel of 2023 by The New York Times, The Guardian, Apple Books, CrimeReads, Barnes & Noble, & Novel Suspects, among others. The second book in the Sister Holiday Mystery series, BLESSED WATER, was named a Best Crime Novel of 2024 by the New York Times and the winner of a Publishing Triangle Award for LGBTQ Crime Fiction. DIVINE RUIN, the third installment, publishes January 13, 2026. Margot is also the author of Bandit/Queen: The Runaway Story of Belle Starr, a true-crime poetry project, and Scranton Lace, a documentary poetry collection about the life and death of a lace factory.

A Co-Editor of the Cambridge University Press Elements in Crime Narrative Series and Multimodal/Multimedia Section Editor of Journal of Creative Writing Studies (RIT ScholarWorks), Douaihy’s work has been featured or reviewed in Colorado Review, The Florida Review, North American Review, PBS NewsHour, Mystery Tribune, Portland Review, Vanity Fair, Vulture, and others.

Douaihy serves as an Assistant Professor with Emerson College.

Honors include the Saints & Sinners LGBTQ+ Festival Emerging Writer Award (2024); Pinckley Prize for Crime Fiction, Best Debut Mystery (2023); Left Coast Crime Best Debut Mystery Nominee (2023); Best Author by Boston Magazine (2023); The F. Lamott Belin Arts Scholarship for Virtual Reality Poetry (2023); Massachusetts Book Award Longlist (2023); New England Book Award Finalist (2023), Mass Cultural Council Artist Fellowship (2022), The Florida Review Humboldt Poetry Prize Runner-Up (2021), Ernest Hemingway Foundation Hemingway Shorts Finalist (2021), and Lambda Literary Award Poetry Finalist (2015).

A founding member of the Creative Writing Studies Organization and an active member of the Association of Writers & Writing Programs, Queer Crime Writers, and Radius of Arab American Writers (RAWI), Douaihy is represented by United Agents, Laura Macdougall (literary) and Jennifer Thomas (screen).

Reviews

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 raised to 3 Stars. For first-time readers, I include some information from my previous reviews about Sister Holiday, a unique apprentice private detective with a strong religious faith. Divine Ruins is the third book in the series.

The former Holiday Walsh (no relation) from NY is now Sister Holiday of the Sisters of Sublime Blood in sweltery New Orleans, where she teaches music in the adjacent Catholic school, St. Sebastian. In her past, she lived a riotous life of sex, drugs and rock and roll. She identifies as a lesbian, and the great love of her life is a woman who is now married. She has had past hookups with a male bartender and other men. She was a member of a punk band. As Sister Holiday dresses from head to toe in black to cover her many tattoos, her bleached blond hair shows its dark roots, and she has a gold tooth from a bar fight. Her conversations are littered with curse words, and even her prayers include swearing. Others on the staff tolerate and encourage Sister Holiday in her quest for grace and salvation. She maintains her chain-smoking habit by confiscating cigarettes and occasional liquor from unruly students and smoking in a nearby alleyway. She is devout in her own way, refers to God as "They," and says she only prays to female saints.


The author, Margot Duoaihy, is a poet, and her lovely, lyrical language comes through in this gritty novel, with clever word choices and unique, captivating expressions.


Sister Holiday has a curious and rebellious nature. In the previous book, she fancied herself a detective from watching TV crime shows and reading a Raymond Chandler book. Now, she is well on her way to becoming a full-fledged private investigator, being trained at the Redemption Detective Agency by former fire inspector Riveaux. She works diligently and with determination to solve any mystery she encounters. She is also committed to taking permanent vows with the Sisters of Sublime Blood.


The narrative is told from Sister Holiday's point of view in the form of an inner monologue and a stream of consciousness and, of course, peppered with profanity. Most of the characters are well-rounded and sympathetic.
I thought Divine Ruin was the weakest book in the series. After some students have overdosed at the school, Sister Holiday is determined to find who is supplying the drugs and have it stopped before more students die. She again teams up with Detective Magnolia Riveaux to determine the source. She goes deep undercover in a local criminal gang. The school's graduation ceremonies are fast approaching, and Sister Holiday is soon scheduled to take her permanent final vows as a nun.

The investigation into the drug world to determine the person supplying drugs within the school is complex. I thought that some of the profanity and mentions of sexuality were unnecessary, forced to emphasize the points. Sister Holiday must struggle with her past life and addictions. Does her faith endure to enable her to take her final vows? I thought this story would make a terrific movie because of her dangerous undercover work among criminals and her frequent disguises and costume changes.

The book is now available for fans of this unique series and followers of Sister Holiday.




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[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

If sister Holiday has million fans, then I'm one of them.
If sister holiday has one fan, then I'm THAT ONE.
If sister holiday has no fans, that means I'm dead

The TWISTS!!! The prose!!!! The YEARNING. The Drugs. The BonTon!!!!!

Everyone should be reading this series. It’s maturing like a fine wine.

Thanks for the ARC. I literally have never been more excited to get one.

[Sam]

This is book two in a series, I haven’t read the first instalment and I definitely feel like I missed something.
You could go ahead and read this one without having read the first book, like I did, but I recommend reading book 1 first.i feel like that will give you information you need on the origins of these characters.

A tatted up lesbian nun? I mean, what’s not to like? Maybe all the religious stuff and the “nunning”, but that’s personal.
I feel like there is a lot of repetition in this story, mostly when it comes to describing a character, not about how they look, but what they do. Business partners and friends are frequently described with the same adjectives as used not 2 or 3 pages before, sometimes even a couple lines before. That’s the kinda stuff that irks me.
Other than that it’s a decent story, I enjoyed the PI stuff and the friendships. Must say I didn’t guess the bad guy right, which is great.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another outing with my favorite sleuth, Sister Holiday. These mysteriess are much darker than that sentence would suggest, and I really enjoy them

[Ann (Inky Labyrinth) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book in the series by far! I cry!

[Juliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't ever been one for detective books. I think mystery is fun but I never found myself really feeling a connection to the detective character outside of them being some uber smart know-it-all who figures out the mystery without any of the clues somehow. And that's why I really love Sister Holiday; she's flawed and vulnerable, raw and real to the point that can at times make you cringe and wish she hadn't done that exact thing. This paired with Douaihy’s writing makes these books feel so intriguing and fun for me! I love the unconventional setting and the way the element of each book is woven into the narrative so cleanly. I've met Douaihy before, as she's good friends with one of my undergraduate creative writing professors, and she is just as witty and real in person as you would expect and it translates so well into her writing. I'm so glad I got to read this ARC and continue following Sister Holiday and her twists and turns through being a queer punk nun.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure it was my fav of the series but I still enjoyed this third cozy mystery set in New Orleans following amateur detective and queer nun, Sister Holiday. She's flawed and funny, has a crush on her coworker and gets caught up trying to solve who's behind supplying fentanyl to one of her students who overdosed. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

CW: addiction, drug overdose

[Noemi · Rating 5 out of 5]

To say that I'm OBSESSED with this series is an understatement. I wanted to be a nun as a kid, and this is the kind of nun I want to be as an adult! Her way with words is orgasmi. Her descriptions of New Orleans is gritty, and how she captures the lives of its inhabitants is passionate and compelling. Blessed be Sister Holiday!

[Sonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really 3.5. Not sure why I like this series. Sister Holiday is a mystery all,by herself.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the last couple of weeks of the school term, and Sister Holiday is preoccupied with preparing for her final vows, when one of her students dies of a fentanyl overdose at school. Devastated and passionately determined to find out where the drug came from and protect her students, Holiday enlists her PI partner, Riveaux, to dig around for the source of the drugs. Then she is asked to go undercover for the police, facing temptation from her old demons, as well as danger from the drug gang. Douaihy's language and imagery bring us right into sultry New Orleans, and the story ramps up the tension until the final scenes. My favorite Sister Holiday yet!

[Cassanova33 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was gearing up to be my favorite installment in the series. Great writing, great character work, great read. But something incredibly disappointing happens near the end that kind of ruined the whole thing for me. Not only did it play into what I consider to be a harmful trope, but narratively, it was a quick and definitive end to what was a complex and interesting character dilemma, one that I had hoped would continue further into the series. Four stars for 90% of the book, two stars for the last 10, so I’m splitting the difference.

[IV · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I'm with you."
"I love you."

ALL I'M SAYING IS THIS BETTER NOT BE GOODBYE!! BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE EMOTIONALLY DISTRESSING AND KIND OF FUCKED UP!!

Despite the cleanness of this installment, and all the signs pointing to it being its conclusion, which beautifully complements my love of good things knowing when to come to an end, I'm coping, so call me sister holiday the way I believe in book #4


review:
I was a little late on the Sister Holiday train. I didn't get to Scorched Grace until a year after its publication when it had already developed a hit-or-miss reputation. But I knew I'd love it, and sure enough, I did.

As relevant as the trope of rebellion separating itself from the church can be, I think this entire series is wonderfully fresh in its take on the personal aspect of faith. I love media that handles religiously complex themes in a way that isn't just altruistically and wholly condemning because it lends texture to the characters that grapple with its questions (Wake Up Dead Man is a good example of this: I didn't care for the mystery itself, but loved Father Jud as a character, and the shape his personal arc took throughout the story). Sister Holiday is a wonderfully human contradiction- she believes in the personality and privacy of faith, as well as the ability of believers to condemn its man-made aspects- as she puts it, it must adapt or be destroyed.

While book #2, Blessed Water was a bit of a swing and miss for me, despite the prominence of Riveaux, who continues to delight me, I held out for Divine Ruin, and I'm really, really happy that I made it here. I blew through almost three hundred pages of the Ebook in one day, and then sat on my hands being nervous about what would happen next until life let up enough for me to get back to it, which is my favorite feeling when reading a mystery. The pacing was full-speed ahead, New Orleans remains oppressively warm and atmospheric, the relationships between characters like Bernard, Moose, Riveaux, Sister Holiday, Prince and Rosemary continued to be both heartwarming and heartbreaking, and the twists and turns were realistic while still maintaining the element of surprise.

My only complaint is that this was almost too carefully reigned in- I was one of the people who complained about Blessed Water almost spilling out of the box in a way that was more uncontrolled than ambitious, but I feel like if there's a place to go crazy, it's the natural conclusion of your series (again- I'm a book #4 believer, but Divine Ruin is definitely the natural conclusion to the first arc of Sister Holiday and Saint Sebastian's story). We got a little bit of that insanity in the last five pages of the book- it took me a second to even register it because I was like, no way this is happening right now, which was amazing- but while meticulously plotted, I think some pieces could have been more exciting if the scene had been broadened by just a few frames.
Some stuff I wanted more of:
- Riveaux!!
- Alex's dealing being a little more sinister and linked more closely to the Royal Family rather than just being a gateway thing
- A slightly tenser final standoff between Lenny and Trish
- A little more illegally sniffing around from Riveaux and Holiday.
- After all the buildup, Sister Holiday's final vows felt a little underwhelming. I also thought we'd maybe get a little more out of her and Sister Honor's tense relationship- it felt like a lot of things sort of got glossed over by the end of the book.
- Prince !!

But tiny complaints out of the way, I'm still pent-up with amazing things about this I want to say.

1.
' "Miss," he said, "I need you to step away from the body"- "The body? That's Rosemary Flynn." ' is one of the most succinct and gut-punching descriptions of grief I've ever read.

I miss you my mean-ass well-dressed lesbian science teacher. I hope Sister Holiday is right about you being infinite because I am requesting at least four subsequent novels where you heavily haunt the narrative.

(I will say I agree with Douaihy's choice to not pursue an explicitly romantic relationship between the two of them before Rosemary's death- it may have just been to add to the tragedy of a missed chance, but again, this is another subversion of typical 'rebelliously-religious' tropes where it's very easy for characters to give up their beliefs to satisfy their love- I thought the mentally-obsessive standoff between the two of them was truer to Holiday's personality, as well as presenting the great tear between her spiritual and physical lives in a way that was much more heartbreaking than if they had explicitly been dating).

2.
Bernard and Moose!!

3.
The undercover scenes with 'Tammy' - tense, atmospheric, written perfectly. I was clenching my ass the entire time I was reading them. I really thought they mixed up the usual settings of convent-school-Riveaux's office.

tldlr: This is a lot of words to say that I liked it. Mildly underwhelming on some plot fronts, but undeniably neat and with a strong spotlight on individual characters. This was a really good sendoff/potential new beginning, and I appreciate Margot Douaihy for blessing us with these characters and this series. This is not the last of Sister Holiday!!

[boogleloo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 stars: This is Douaihy's third entry in the Sister Holiday Mystery series, which is a 2SLGBTQIA+ Crime Mystery that takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana. Featuring a very unique nun, she's tattooed, sports a gold tooth, smokes and is an apprentice PI to a former fire inspector all without missing a beat in her holy duties or the music classes she teaches. But when a favorite student dies of a fentanyl overdose she and partner dive into the dark underbelly of the city to track down the dealers. Desperate to stop this epidemic all while contending with her own past with addiction and preparing for her permanent vow ceremony, she'll test the limits of her faith and goes deep undercover with a local gang and uncovers a truth with lethal implications for those she loves.

With plenty of twists and turns, Douaihy writes a fast-paced gritty investigative tale that will leave you on the edge until the final page. With biting wit, Douaihy's writing and character work are well done; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining likable with a secondary cast that's well crafted and uniquely voiced.

Douaihy touches on some very tough topics; so take care and check the CWs. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading the series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, Scorched Grace.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Zando Projects | Gillian Flynn Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Divine Ruin by Margot Douaihy
#fifthbookof2026 #arc #divineruin #sisterholiday #bookthree

CW: death, murder, drug overdoses, drug use, drug trafficking, reference to animal abuse

From Netgalley: It’s a steamy, restless end of the school year in New Orleans. Sister Holiday is finishing her music classes and preparing for her permanent vow ceremony, a pivotal moment in her journey of faith. But when one of her favorite students is found dead of a fentanyl overdose, Sister Holiday and her partner-in-PI, Magnolia Riveaux, are determined to track down the drug dealers. As students continue to fall prey tothis sinister drug, Sister Holiday becomes more desperate to stop the epidemic—while facing her own past with addiction, a demon that is never too far. With Douaihy’s signature mix of grit, heart, and faith, Divine Ruin tests the limits of Sister Holiday’s devotion in her darkest and most shocking case yet.

My thoughts: This is book three in a series I have really been enjoying. Anything set in New Orleans is a win for me, and I have grown to love Sister Holiday. And I was both devastated for her, then overjoyed for her in just a matter of pages. Her struggles with faith and sobriety are universal and relevant, and I can’t wait to see what she gets up to next. These stories are gritty and engaging, and I’m really drawn to them in a visceral way. Looking forward to book four!

Thank you to @zandoprojects Gillian Flynn Books and @netgalley for the advance copy. (Pub date is 1/13/26)

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sister Holiday, our favorite tattooed queer punk rock nun detective is back, teaching guitar to highschoolers and just being her bad/good self in NOLA. But then it all goes to perdition when a good solid student of hers dies of an overdose right in front of her and she is unable to make a difference. She and her PI partner, Magnolia Riveaux, are now on a mission to track down the drug dealers. She and her own addiction history are working the case when her nemesis on NOPD taps her for a bit of undercover work with the same goal. It gets pretty dicey, and it is a never ending battle. The nun who has "been there, done that" can and does get right in there and does the best she can while fighting her own demons and praying her way through it all.
Hope 2027 will bring us Book 3!
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected review e-proof from Zando Projects | Gillian Flynn Books via NetGalley. Pub Date Jan 13 2026 #preorder ebook, print, audio
#DivineRuin by Margot Douaihy @neonmargot #SisterHolidayMysteriesBk3 @thegillianflynn @zandoprojects #NetGalley
#LGBTQCrimeFiction #NOLA #opioiddeaths #drugtrafficking #nun #NOPD #undercover #addiction #crimenarrative #testsoffaith #personalloss #grieving

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for current and former queer Catholics, Divine Ruin combines mystery with musings of being a queer catholic. This is Margot Douaihy's third book in her Sister Holiday mystery series. The main character, Sister Holiday, is novice nun, preparing to take her final vows. Oh, and she's a lesbian with a dirty mouth and serious vices. As Sister Holiday is preparing for her vows to become an official nun, the school the Sisters of the Sublime Blood run is hit with a series of fentanyl ODs. While grappling with her own history of addiction, Sister Holiday and her co-private investigator, Magnolia Riveaux take on the case to find out who the supplier is. Consistent with her prior two Sister Holiday books, Douaihy spent her time building a rich mystery that does not shy away from challenging social topics. This book had me hooked with beautiful descriptions of horrible circumstances. Douaihy highlights systemic challenges with poverty, addiction, and being a queer Catholic that will resonate with many readers.

[Tali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sister Holiday, the smoking, tattooed, foul-mouthed nun, is at it again in the third installment of this edgy and timely series.

Each book has tackled a current societal struggle and put its unconventional nun spin on it as Sister Holiday sleuths her way out of the mystery and into a deeper relationship with her understanding of god. This book took on the fentanyl crisis, addiction, teens abusing prescription drugs, drug rings, and the major need for Narcan.

Not being religious myself, Sister Holiday is the first nun I understood. Douaihy had a very unique take on religion and what it means to this character, and I love getting that perspective in each book of the series.

Douaihy creates the most unique and multi-layered characters, full of contradictions and incredibly human. There are many quotes to pull from the brilliant writing.

The mystery itself was a bit predictable for me, but I enjoyed the way it unfolded. I love that each book revisits characters with whom you form a relationship. I will miss Sister Holiday for now. Until the next one (hopefully).

[Mary Dent · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this third book in the series, Sister Holiday dives even deeper into the gritty streets of NOLA, going undercover to expose a Fentanyl ring that is claiming the lives of students at St Sebastian’s. Sister Holiday is on the brink of taking her eternal vows when she complies with Detective Decker’s outrageous plea for help. At first, Holiday (AKA Tammy/AKA Sister Goldsmobile), does not confide in her new PI partner Riveaux about her undercover job. Big Mistake! Riveaux is the secret sauce in this series, in my humble opinion. Some real shit goes down in this book. Be ready to learn just how low Sister Holiday can go without jumping back into her depraved NYC punk rocker lifestyle before she finds Redemption. There’s not exactly an HEA here but there’s a big Dog-is-Hero moment, which made me smile. Best book in the series so far, and I do recommend reading them all in order. These characters just keep getting better. Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a hardcover copy for an honest review here. The cover art is so perfect!

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sister Holiday is about to take her permanent vows to officially become a nun at Saint Sebastian in New Orleans where she teaches music. She also happens to be a lesbian, ex-punk rocker who got clean from doing drugs and drinking, and now moonlights with her friend who is a PI. When one of Sister Holiday's students OD at school, she's determined to find out who is behind the drugs that are invading her school and bring them to justice.

This is book 3 in the Sister Holiday series, and while there are references to the stories in the past books, this book does stand on its own. It's definitely quirky and a little unnerving at first to read the narrative of a nun who curses, smokes, has tattoos and fantasizes about her fellow teacher. But the character really does work and the story does too.

Very entertaining. It's a quick and easy read. Definitely recommend it as a unique and fun mystery.

I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kay Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed previous mysteries with tattooed lesbian nun Sister Holiday but the poetic flow of language in this third book blows them out of the park. Maybe "enjoyed" isn't the right word? Appreciated? Admired? Some readers may prefer plainer word use but if you get something out of crime noir genre fiction with hard boiled detectives this should appeal.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

It's not a romance and good people die. That's what's happening in USA now as a result of the fetanyl trade and from human greed and stupidity. The story also features a range of characters trying to live up to their potential and to help others. This is a satisfying end to a chapter in the good sister's story arc. I would read more featuring Sister Holiday and her PI buddy if they are written but will be OK if there's a gap.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I had to chuckle when I noticed that my library classifies this as a cozy mystery, I suppose because the main character is a nun, so how could it be anything else? Well, this nun is fully tattooed, is a lesbian, and before she entered the convent, was a drinker, drug user and guitarist in an all-female band. Meet Sister Holiday, who struggles with obedience, sneaks a smoke when she can, and wears gloves to hide the tats on her hands (her habit manages to cover the rest). Oh, and she lives in New Orleans and helps a retired female cop (more like she was driven out of the force by unrelenting corruption and misogyny), now a private investigator, with her cases. In this one, a wave of fentanyl ODs is killing students at her convent’s secondary school, and Holiday is going to find the source and shut it down

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, let's talk about this cover -- perfection!

I am glad I kept going back to this series after being disappointed in the first one because third book in and I really feel like we've found Sister Holiday's voice. Her jaded sarcasm & witty one-liners are so funny and brilliant that it more than made up for the parts where the plot itself seemed to drag.

In this third installment, our badass nun must go undercover to try and track down a fentanyl dealer that has infiltrated her school and is causing harm to her students. Her character is filled with so many wonderful contradictions that it makes for a fun ride!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is really well written. The prose is sharp, gritty, and sometimes even beautiful. There’s a strong sense of place, and Sister Holiday is a compelling character to follow. That said, the pacing felt a little off. Some parts dragged, others moved too quickly, and I kept waiting for it to click into place in a more satisfying way.
I also didn’t realize this was part of a series. It can technically be read on its own, but it definitely feels like you're missing some important context. There are character dynamics and emotional beats that probably work better if you’ve read the earlier books, but they didn’t fully land for me without that background.
Overall, I liked parts of it and can see the appeal, but it didn’t fully come together for me.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

[Paloma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sister Holiday is facing one of her hardest cases to date. One of her favorite students, Fleur Benoit, is found dead from an apparent fentanyl overdose. It is up to Sister Holiday to dig deep into what happened to Fleur in the most unconventional ways.

I've been a Sister Holiday fan since book one. She is flawed, brilliant, witty, dark, and a great human being. I enjoy her ramblings and afterthoughts. Her opinions are strong and she always has something to say. But she is also very active and imperfect which made her such a great candidate to go undercover. She knows right from wrong though sometimes she has to fight hard against her past demons. I love her character so much.
Thank you Netgalley and Zando Projects for this eARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

[Raquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another banger in the Sister Holiday series; this was full of darkness and dichotomy and yearning (the gayest emotion). Douaihy artfully (and I do mean artfully; her language is poetic af) explores desire and addiction, as well as lust and vengeance. Which really are two sides of the same coin, in a way. The ending of this one is dark and triumphant, and it also leaves me wondering what's next, because Sister H has just taken her permanent vows and leveled up in her faith journey... but clearly she's also leveled up in other ways.

Looking forward to book 4. [Disclaimer: the author is a colleague and friend.]

[A Reader's Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOLA's sassiest nun is back for the sultry end of the school year. When one of her students is found dead of an overdose just weeks before graduation, Sister Holiday finds herself relentlessly pursuing justice, and she might have to break promises to herself and others in order to get it.

Like all of the Sister Holiday books, this book deals with heavy and deep topics masterfully. Several favorite characters were back (BonTon!!), the tension was beautifully taut throughout the book, and there were several twists I didn't see coming. I'm not sure if this is meant to be the final chapter in Sister Holiday's story, but it definitely feels like the end of an arc.

4/5 stars.

[Kiera Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

What a firecracker book to round off Sister Holiday’s adventures. Bouncing back between anger, betrayal, sadness, grief and almost everything in between this character development of Sister Holiday truly meant everything to me. The writing as always is impeccable and absolutely gorgeous, this truly had me hanging onto every last word! An incredibly easily rated 5 star read and if this is the last we see of Sister Holiday, as gutted as I’ll be, at least she went out with a bang.

[Tania · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nun, music teacher, PI apprentice, undercover agent and amateur sleuth, Sister Holiday can do it all.

Sister Holiday and her trusted confidants, brother Gabe, (a paramedic) and PI partner Riveaux and Father Nathan, all have so much empathy in a city “where the dead are buried above ground”. I love all these complicated, raw, realistic fictional characters.

The noir tone of this book series has me enraptured with her world in the Big Easy.

“Grief was an invisible heart.”
“Sleuthing was her salvation.”

[Court · Rating 2 out of 5]

This would've been my favorite book in the series except for something that happens towards the end of the book that kind of ruined the whole thing for me. I didn't want to finish the book and I was annoyed that I'd wasted so much time reading this series.

The writing for most of the book was well done and the plot well thought out but this particular plot point felt cheap and like it was trying to wrap things up in a nice bow in a way that didn't really serve the plot.

Ugh, I'm still mad about it.

[Maddie Norkiewicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will never pass up a Sister Holiday mystery!!! Obsessed. I really hope she keeps these coming bc I will eat them up every time. Sister Holiday is the most unique protagonist love her foreverrrr. Scorched Grace will always be my fave (1st), but I enjoyed this one more than Blessed Water (2nd). The crime-centered story was also verrrrry representative of the current drug climate/epidemic which I think is a valuable central theme! Very different from other true crime stories and less predictable.