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Christine Bennett #7
The Passover Murder
FINAL QUESTIONS.
Until someone killed her, the only mystery about adorable Iris Grodnik was why she had never married. But for fifteen years, her strange disappearance and murder during a Passover seder has remained a troubling piece of family history.
So when Iris's relatives ask ex-nun Chris Bennett--now the wife of a New York City cop--to make one last attempt to learn the truth, she reluctantly consents. Iris's old friends and suitors have scattered, and Chris soon suspects that some of the relatives are not telling her all they know about Iris's life and death.
Then, in the dusty depths of a hall closet, she finds an old leather purse--and her worst forebodings about Iris Grodnik's haunting murder begin to be fulfilled. . . .
From the Paperback edition.
Until someone killed her, the only mystery about adorable Iris Grodnik was why she had never married. But for fifteen years, her strange disappearance and murder during a Passover seder has remained a troubling piece of family history.
So when Iris's relatives ask ex-nun Chris Bennett--now the wife of a New York City cop--to make one last attempt to learn the truth, she reluctantly consents. Iris's old friends and suitors have scattered, and Chris soon suspects that some of the relatives are not telling her all they know about Iris's life and death.
Then, in the dusty depths of a hall closet, she finds an old leather purse--and her worst forebodings about Iris Grodnik's haunting murder begin to be fulfilled. . . .
From the Paperback edition.
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 2, 1996
32 people are currently reading
176 people want to read
About the author
Lee Harris
103 books77 followersA pseudonym used by Syrell Leahy.
Lee Harris is the author of the mystery novels featuring ex-nun Christine Bennett, who first appeared in The Good Friday Murder, an Edgar Award nominee. She also writes the New York Mysteries, which debuted with Murder in Hell's Kitchen. In 2001, Lee Harris received the Romantic Times magazine Career Achievement Award for her distinguished contribution to crime writing.
Lee Harris is the author of the mystery novels featuring ex-nun Christine Bennett, who first appeared in The Good Friday Murder, an Edgar Award nominee. She also writes the New York Mysteries, which debuted with Murder in Hell's Kitchen. In 2001, Lee Harris received the Romantic Times magazine Career Achievement Award for her distinguished contribution to crime writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
April 17, 2020
This installment in the Christine Bennett mystery series finds our ex-nun getting involved in a mystery from her friend Melanie's past. When Chris attends the Passover celebration of Melanie's family, she learns about a Passover dinner from 16 years ago when Great-Aunt Iris went to the door to let in the Prophet Elijah and never came back. Iris's battered body was found two days later in an undesirable part of Manhattan. The police were unable to find anyone with a motive and so the case is still open. Chris is persuaded to look into the murder by Melanie and her mother--even though she feels that the family patriarch (whom she just met, but already likes very much) would rather that old secrets stay buried.
Despite the reluctance of Iris's family and friends to answer questions, Chris is able to read between the lines and uncovers a surprising suspect that the police overlooked. Little clues and passing comments lead to a big reveal, though it would take a reader with psychic powers to figure out the complete story before Christine . I'm not complaining, though--Harris's characters are good and the plot is solid. And these mysteries are nice, comfy reads for when you don't want to puzzle over complex plots and intense drama among the players.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
Despite the reluctance of Iris's family and friends to answer questions, Chris is able to read between the lines and uncovers a surprising suspect that the police overlooked. Little clues and passing comments lead to a big reveal, though it would take a reader with psychic powers to figure out the complete story before Christine . I'm not complaining, though--Harris's characters are good and the plot is solid. And these mysteries are nice, comfy reads for when you don't want to puzzle over complex plots and intense drama among the players.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
July 17, 2019
Book number 7 in the Christine Bennett mystery series. The former nun is invited to a Passover seder by her neighbor. During the event she learns that sixteen years prior, the neighbor’s aunt Iris disappeared in the middle of the Passover meal. Her body was found a few days later but the mystery of her death has never been solved.
I really like this main character. Christine is intelligent, calm, deliberate, tenacious and compassionate. She gains the trust of those she interviews and manages to ferret out information that even the police failed to uncover. Her husband, Jack, is a detective with the NYPD, and also going to law school, so while he’s always willing to listen and offer advice (and some “inside” help now and again) Christine manages quite well on her own.
One thing I like about this series (and the Kinsey Millhone series by Sue Grafton) is the setting in a time period before cell phones, computers and googling. The person doing the detecting has to rely on lots of tedious footwork and research, as well as keen observation and a well-honed intuition when interviewing suspects / witnesses.
I really like this main character. Christine is intelligent, calm, deliberate, tenacious and compassionate. She gains the trust of those she interviews and manages to ferret out information that even the police failed to uncover. Her husband, Jack, is a detective with the NYPD, and also going to law school, so while he’s always willing to listen and offer advice (and some “inside” help now and again) Christine manages quite well on her own.
One thing I like about this series (and the Kinsey Millhone series by Sue Grafton) is the setting in a time period before cell phones, computers and googling. The person doing the detecting has to rely on lots of tedious footwork and research, as well as keen observation and a well-honed intuition when interviewing suspects / witnesses.
July 24, 2010
Christine #7, another "4" for Lee Harris, a nice easy read...
Here we have the seventh in Lee Harris' nice clean easy-going series about a 15-year ex-nun turned (newly married) amateur sleuth, Christine Bennett. With only a couple of part-time jobs to sap her time, Chris has more than adequate opportunity to chase down witnesses and family members of crimes left unsolved from years ago. This one follows that same form - one of the elder women attending a Passover Seder some 16 years prior suddenly disappeared at a key part in the ceremony when someone opens the door for Elijah. (Knowing nothing about the heritage or celebration of Passover, we found the author's light tutorial interesting in itself, especially told through the eyes of our somewhat naïve leading lady, obviously a Catholic...) She was found murdered a day or two later in another part of Manhattan. The family knows of Christine's "hobby" and asks her to determine whatever happened if she can.
A key discovery of the lady's wallet (after 16 years, right in the very closet where they originally thought it would be?), frankly a little hard to believe, provided a lot of clues, as did the somewhat reluctant memory of key players still alive, like the lady's ex-boss' widow, an old boyfriend, etc.
A few somewhat surprising developments continue to unfold as Christine digs ever deeper into the family mystery, as well as family secrets heretofore untold, but in the end she unravels the whole mess. All of this is a favor to her best girlfriend, Melanie Gross, a confidante from virtually all the previous episodes.
Lee Harris' series is certainly pleasant enough; rather carefree reading when one doesn't feel like following too complex a plot or too suspenseful a thriller. Rather, some nice characters we grow increasingly fond of must be finding a following, as the series now stands at 14 titles all told. We'd like to see a little more variety in the "formula", like maybe hubby and NYC detective Jack could work on a problem with Chris directly, or there could be old and new overlapping mysteries or something, but hey - we're not the author!! So if any of this sounds like your cup of tea, or just to go with your cup of tea, try it!
Here we have the seventh in Lee Harris' nice clean easy-going series about a 15-year ex-nun turned (newly married) amateur sleuth, Christine Bennett. With only a couple of part-time jobs to sap her time, Chris has more than adequate opportunity to chase down witnesses and family members of crimes left unsolved from years ago. This one follows that same form - one of the elder women attending a Passover Seder some 16 years prior suddenly disappeared at a key part in the ceremony when someone opens the door for Elijah. (Knowing nothing about the heritage or celebration of Passover, we found the author's light tutorial interesting in itself, especially told through the eyes of our somewhat naïve leading lady, obviously a Catholic...) She was found murdered a day or two later in another part of Manhattan. The family knows of Christine's "hobby" and asks her to determine whatever happened if she can.
A key discovery of the lady's wallet (after 16 years, right in the very closet where they originally thought it would be?), frankly a little hard to believe, provided a lot of clues, as did the somewhat reluctant memory of key players still alive, like the lady's ex-boss' widow, an old boyfriend, etc.
A few somewhat surprising developments continue to unfold as Christine digs ever deeper into the family mystery, as well as family secrets heretofore untold, but in the end she unravels the whole mess. All of this is a favor to her best girlfriend, Melanie Gross, a confidante from virtually all the previous episodes.
Lee Harris' series is certainly pleasant enough; rather carefree reading when one doesn't feel like following too complex a plot or too suspenseful a thriller. Rather, some nice characters we grow increasingly fond of must be finding a following, as the series now stands at 14 titles all told. We'd like to see a little more variety in the "formula", like maybe hubby and NYC detective Jack could work on a problem with Chris directly, or there could be old and new overlapping mysteries or something, but hey - we're not the author!! So if any of this sounds like your cup of tea, or just to go with your cup of tea, try it!
July 9, 2014
#7 in the Christine Bennett series. Ex-nun Bennett has found a unique niche among amateur cozy mystery detectives, people come to her for help in solving cold cases. This time out, she is invited to a Seder by her neighbor and comes to hear of a relative who disappeared at a Seder 16 years earlier. As with any cold case, some luck is involved; but, Christine's efforts to solve the murder of Iris Grodnik are ingenious. Excellent series entry.
Christine Bennett series - Until someone killed her, the only mystery about adorable Iris Grodnik was why she had never married. But for fifteen years, her strange disappearance and murder during a Passover seder has remained a troubling piece of family history.
So when Iris's relatives ask ex-nun Chris Bennett--now the wife of a New York City cop--to make one last attempt to learn the truth, she reluctantly consents. Iris's old friends and suitors have scattered, and Chris soon suspects that some of the relatives are not telling her all they know about Iris's life and death. Then, in the dusty depths of a hall closet, she finds an old leather purse--and her worst forebodings about Iris Grodnik's haunting murder begin to be fulfilled.
Christine Bennett series - Until someone killed her, the only mystery about adorable Iris Grodnik was why she had never married. But for fifteen years, her strange disappearance and murder during a Passover seder has remained a troubling piece of family history.
So when Iris's relatives ask ex-nun Chris Bennett--now the wife of a New York City cop--to make one last attempt to learn the truth, she reluctantly consents. Iris's old friends and suitors have scattered, and Chris soon suspects that some of the relatives are not telling her all they know about Iris's life and death. Then, in the dusty depths of a hall closet, she finds an old leather purse--and her worst forebodings about Iris Grodnik's haunting murder begin to be fulfilled.
April 11, 2018
If you like murder mysteries with very little violence, this series is for you. Bad things happen, and people die, but there is little gore. The detective is a former nun who leaves the convent -which she entered at 15 - so she has a lot of catching up to do.
In this book she is invited to her friend Mel's Seder. She enjoys learning about the significance of the ritual meal. But when Mel's Aunt Sophie breaks downs weeping, and is led from the room, as she has for the past 15 Seders, Chris senses a mystery.
The murder took place years before, when a woman with no enemies went to answer the door for Elijah...and never came back. Her body was found two days later, badly beaten.
A lot of time has passed, and many of the murdered woman's friends are dead, but her family still want answers. Or some of them do...
In this book she is invited to her friend Mel's Seder. She enjoys learning about the significance of the ritual meal. But when Mel's Aunt Sophie breaks downs weeping, and is led from the room, as she has for the past 15 Seders, Chris senses a mystery.
The murder took place years before, when a woman with no enemies went to answer the door for Elijah...and never came back. Her body was found two days later, badly beaten.
A lot of time has passed, and many of the murdered woman's friends are dead, but her family still want answers. Or some of them do...
April 24, 2023
The Christine Bennett mystery novels are some of my very favorites, and this volume is one of the best. This series is two parts cozy, one part Sue Grafton, and a little bit of Julia Spencer-Fleming. The holiday-themed titles/covers make the books in this series seem lighter than they are. Former nun Chris Bennett has a gift for asking the right questions, and connecting dots that others don't see. The Passover Murder is excellent. Chris is asked by a friend to look into the death of the friend's aunt, which happened many years before. It's the coldest of cold cases, and yet Chris finds some information that everyone else missed... and the whole situation of what happens begins to unfold. There is also an interesting sub-plot involving Chris's sister-in-law. All in all, this book (and series) will appeal to readers of Grafton, Louise Penny, Katherine Hall Page, Susan Wittig Albert, and others in that vein. As always, I suggest reading a mystery series in order, if possible, but each book in this series does stand alone.
April 8, 2018
Chris Bennett was a nun and has left the convent and married a NYC detective. Her friend and neighbor has asked her to come for a Passover Seder. She does and at the request of Mel's mother Marilyn Chris looks into the murder of Iris sixteen years before. Iris is Mel's great aunt, never married but was working at a job she loved. Iris opened the door during the Seder to let Elijah in and never came back. Chris tracks down people who knew and loved Iris. She sees parts of the city she never would have seen otherwise. The actual killer was a surprise after many theories and conjecture. Lee Harris' The Passover Murder was wonderful You can read it out of order. This is the seventh in the series and the first one I've ever read, without a problem.
December 29, 2017
Passover murder
Exceptionally good book made my head hurt trying to figure it out. Combined two worlds very well. The murderer was a total surprise. The story line excellent. The characters very well rounded. Plenty of suspense and making your brain think. Came to several wrong conclusion s. Was very happy with both subjects that were going on and how they ended. Going to have to read her other books now.
Exceptionally good book made my head hurt trying to figure it out. Combined two worlds very well. The murderer was a total surprise. The story line excellent. The characters very well rounded. Plenty of suspense and making your brain think. Came to several wrong conclusion s. Was very happy with both subjects that were going on and how they ended. Going to have to read her other books now.
May 6, 2018
Being somewhat familiar with a passover seder, this story intrigued me. although it happened 16 years prior,it was still an opened case.No one wanted to divulge information,but through diligence,the answers slowly came out. The birth certificate of the aunt told more information that was helpful than the people she spoke with. unfortunately it was not what they all were expecting,but in the end, they got the closure they needed and some of the answers.
July 20, 2022
Maybe I've been away from this series for too long (it's been over six years!) or maybe it's just not for me anymore, but I had a hard time getting past the way it all felt so dated. I still like Christine and her supporting characters, but I was so distracted by how 'old' it seemed that I couldn't focus on trying to figure out whodunnit. That said, I'll probably try one more book from this series just to be sure.
March 10, 2020
My one quibble with these books is the on-going use of the words retard and retarded to describe the developmentally disabled people in the books. Granted, these books were written a while ago, but "retard" was going out of respectable use even then. I do appreciate the presence of the characters with developmental disabilities though.
Other than that, really enjoyed the mystery.
Other than that, really enjoyed the mystery.
April 13, 2021
Another excellent choice. This time I did figure out one thing, based on the 16 year time line. Read it. Worth the time as a distraction. Oh and it was really a combined effort. The former nun, the Mother Superior, the Jewish attorney, and her down-the-street neighbor. It all began at a Passover seder....
April 10, 2018
I needed an easy read and this was a good one. The mystery is sixteen years old, but the sleuth does a good job of uncovering the truth. If I wasn't so tired I might have found it slow, but I enjoyed the pace and realistic feeling of the writing and was never bored.
March 31, 2021
Loved this book! Read it because Passover was Saturday. First one I have read in this series. Definitely want to read more. There was a murder at a family Seder 16 years ago that was never solved. Can Chris help find closure for them after all this time? A-
January 14, 2020
Chris helps Mel's family to solve a family mystery that happened 16 years ago. It's another good story! I'm looking forward to the next story!
April 1, 2020
It has been awhile since I read one of this series and it was refreshing.i am glad it ended up the Jack and Chris are expecting.
May 4, 2020
A satisfying mystery. A very likeable main character and a story with substance.
April 6, 2021
I picked this book because I was attempting a challenge where I needed to find the word Passover and I figured this would do the trick. Anyone who knows me know that I hate to read out of order but I didn't think I could plough through all 7 of them by the end of the month. Christine is a former nun, who left the order and is now married to a NYPD officer. From the content of this story, that's about the only background that you need to know about and they cover that at the beginning, so you could probably read this series in any order. Christine and her husband are invited to attend the Passover seder at their home and they accept. During the course of the dinner, she finds out that one of their family was murdered 16 years ago right after that year's seder. She agrees to look into this old case and attempts to discover information that the police at that time couldn't find. This was an solid read, I just thought that the story was a little "one tone". I don't know if I'll go back and attempt to read any other books from the series or not.
March 24, 2023
Loved all the books in this series which are all cold case mysteries. I loved how the main characters researched to solve the crimes.
September 14, 2024
This was the first time reading this author.
I found it very interesting.
I found it very interesting.
June 3, 2019
I started reading this ebook just before Passover. It was a good story, but with so many clues left to the end, it wasn't a solvable mystery for me as a reader.
May 27, 2008
Christine Bennett attends her first Seder at with her friend Melanie's family. At one point Aunt Sylvia breaks down in tears and has to be led out. Christine is then told how 16 years ago at the Seder, Aunt Iris walked out to open the door for Elijah and disappeared. Her body found two days later. They ask Chris to investigate to set their minds at rest. Only the answers were not what anyone expected.
I love this series and this was a fun read. Though I kind of felt the clues could not have led me to the motive and killer which is always a mild disappointment in a book.
I love this series and this was a fun read. Though I kind of felt the clues could not have led me to the motive and killer which is always a mild disappointment in a book.
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November 10, 2016Another really good mystery. Most of these mysteries are old crimes that the MC sets out to solve, usually at the behest of a friend or family member. The author excels at moving a mystery along from the almost no clue stage to solving the crime.
August 16, 2009
These are always satisfing to read. Although, in this book the aurthor has an unidentified murderer who you do not learn about until the end. I think Ms Harris did not know who to hang it on.
March 31, 2011
ringer at end made for very unsatisfying whodunit okay char otherwise
September 1, 2011
i found this book for $1.66 in portland, OR. Had to read it based on the ridiculous subtitle: "at this house, the angel of death did not pass over." it was surprisingly fun, but also horrible.
August 26, 2012
Oh boy.....
July 22, 2013
another very fun adventure with Christine Bennett....nun turned detective.
December 26, 2015
This series provides fast easy reads, and now that I've read 3 of the books, is becoming formulaic. Still fine for a fast read.
January 22, 2016
Good mystery.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews