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Sister Joan Mystery #2
A Vow of Chastity
Evil.. Temptation. Mystery.
Evil has crept into the peaceful lives of the Daughters of Compassion.
At first there are only small signs of its presence . . .
The children at Sister Joan’s school are eerily well behaved.
Holy water and candles mysteriously disappear from the chapel.
The beautiful au pair of one of Sister Joan’s pupils flees in the middle of the night.
Then a handsome young teenager vanishes. Murder has come to this quiet corner of Cornwall.
Sister Joan must battle the evil forces threatening the nuns — as well as the temptations aroused in her by the dashing police detective on the case.
Evil has crept into the peaceful lives of the Daughters of Compassion.
At first there are only small signs of its presence . . .
The children at Sister Joan’s school are eerily well behaved.
Holy water and candles mysteriously disappear from the chapel.
The beautiful au pair of one of Sister Joan’s pupils flees in the middle of the night.
Then a handsome young teenager vanishes. Murder has come to this quiet corner of Cornwall.
Sister Joan must battle the evil forces threatening the nuns — as well as the temptations aroused in her by the dashing police detective on the case.
172 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1991
331 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
About the author
Veronica Black
48 books68 followersPseudonym for Maureen Peters
Maureen Peters was born in Caernarvon, Wales, on March 3, 1935, and was married and divorced twice; she has two sons and two daughters. In addition to biographical fiction, historical romances, and mystery novels written under her own name, other noms de plume include Veronica Black, Catherine Darby, Levanah Lloyd, Belinda Grey, Elizabeth Law, Judith Rothman, and Sharon Whitby.
Said Maureen Peters about Sister Joan in an interview, "I chose a nun because they have got a lot of time on their hands. I have friends who are real nuns and they give me information on their lives, but mine’s a bit more unconventional. Every time she goes to a convent, she finds a dead body — Cornwall is littered with them."
Maureen Peters was born in Caernarvon, Wales, on March 3, 1935, and was married and divorced twice; she has two sons and two daughters. In addition to biographical fiction, historical romances, and mystery novels written under her own name, other noms de plume include Veronica Black, Catherine Darby, Levanah Lloyd, Belinda Grey, Elizabeth Law, Judith Rothman, and Sharon Whitby.
Said Maureen Peters about Sister Joan in an interview, "I chose a nun because they have got a lot of time on their hands. I have friends who are real nuns and they give me information on their lives, but mine’s a bit more unconventional. Every time she goes to a convent, she finds a dead body — Cornwall is littered with them."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
May 27, 2021
2.5⭐️
April 7, 2017
Sister Joan pokes into a murder that results in a body left on the altar.
Good thing: The view into convent life was fascinating to me - the quiet, calm, and orderliness of the life sounds like balm to me but the discipline and religion being the end-all, be-all would drive me nuts.
Bad thing: The last fifty pages could be summarized with 'What? That doesn't fit with the rest of the book??'
Nothing much happened for the first half of this book and I enjoyed that part more than the last half. I think I may try another of these series, but I'm not rushing to do it.
Good thing: The view into convent life was fascinating to me - the quiet, calm, and orderliness of the life sounds like balm to me but the discipline and religion being the end-all, be-all would drive me nuts.
Bad thing: The last fifty pages could be summarized with 'What? That doesn't fit with the rest of the book??'
Nothing much happened for the first half of this book and I enjoyed that part more than the last half. I think I may try another of these series, but I'm not rushing to do it.
February 13, 2013
Sister Joan is aware that there is something wrong. The children in the small moorland school at which she teaches are being unnaturally well behaved. One of the new comers has written a verse which suggests something evil and there are the usual tensions between the farmers’ children and the Romany children.
Are the small thefts from the convent chapel of daffodils and candles linked in any way to the feeling of evil which people keep mentioning to Sister Joan? When a body appears in the convent chapel the hunt is on for a murderer and Sister Joan finds herself being confronted with some interesting dilemmas.
This is the second book in this interesting and thoughtful mystery series. I thought the tensions between Sister Joan’s natural inclinations and her vow of obedience to her Order – the Daughters of Compassion – was very well done. I liked the characters of the nuns too and the way they are developing. The relationship between Sister Joan and Mother Dorothy is interesting and seems to bring out the best in both of them.
If you like something a bit different in mysteries then you may like this series. They are well written and well plotted and keep the reader guessing. There is little on the page violence but the darker side of human nature is not glossed over and hidden.
Are the small thefts from the convent chapel of daffodils and candles linked in any way to the feeling of evil which people keep mentioning to Sister Joan? When a body appears in the convent chapel the hunt is on for a murderer and Sister Joan finds herself being confronted with some interesting dilemmas.
This is the second book in this interesting and thoughtful mystery series. I thought the tensions between Sister Joan’s natural inclinations and her vow of obedience to her Order – the Daughters of Compassion – was very well done. I liked the characters of the nuns too and the way they are developing. The relationship between Sister Joan and Mother Dorothy is interesting and seems to bring out the best in both of them.
If you like something a bit different in mysteries then you may like this series. They are well written and well plotted and keep the reader guessing. There is little on the page violence but the darker side of human nature is not glossed over and hidden.
February 6, 2017
I liked this book, a little less than the 1st, but still liked it.
This is my first series from an English (England) author,
so I am learning the "different" words and what they mean
in my English (American).
I am a wanna be "nun" and really enjoy the glimpses into
the religious life. There are some surprises, but most of it
is really the "life". I wondered about her knowledge of
religious life in the first book when she called
a well-known autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux
(The Story of a Soul) the Journal of a Soul
which is the autobiography of St. Pope John the XXIII.
I enjoy her straight forward writing style, much more
than having to look up every other word. The topic of
the story "runs" thru a few detours.
This is my first series from an English (England) author,
so I am learning the "different" words and what they mean
in my English (American).
I am a wanna be "nun" and really enjoy the glimpses into
the religious life. There are some surprises, but most of it
is really the "life". I wondered about her knowledge of
religious life in the first book when she called
a well-known autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux
(The Story of a Soul) the Journal of a Soul
which is the autobiography of St. Pope John the XXIII.
I enjoy her straight forward writing style, much more
than having to look up every other word. The topic of
the story "runs" thru a few detours.
June 4, 2014
I jumped on this book after reading the first in the series and it didn't disappoint. Veronica Black is a terrific mystery writer. I just love the setting and the atmosphere. The focus of the story was very different, but still held that wonderful mystique of the nunnery which enchants me somehow. The characters are wonderfully entertaining and the mystery definitely puzzling enough for this aficionado.
I'm saving myself for the next one, so I can make the pleasure last. I don't want to gobble up the whole series in five minutes, tempting though it is to go for it!
I'm saving myself for the next one, so I can make the pleasure last. I don't want to gobble up the whole series in five minutes, tempting though it is to go for it!
September 18, 2015
This book detailing life in an English Convent in the early 1990's blends the religious obligations and social caring of occupants of a Convent in the early 1990's. The book is an easy, clam read with a surprising twist as to the who, when, and where of two murders. I have found that I enjoy this author's style and will go back to read the first book of the series. Definitely would recommend this author and the Sister Joan series. Even though this was a mystery I found the book and style very peaceful.
March 13, 2021
Once Again sister Joan gets pulled into helping solve a mystery when she discovers items missing from the chapel and in some cases returning, leaving her to imagine she had imagined it.
Again the stories are filled out by great character and location descriptions, therefore taking into consideration the length of time into the story.
Great story, not how I would have seen the story playing out, but great knowledge in the authors take on the badness around us.
Sister Joan works well with the police and detectives in this story.
Again the stories are filled out by great character and location descriptions, therefore taking into consideration the length of time into the story.
Great story, not how I would have seen the story playing out, but great knowledge in the authors take on the badness around us.
Sister Joan works well with the police and detectives in this story.
February 3, 2013
Half way through and it gets silly. You forget the main character is a nun, given the way she runs around chasing her own impulses. The inconsistencies following on from the previous book were ignored as it's a type of book I'd consider a light-read, but towards the end the reader is suddenly thrown into a sobering topic that was treated with flippancy imo. The combination made for an uncomfortable ending.
April 21, 2021
I think Sister Joan needs to leave Cornwall. There are too many 'disturbed' people there which brings out her rebellious tendencies. She talks the religious life, but doesn't follow it too well. Mother Dorothy took her down a peg, but I have a feeling she will not adhere to the rules as soon as another crime appears.
September 21, 2021
Decent prose (a few stumbles), good characterization, reasonable world building, a so-so story, no theme.
The author's strengths are her prose and characterization. Characterization was sufficiently well done that when one of the characters died I was genuinely sad.
This time around (I have read the first in the series) the world building seemed a bit repetitive. Of course the series is not meant to be binge read (the first two entries were published a year apart) and the author must make the novel accessible to those who have not read prior entries. But even within A Vow of Chastity the world building seemed terribly repetitive as though the author was padding out the book.
The story itself was rather uncomplicated. And it had sensational elements in addition to murder. Even for cozies the major crime must always be murder and I think this a pity. Would anyone read the case of the missing rutabaga? Maybe just me, but the crimes are usually straight forward which makes them a bit uninteresting. The core of any mystery is not the crime itself, but how it was solved. And the missing rutabaga or some other McGuffin works just as well for me.
I'm wondering if she becomes a bit more like Nero Wolfe and sends others out to do the things she cannot while she remains in the convent to provide the actual brain power to decipher the clues.
Will I read the next one? Probably, just to see where the author goes with this series.
Veronica Black was one of the pseudonyms of the late Maureen Peters who wrote some 80 novels, mostly historical romance. She did this back in the day when you had to be good enough to interest an actual publisher instead of just flogging something onto the Kindle Unlimited slush pile (where, as luck would have it, I am reading her).
The author's strengths are her prose and characterization. Characterization was sufficiently well done that when one of the characters died I was genuinely sad.
This time around (I have read the first in the series) the world building seemed a bit repetitive. Of course the series is not meant to be binge read (the first two entries were published a year apart) and the author must make the novel accessible to those who have not read prior entries. But even within A Vow of Chastity the world building seemed terribly repetitive as though the author was padding out the book.
The story itself was rather uncomplicated. And it had sensational elements in addition to murder. Even for cozies the major crime must always be murder and I think this a pity. Would anyone read the case of the missing rutabaga? Maybe just me, but the crimes are usually straight forward which makes them a bit uninteresting. The core of any mystery is not the crime itself, but how it was solved. And the missing rutabaga or some other McGuffin works just as well for me.
I'm wondering if she becomes a bit more like Nero Wolfe and sends others out to do the things she cannot while she remains in the convent to provide the actual brain power to decipher the clues.
Will I read the next one? Probably, just to see where the author goes with this series.
Veronica Black was one of the pseudonyms of the late Maureen Peters who wrote some 80 novels, mostly historical romance. She did this back in the day when you had to be good enough to interest an actual publisher instead of just flogging something onto the Kindle Unlimited slush pile (where, as luck would have it, I am reading her).
April 9, 2022
Slow to start, but a decent mystery. Black definitely needs an editor--run-on sentences, missing commas,, and nouns used as adjectives are distracting.
October 7, 2021
#2 in the Sister Joan mysteries about an Order of the Daughters of Compassion nuns living in the Cornwall house of the order. Sister Joan is a nun with detective abilities who has helps unravel and solve mysteries while she struggles with adjusting to life as a nun. She is also pretty flagrant at breaking various rules, etc. of the convent to pursue her investigations. She is 36 years old, a natural rebel and been a nun for 6 years. As usual in this type of series, the protagonist withholds vital information from the police viewing themselves as the sole arbiter to determine when they deem the information is relevant. In her case, Sister Joan knowingly breaks both civil law and the rules of her order in doing so.
Once again, the convent is vexed with mysterious happenings and Sister Joan must get to the bottom of it. First items in the chapel go missing and then reappear while others don't. Then the children at the school are behaving better than usual when one disappears and then a murder. Joan finds herself working with the local police, an attractive detective, and straining the rules of the convent in the process.
Once again, the convent is vexed with mysterious happenings and Sister Joan must get to the bottom of it. First items in the chapel go missing and then reappear while others don't. Then the children at the school are behaving better than usual when one disappears and then a murder. Joan finds herself working with the local police, an attractive detective, and straining the rules of the convent in the process.
January 26, 2021
A Vow of Chastity
Sister Joan notices things including candles and flowers are going missing from the convent. Soon one of her pupils disappears and she finds herself involved in another mystery.
This is a case of a second book in the series being better then the first.
Veronica Black has written a story that is tense and unforgettable. The characters are strong and realistic.
Highly recommended.
Sister Joan notices things including candles and flowers are going missing from the convent. Soon one of her pupils disappears and she finds herself involved in another mystery.
This is a case of a second book in the series being better then the first.
Veronica Black has written a story that is tense and unforgettable. The characters are strong and realistic.
Highly recommended.
July 23, 2022
Couldn't put it down
As a Catholic coming of age after the Second Vatican Council, when obedience, structure and discipline were still a thing, yet a thing in transition, I adored this little novel. In this gripping mystery, the author skillfully weaves the rigidity of the past into the new freedoms with which people of the Church - including its religious - continue to grapple. Kudos to Veronica Black's steady hand in finding just the right balance between the two.
As a Catholic coming of age after the Second Vatican Council, when obedience, structure and discipline were still a thing, yet a thing in transition, I adored this little novel. In this gripping mystery, the author skillfully weaves the rigidity of the past into the new freedoms with which people of the Church - including its religious - continue to grapple. Kudos to Veronica Black's steady hand in finding just the right balance between the two.
February 2, 2021
Marvelous #2 in the Series
Oh the things Sister Joan gets into! This is a unique and intriguing mystery. Well written, good character development, distinct descriptions, ready or not you are right there in the story.
Quick read and worth every minute of your time. I highly recommend it.
Oh the things Sister Joan gets into! This is a unique and intriguing mystery. Well written, good character development, distinct descriptions, ready or not you are right there in the story.
Quick read and worth every minute of your time. I highly recommend it.
February 16, 2021
Utterly Gripping
Sister Joan wonders why the schoolchildren are being so good, too good to be true. A brooding atmosphere and references to the presence of evil. Missing candlesticks and holy water. A new heirlooms the school, but tragedy strikes and Sister Joan tries to the up all of the different events. Read this in one sitting! Recommended.
Sister Joan wonders why the schoolchildren are being so good, too good to be true. A brooding atmosphere and references to the presence of evil. Missing candlesticks and holy water. A new heirlooms the school, but tragedy strikes and Sister Joan tries to the up all of the different events. Read this in one sitting! Recommended.
August 14, 2021
I read the first ‘Sister Joan’ book and quite liked it, but I think now that may have been novelty value; who else writes about a detective nun, and all the routines of the cloister?
This second book didn’t grip me. I got bored well before halfway through with the unlikely scenarios, cliche-ridden characters and predictability.
Won’t be reading any more of this series.
This second book didn’t grip me. I got bored well before halfway through with the unlikely scenarios, cliche-ridden characters and predictability.
Won’t be reading any more of this series.
October 9, 2021
A gentle read again
It is always a pleasure to read a book set in your own back yard. St Joan is satisfyingly human, complex and sincere in her vocation. The plot twist was unexpected. I will keep on with this series, guaranteed not to be filled with blasphemy, swearing, and unnecessary violent descriptions of crimes.
It is always a pleasure to read a book set in your own back yard. St Joan is satisfyingly human, complex and sincere in her vocation. The plot twist was unexpected. I will keep on with this series, guaranteed not to be filled with blasphemy, swearing, and unnecessary violent descriptions of crimes.
October 16, 2021
I just had to do a review Veronica Black's writing. She is amazing. From the insightful glimpses into the life of a nun to the character descriptions to the intricate plot lines, Veronica makes her mysteries come alive for the reader. I am so happy I found this wonderful series and can't wait to read the other books soon.
April 4, 2022
My second book of this series. I thought the first one was dark....well, this story reminds me of the old movie "The Bad Seed". The fact that most of the story is set in a convent seems incongruous with the events in the story. I guess therein lies the contrasts necessary to make the events seem even more sinister if that's possible. It did hold my interest.
February 5, 2023
Strange items disappear from the chapel at the convent of the Order of the Daughters of Compassion. At Sister Joan's little school the children are unusually well behaved. The a good looking young man disappears. There is a mystery at every turn for Sister Joan to solve. Though I have to say that I'm still now sure how she reached the conclusions for the final denouement.
February 13, 2021
Ah, yes!
I was enthralled with this book. Sister Joan is quite the detective, and is fully able to handle her duties as a nun as well...for the most part. I am looking forward to the sequel. Thank you Veronica Black!
I was enthralled with this book. Sister Joan is quite the detective, and is fully able to handle her duties as a nun as well...for the most part. I am looking forward to the sequel. Thank you Veronica Black!
February 20, 2021
Great ending
This book was even better than the first in the series. Sister Joan is a masterful detective and manages to still maintain her Godliness. She does quite often give her Prioress some anxiety. Great series.
This book was even better than the first in the series. Sister Joan is a masterful detective and manages to still maintain her Godliness. She does quite often give her Prioress some anxiety. Great series.
May 21, 2021
Interesting mystery!
I enjoyed this book tremendously and it was better than the first in this series although that was was good also. I shall continue reading this series. It was surprising, unpredictable and well thought out.
I enjoyed this book tremendously and it was better than the first in this series although that was was good also. I shall continue reading this series. It was surprising, unpredictable and well thought out.
September 4, 2021
I'm enjoying the series. I do have to admit that I find it hard to picture a nun being so independent as Sister Joan is. But then this is a mystery series, so she has to have mysteries to solve!!! Looking forward to the next one.
November 6, 2022
A sense of evil has invaded the area and items from the Chapel of the Daughters of Compassion go missing. Then a Romany boy goes missing, a pupil of Sister Joan.
While the police investigate the boy's disappearance Sister Joan also investigates.
An enjoyable modern cozy mystery.
Originally published in 1991
While the police investigate the boy's disappearance Sister Joan also investigates.
An enjoyable modern cozy mystery.
Originally published in 1991
May 23, 2023
I am enjoying sister Joan's mysteries far more than I expected and this second entry did not disappoint me: the mystery was clever and the description of the monastic life lively and engaging. I did find some of sister Joan's actions highly improbable for a nun, to be honest.
May 26, 2023
This story was a surprise. We’ll read and quite complex the ending was quite unexpected. Sr Joan continues to fudge the edges of the convent rules in order to right a wrong and solve the crime. A good cast of supporting characters.
January 27, 2021
Murder.
I liked reading more about Sister Joan. Two people say that evil is pervading the area, but who is causing it?
I liked the characters who were pivotal to the story.
I liked reading more about Sister Joan. Two people say that evil is pervading the area, but who is causing it?
I liked the characters who were pivotal to the story.
January 30, 2021
Good and evil closely intertwined
This kept me reading all through, with good characters and some strong insights. I had not entirely figured out the conclusion, either.
This kept me reading all through, with good characters and some strong insights. I had not entirely figured out the conclusion, either.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews