A Lie for a Lie

Ministry is Murder #4

by Emilie Richards

Aggie Sloan Wilcox likes to practice what her minister husband preaches—to a point. But babysitting a narcissistic “star” demands the patience of a saint, and Aggie isn’t bucking for a halo.

Actor and singer Grady Barber has returned to his hometown to judge the Emerald Springs Idyll, a talent show to help raise funds for the local hospital. As the newest volunteer on the fund-raising committee, Aggie is assigned the unenviable task of ensuring that Grady’s needs are met. Unfortunately, Grady’s needs are legion, as are the enemies he makes.

When Aggie stumbles upon his dead body, she isn’t terribly surprised. But when “Sister” Nora, of a controversial circus that preaches the dangers of global warming, turns out to be Grady’s ex-wife, she is surprised. And when Nora is arrested for his murder, more than Aggie’s patience is tried. She must use every skill to clear the name of the unlikely prophet, before Nora spends her final days preaching on death row.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Chick Lit

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 16, 2009

About the author

I'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.

Reviews

[Suad Shamma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've seriously enjoyed reading this series and getting to know Aggie more and more. When I finished reading the story I felt almost bereft that I won't be reading another Aggie mystery...until today that is! I've JUST found out that there is indeed a FIFTH installment to the series! I can't wait to get my hands on it to see what else Emerald Springs gets up to, and how Aggie gets herself involved.

I do love the fact that in this book, everyone's sort of just given up on warning Aggie to stay out of it or not to get involved. In fact, they almost encourage it but just ask her to be careful. Aggie herself has decided she is done trying to be a hero, and instead makes sure she keeps the cops involved - or her husband informed - whenever she can.

I especially enjoyed Aggie's growing relationship with her daughters, more specifically Deena. There is a lot to learn on how to deal with teenagers and children in this series, but especially this book. I think Richards has incorporated a lot of psychology in the way she created those interactions and episodes between parents and their children.

And the mystery was great too, again, just like my review on the second installment "Let There be Suspects" said - I did feel that the murder dragged. It took a long time for it to actually happen, but once it finally did, things got really interesting. The whole religion/circus thing was a bit confusing for me, it felt like it had nothing to do with the actual story line or the plot or the characters or anything really. I felt like Richards perhaps incorporated that specific story line in order to convey some sort of personal message or belief that she had.

I'll say this much, even though I felt it had nothing to do with the overall story and could have done just as well without it, it didn't take anything away from it either. The story was still interesting, and it was nice to meet some older characters from previous books. I was very invested in finding the murderer because I honestly had no clue who could have done it at the time that it occurred. I knew that many people despised Grady Barber, and every time I thought I'd figured it out, Richards throws me off the trail.

I did figure it out near the end, and I was quite pleased with myself. I seemed to be on the same wavelength as Aggie as she worked to solve the crime. Sure, she did all the hard work, but we kept coming up with the same conclusions as to who could have committed the crime, until we both had it figured out.

Obviously, I did not figure it out quite as thoroughly as she did. As a matter of fact, the final showdown with the murderer in this book was my favourite in all the series so far (followed closely by the final showdown of book #1).

Very enjoyable read, and I can't wait to find A Truth for a Truth.

[Lynda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not as good as the previous books in the series. It seemed to drag and although I wasn't able to guess the murderer's identity until almost the end, I didn't really care who did it. Other than Aggie and her family, there were no characters to be interested in. I am hoping the next one is more like the previous books.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Ministry Cozy Mystery series are excellent, this one is no different. Aggie and Lucy watch a circus comes to town. They meet Sister Nora and friends. Aggis is persuaded to joined a committee to bring a celebrity judge to town. Gary Barber is to judge a amateur show. Aggie ends up as the go between Grady and the committee. Deenie and the Meanies is tried out for contest. Grady treats them rudely. Ed used Deenie's experience as a sign of courage in his weekly sermon much to her embarrassment. Brady is murder just before the finals and Nora is arrested for the murder. Aggie is investigating as she doesn't believe Sister Nora is guilty. I am looking forward to learning more about the town and church.

[Candace Davidson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read the first to books in this series and I enjoyed them. This one seemed a little long winded to me and I got bored to the point where I couldn't finish the book. I was a little disappointed. I generally finish each book that I start.

[Suzan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as first three.

[Joan Wendland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually really enjoy books in this series, but I felt this one had some pacing problems. Not sure I'm going to pick up 5 based on this outing.

[Verity W · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t like this quite as much as I have liked the previous books in this series, but it’s still a nice world to spend time in and the mystery was well put together.

[Marty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is one of a series in which Aggie Sloan-Wilcox is married to a minister, but somehow has a knack for helping to solve murders. In this one, Grady Barber, who has had some success as a singer and in movies, but now is reduced to judging talent contests, returns to his home town to do just that: judge a talent contest. Once a kid from the wrong side of town he is now the town superstar. Aggie gets the job of being his “go to” person and is supposed to see that his every demand is met…. And he has MANY demands!!
Anne is kept running but when she went to tell him he was due on stage on the last day of judging she found him in his dressing room with his throat slit. The police have an obvious “guilty” person – Sister Nora, who has just brought her circus to town.. and whose husband’s knife was the murder weapon. … But Aggie doesn’t think she is guilty.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5 stars) This is the 4th book in the series. Aggie has been roped in to taking care of the celebrity judge Grady Barber at the town’s talent show. He is from their town, but has become incredibly demanding and picky. Aggie is also dealing with her daughter and her friends joining the competition as the “Price Girls”, with her daughter being the equivalent of Sporty Spice. When Grady ends up dead, Aggie can’t resist trying to investigate particularly when it turns out that Sister Nora, a new addition to the town, running a circus and trying to fight global warming, turns out to be the prime suspect. Aggie must manage teenage angst and the collapse of the show as she digs into Grady’s secrets and past.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought A Lie for a Lie by Emilie Richards on a whim and I ended up loving it. Aggie is such a cool heroine. I was afraid the religious aspect of the book would be overpowering, but I thought it added an element of fun and real life. Aggie’s trying to find a place for herself outside dutiful minister’s wife. The mystery was good, though the murder happens about halfway through the book, and kept me guessing and the parenting scenes were very realistic and really touching. I recommend this cozy!

[Ann Boytim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Grady Barber has returned to his hometown to be a judge in the Emerald Springs Idyll a talent show to help raise money for a pediatric wing of the local hospital. Grady has a big ego and a nasty temper and is a horror to work with but the fund raising committee has assigned Aggie Sloan Wilcox the local ministers wife to tend to Grady's every need. Aggie is working hard at this chore and to prove to the locals that she can and will help out. Grady is murdered and his ex wife is accused of the murder but Aggie is convinced Nora is innocent so she is doing some investigating on her own.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read. I like the characters, but this time mama Junie and best friend Lucy did not have as much to do with the plot. Aggie gets more than she bargained for when she joins the committee to raise money for a pediatric wing for the the hospital. This includes almost getting trampled by a trio of stampeding elephants.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy this one nearly as much as the first three books in the series. There wasn’t as much interweaving of the visiting characters into the regular characters in this one. (I also had a terrible headache while I read this, though …)

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 - Good

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting characters, plentiful suspects, good red herrings.

[Nancy Haitsuka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining series

Perfect series to binge read when you have a free weekend

Highly recommended that read the books in order

Author recommended

[Sarah Schott · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the best book in the series so far. A bit outlandish, but it is certainly entertaining.

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate when I write a review, get more than half way through, then hit the wrong key and erase the whole thing. Oh well, here we go again.

I do enjoy this series. Even though it's none to hard to figure out "who done it" the characters are enjoyable and the town holds some interest so it's a nice read.

This story's plot revolves around a hometown boy Grady Barber coming home after to judge an "America's Got Talent" type contest. The once semi-popular now mostly C list celebrity has attitude to spare and of course meets his end while in town.

Acting as his assistant at the time of the murder Aggie Sloan-Wilcox sets out once again to figure out the culprit. There's a sub plot about a traveling circus/tent revival and it's leader Sister Nora's past with Grady Barber.

It shouldn't be to hard to guess what happened but that's okay. The reason I read these is the characters more than the plot and they were just as entertaining this time.

[Sally906 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This the 4th book in the cozy ‘Ministry for Murder’ series starring Aggie Sloan-Wilcox, wife of a small town Minister and mother of two school-aged daughters. She is cajoled by a committee to drive around a celebrity, Grady Barber – who once lived in Emerald Springs, to save costs for a fund raising event. He is rude, tyrannical and demanding, so Aggie is not surprised when someone murders him. The main suspect is his ex-wife who has just moved to town. Aggie decides to prove the ex-wife’s innocence, but there is a long list of people who would have like to kill the victim!!! In the background she has to deal with a family upset when her husband uses their daughter Deena as a shining example in one of his sermons – Deena is horrified and ends up being grounded and giving her parents the silent treatment. Oh so familiar to parents of teens! I love the characters in this book and Richards makes them all come alive on the page

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The curious, ebbulient minister's wife, Aggie, is trying to control her crime-fighting proclivities, instead channeling energy into good works. Her current assignment is assisting native son Grady Barber, a singing star who has returned home to Emerald Springs, OH, to judge a talent show. But Grady has lost his midwestern innocence and gained a lot of enemies. He's hard to work with, and Aggie is run ragged. But worse is to come when she finds him murdered, and learns that his first wife is the leading suspect. Aggie knows Sister Nora, the circus leader and self-proclaimed prophet of climate change, and believes that she's innocent. So when Nora is arrested, Aggie begins to snoop around.

[Kathryn Class · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it pretty well. The author spent almost half the book getting to the murder and spent too long on how obnoxious Grady Barber was, so around page 75 I kept thinking he was going to die any minute and then he didn't. The who-done-it part was well done. I say the only real ding for me was that the last chapter of the book (albeit short) was a lecture on how we need to stop global warming and that it's up to each of us to do our part. I don't want to be preached to about that. I have opinions about it that don't line up with hers. I like to read light fun book sometimes and don't want that thrown in there. I really appreciated that it was a clean book, almost no bad language, so I gave it an extra star for that.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Ministry Cozy Mystery series are excellent, this one is no different. Aggie and Lucy watch a circus comes to town. They meet Sister Nora and friends. Aggis is persuaded to joined a committee to bring a celebrity judge to town. Gary Barber is to judge a amateur show. Aggie ends up as the go between Grady and the committee. Deenie and the Meanies is tried out for contest. Grady treats them rudely. Ed used Deenie's experience as a sign of courage in his weekly sermon much to her embarrassment. Brady is murder just before the finals and Nora is arrested for the murder. Aggie is investigating as she doesn't believe Sister Nora is guilty. I am looking forward to learning more about the town and church.

[Dharia Scarab · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Jan (the Gryphon) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fourth of a series, this is a competent mystery.

The small town in which it is set, is well drawn, as are the characters. The mystery is set up convincingly: a number of possible suspects, a number of motives, a great many opportunities.

Lieis not a love story in disguise. Nevertheless, our detective has an interesting life aside from detecting. There are a few paragraphs devoted to global warming that I thought a bit preachy, but that was the point of the tent show cum circus that hales into town in the first page.

I will have to find the other books in this series, as the references to the earlier mysteries are intriguing.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seeing this in the bookstore was an unexpected pleasure -- I wasn't expecting her next mystery for at least another few months! Aggie Sloan-Wilcox succumbs to local pressure and agrees to be part of the committee raising money for a new pediatric wing for the local hospital. But the chosen fund-raiser -- the Emerald Springs Idyll, an American Idol pretender -- asks more of Aggie than she expected. She soon finds out that demanding stars and just-as-demanding committee members are nothing compared to the pressure of trying to clear the obvious suspect. I don't want to wait a year for the next one!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book---her best so far in the Ministry is Murder series. Good plot, clever and lots of characters leading to subplots. Well integrated story. My only complaint (no fault of the author's) is that whoever desgined the back cover blurb told way too much of what happens. I'm hoping this series will go on a long time. Carolyn, I think you would like this book but take the series in order: "Let There Be Suspects", "Blessed is the Busybody" and "Beware False Profits". All four are now out in paperback.

[Mark Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minister's wife Aggie Wilcox-Sloan gets roped into serving on the committee for the Emerald Springs Idyll, a local charity talent show to raise money for a hospital wing. But celebrity judge Grady Barber is a royal pain in the neck. Someone else agrees when they kill him. This book took too long to get to the murder, but once it did, things picked back up. And I absolutely love these characters.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Mascanlon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aggie Sloan-Wilcox is not a typically minister's wife. She isn't a saint and isn't looking for a halo but just wants to protect her family and friends and survive being the Mother of a pre teen daughter. When actor/singer Grady Barber returns to town to chair a big talent show fund raiser you can bet the enemies he left behind in high school have an ax to grind that leads to murder.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fine entry in the "Ministry is Murder" series, although I did not enjoy the story as much as I have the others. The character of Grady is just so completely irredeemable as to be unbelievable. I suppose there are people who are complete narcissists as he seems to be; I hope I never meet one in real life. Aggie and her family are as interesting and entertaining as ever.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book on GoodReads and received it in the mail yesterday. I read it last night and found it engaging and amusing. I liked the colorful characters and the situations that Aggie gets herself into. I will read more books by Emilie Richards