What do you think?
Rate this book
The Mercy and Justice Mysteries #1
The Honeymoon Homicide
The murder of the deacon of Saint Clare's Catholic Church in Myerton cuts short the honeymoon plans of Father Tom Greer and his new wife, Chief of Police Helen Greer.
342 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 1, 2022
1811 people are currently reading
1144 people want to read
About the author
J.R. Mathis
44 books50 followersSusan Mathis was born in and grew up in an extremely small town in Alachua County, Florida where her family has lived for more than 100 years. When Susan was still very young, James (J.R) Mathis was born in a somewhat bigger small town about 100 miles south of where she lived. Within a decade, James' small town would become part of Orlando, the biggest tourist destination in the United States. He was not amused. That is how, while Susan was running barefoot, swimming in lakes full of alligators and feeding chickens, James was sitting in his bedroom reading books faster than his father could bring them home from the library.
Were James and Susan to write their love story, it would definitely be an enemies-to-lovers trope. They met in the library where he was working. He found her demands for books that he had to pull and bring to her so unreasonable that he actually turned her into the head librarian. She in turn was so anxious to drive him away that when some friends secretly set them up she laid out an entire speech about how miserable her life was (she is typically very upbeat). Little did she suspect that he had a passionate attraction to misery and they were married just over a year later.
Fast forward 26 years, three children, four grandchildren and 20 years of James working for the Federal government. He was diagnosed with a highly treatable but still very scary form of cancer. As so often happens, this brush with mortality inspired him to do something he’d always wanted to do, write a novel. After the publication of the second Father Tom Mystery, Susan joined him as coauthor. As far as the Mathises are concerned, writing together is the most fun a couple can have sitting at a computer.
Were James and Susan to write their love story, it would definitely be an enemies-to-lovers trope. They met in the library where he was working. He found her demands for books that he had to pull and bring to her so unreasonable that he actually turned her into the head librarian. She in turn was so anxious to drive him away that when some friends secretly set them up she laid out an entire speech about how miserable her life was (she is typically very upbeat). Little did she suspect that he had a passionate attraction to misery and they were married just over a year later.
Fast forward 26 years, three children, four grandchildren and 20 years of James working for the Federal government. He was diagnosed with a highly treatable but still very scary form of cancer. As so often happens, this brush with mortality inspired him to do something he’d always wanted to do, write a novel. After the publication of the second Father Tom Mystery, Susan joined him as coauthor. As far as the Mathises are concerned, writing together is the most fun a couple can have sitting at a computer.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
August 9, 2022
False
Only read start of this book but when I read stupid statement ' I got a dispensation from.the Pope to get married ' that was enough for me This erroneous statement would have annoyed me the whole way through the book
Only read start of this book but when I read stupid statement ' I got a dispensation from.the Pope to get married ' that was enough for me This erroneous statement would have annoyed me the whole way through the book
October 29, 2022
In The Dark
Have you ever walked up to a group of friends who were deep in a conversation and you have no idea what's going on? That's exactly how I felt reading this book. I saw nothing in the description saying this was part of a sequence. I was totally lost. There were references to past happenings that I didn't understand. The writing was good. I know I would have enjoyed it if I had read the prelude.
Have you ever walked up to a group of friends who were deep in a conversation and you have no idea what's going on? That's exactly how I felt reading this book. I saw nothing in the description saying this was part of a sequence. I was totally lost. There were references to past happenings that I didn't understand. The writing was good. I know I would have enjoyed it if I had read the prelude.
November 20, 2022
Contrived, sugary, unrealistic. For me, one odd exception to the rule is enough for any book. The exceptions in this book taxed my patience. Normally spelling and grammar errors don't bother me but in this book, they were an annoyance. Although this was "Book 1" there were constant references to earlier books about Helen and Tom that added to the unbelievable tone of the book.
November 10, 2022
This was book 1 in the
"The Mercy and Justice Mysteries"
. This was very interesting to me a Priest getting married. Father Tom Greer is a priest in a small town when he runs into a woman that he was in love with 20 years ago. Helen Parr Greer is the chief of police she solved the murder of his first wife and saved his life. While on their honeymoon cruise they have to cut it short because a deacon in his church has died. I did figure out who the killer was. This was an ok read for me that I found to be to long at times. The characters were ok and I liked the secondary characters. This was my first time reading these authors. This book did have a few errors in it. I am looking forward to reading book 2 in this series.
September 18, 2022
Very Enjoyable
I very much enjoyed this book. It is well written with few errors. I like the relationships between the characters and the sense of humor they all displayed. This was the first book I’ve read by this author. There were references to things written in previous books, but it didn’t detract from this story. I would read other books by this author.
I very much enjoyed this book. It is well written with few errors. I like the relationships between the characters and the sense of humor they all displayed. This was the first book I’ve read by this author. There were references to things written in previous books, but it didn’t detract from this story. I would read other books by this author.
October 18, 2022
I need to find every book now by this author lol Gripping excitement and humour felt like I was apart of the story the details the character info absolutely stunning read
February 2, 2022
I enjoyed this book tremendously. It's unique and exciting plot keeps you on your toes from start to finish. It has enough red herrings and twists that it stays interesting and confounding. I had a hard time trying to guess who dunnit. But the saddest part was the twist at the end. Although somewhat expected it's always sad to find out our heroes are sometimes fallible. The characters are realistic and endearing with all the foibles of normal everyday people. I love that the conversations are not stilted or hard to follow. I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves a cozy murder mystery that's unique and unexpected.
I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
October 27, 2022
AFTER THE TRUTH CAME OUT, I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY DIDN'T FIGURE OUT THE TRUTH RIGHT AWAY. A GOOD MYSTERY BUT A LITTLE TO HEAVY HANDED OR THE RELIGION. STORYLINE WAS ROOTED IN RELIGION, WHICH WAS TOO MUCH FOR MY TASTE, NOT A BAD READ IF YOU DON'T MIND THAT. THIS WAS A CLEAN ON THE COZY SIDE MYSTERY. ;D
March 2, 2023
Great murder mystery with twists and turns
Although this is not the first book in this series it was easy to pick up on the characters. The plot was as twisty as a serpent in The Garden and the characters are delightful. Can't wait to read the next book..and the next...etc.
Although this is not the first book in this series it was easy to pick up on the characters. The plot was as twisty as a serpent in The Garden and the characters are delightful. Can't wait to read the next book..and the next...etc.
November 18, 2022
1 star is "I don't like it" as per GR's rating system.
Humor is very hard to do well and it should be a by product, not the goal itself. The writing here is amateurish. The best explanation I can give is like this person is giving a humorous account of something. If you're friends with this person, you humor them and nod along. If you're a stranger, you get up and leave because you owe them nothing.
The writing here is like the person chatting along, taking a long time to get to something but I'm a stranger and I don't owe them anything so I get up and leave. I think the first few chapters can be condensed a lot into a few paragraphs and not lose anything. And don't introduce so many people so quickly. And explain your characters so readers know what is what and who is who. Lastly, this book does not need alternating POVs. There isn't much to differentiate the characters' personalities to be honest and it's not necessary. Yes, books are not sprints, they don't have to get anywhere fast but the writing just isn't interesting, it's just a lot of writing. In the end it was just too amateurish and I was glad to dnf it.
Edit: After reading the top review, a priest married to a police chief doesn't instantly make the book interesting. Their personalities or what they do is what makes it interesting.
Humor is very hard to do well and it should be a by product, not the goal itself. The writing here is amateurish. The best explanation I can give is like this person is giving a humorous account of something. If you're friends with this person, you humor them and nod along. If you're a stranger, you get up and leave because you owe them nothing.
The writing here is like the person chatting along, taking a long time to get to something but I'm a stranger and I don't owe them anything so I get up and leave. I think the first few chapters can be condensed a lot into a few paragraphs and not lose anything. And don't introduce so many people so quickly. And explain your characters so readers know what is what and who is who. Lastly, this book does not need alternating POVs. There isn't much to differentiate the characters' personalities to be honest and it's not necessary. Yes, books are not sprints, they don't have to get anywhere fast but the writing just isn't interesting, it's just a lot of writing. In the end it was just too amateurish and I was glad to dnf it.
Edit: After reading the top review, a priest married to a police chief doesn't instantly make the book interesting. Their personalities or what they do is what makes it interesting.
June 5, 2024
Hmm. Where to start, that is the question. A priest marries a chief of police and their honeymoon is cut short when his deacon is murdered. The deacon had to get permission from the pope to marry? I thought it was somebody lower than that, may be I'm wrong and the pope has to get involved in the modernisation of priests getting married. This story seemed to start nowhere and ended up nowhere. Once you knew who was in the deacon's life and knowing that when he said his last words, my wife did it, well what was the point of wading through all the mushy lovey dovey stuff with this couple at every turn.
I did get fed up on virtually page where they were canoodling in and out of the sheets. I found the book quite boring really. (I passed my kindle onto one of my "married into huge family of catholics", me being the only non-catholic, and it was passed back to me with more uncomplimentary comments than my own!).
I did get fed up on virtually page where they were canoodling in and out of the sheets. I found the book quite boring really. (I passed my kindle onto one of my "married into huge family of catholics", me being the only non-catholic, and it was passed back to me with more uncomplimentary comments than my own!).
August 7, 2023
I never thought I would say this, but I wish there was a 0 star option for rating. I thought this book would be an interesting murder mystery, but I was so wrong. I read this book digitally on my NOOK and not even 3 chapters in, I had to DNF. There were so many religious mentions in just 4 pages than in any other book I've read in the last 5 years. Also, something that truly pissed me off: the fact the cop was upset that "lowlifes killing themselves take precedence over a good man who died while in the service of other." Like...if they died first, their autopsy is going to be done first. Decomposed bodies make autopsies harder. And the guy she's talking about was a deacon...that doesn't make him better than anyone else, nor does it mean he should come first. I was appalled by this writing anf would never recommend it to anyone.
January 17, 2026
By special dispensation, Father Tom married Helen, the police chief of a small town in Maryland. Their honeymoon cruise ends uproariously when told they missed the first bell have thirty minutes to disembark. Why did they miss the first bell? They slept through it! The three liters of champagne they drank during the night may have been a contributing factor. From the looks of things, they had partied through the night. Then, like Adam and Eve, they could not find their clothes, not even a fig leaf. It is a grabber beginner that just gets better. They join ranks to solve cases and save souls, breaking rules of confidentiality hither and yon.
The read is good from good writing mechanics to a good storyline. It is not simple or sweet as the title might suggest.
Thank you, dear authors, for a good read.
The read is good from good writing mechanics to a good storyline. It is not simple or sweet as the title might suggest.
Thank you, dear authors, for a good read.
November 14, 2022
An amusing honeymoon
A marriage between a Catholic priest and the chief of police which starts with a honeymoon on board, where both over-indulge in alcohol, before returning early to handle the murder of a much loved deacon is a story with a difference. Frustrations such as not divulging any confessions to the police, while the priest tries to help his wife solve the mystery,while knowing the truth, and his wife trying to stop her husband from interogating her suspects makes for interesting reading. I do not care for the rituals of the Catholic church, but tried to be objective, simply appreciating the complexities of their relationship. They formed a strong team, while respecting each other's boundaries and values.
A marriage between a Catholic priest and the chief of police which starts with a honeymoon on board, where both over-indulge in alcohol, before returning early to handle the murder of a much loved deacon is a story with a difference. Frustrations such as not divulging any confessions to the police, while the priest tries to help his wife solve the mystery,while knowing the truth, and his wife trying to stop her husband from interogating her suspects makes for interesting reading. I do not care for the rituals of the Catholic church, but tried to be objective, simply appreciating the complexities of their relationship. They formed a strong team, while respecting each other's boundaries and values.
November 28, 2022
Finely woven mystery
The authors take painstaking precautions to keep the Priestley integrity pure and at the same time keep the police investigations secure from unwanted exposure. These precautions allow for clearly believable joint relationship.
This is a refreshing approach for criminal mysteries and moral thoughts to be shared together. There is just enough humor to keep the subject matter entertaining.
The authors were able to build solids characters and a storyline free of foul language, free of sexual content and no graphic violence. I really enjoyed reading this tale with a married priest and his police chief wife. Both husband and wife kept their professions professional and without fault.
The authors take painstaking precautions to keep the Priestley integrity pure and at the same time keep the police investigations secure from unwanted exposure. These precautions allow for clearly believable joint relationship.
This is a refreshing approach for criminal mysteries and moral thoughts to be shared together. There is just enough humor to keep the subject matter entertaining.
The authors were able to build solids characters and a storyline free of foul language, free of sexual content and no graphic violence. I really enjoyed reading this tale with a married priest and his police chief wife. Both husband and wife kept their professions professional and without fault.
March 23, 2023
delightful
I was not familiar with the series of Father Tom mysteries, but now I find myself wanting to read them all. He is a parish priest. She’s the police chief. Because of the wonders of fiction, they’ve been given special dispensation to marry. Halfway through their honeymoon, they learn that a deacon has been murdered. They rush home to begin their marriage in the midst of trying to find a killer.
I thoroughly enjoyed their attempts to balance communication in marriage with the need for secrecy that both of their positions require. I also enjoyed the manner in which they worked together. There were few errors in the book, always a plus in my opinion. All in all, five stars was an easy choice.
I was not familiar with the series of Father Tom mysteries, but now I find myself wanting to read them all. He is a parish priest. She’s the police chief. Because of the wonders of fiction, they’ve been given special dispensation to marry. Halfway through their honeymoon, they learn that a deacon has been murdered. They rush home to begin their marriage in the midst of trying to find a killer.
I thoroughly enjoyed their attempts to balance communication in marriage with the need for secrecy that both of their positions require. I also enjoyed the manner in which they worked together. There were few errors in the book, always a plus in my opinion. All in all, five stars was an easy choice.
March 24, 2023
So ignorant..... this book is an insult to Catholicism.
Obviously the authors know nothing about this religion or they choose to disregard it.
There is no way a catholic priest will get dispensation from the pope to get married. The pope does not dispense favours that go against the doctrine. At this moment, catholic priests are not allowed to get married, period.
Also, priests are required to celebrate a mass every day, not just attend somebody else's mass but the MC did just that early in the book.
I deleted this nonsense of a book after 3 chapters.
Obviously the authors know nothing about this religion or they choose to disregard it.
There is no way a catholic priest will get dispensation from the pope to get married. The pope does not dispense favours that go against the doctrine. At this moment, catholic priests are not allowed to get married, period.
Also, priests are required to celebrate a mass every day, not just attend somebody else's mass but the MC did just that early in the book.
I deleted this nonsense of a book after 3 chapters.
April 15, 2023
This is the first in the series. The main characters Father Greer and his bride Chief Helen. The newlyweds are still on their honeymoon when they find out that a deacon was mugged, murdered and the officer left in charge has broken leg. They find out that they have a little work to do when the father hears a confession and can't tell her anything but they are working it out. They are having a hard time find out anything but they are making slow progress. Can they find out who did this and who is guilty of not telling all they know ?
August 21, 2023
3.75 - A book with so much love and heart at the centre and a truly mysterious murder entwined. I loved the characters and their personalities. I also am in awe of the relationship between Tom and Helen. It is so beautiful. The intamcy between them is written so exquisitely and respectfully. I had no idea who had committed the murder until it was revealed. I just found the pace to be a little slow at times and felt that I had read 3 or 4 chapters and nothing had changed. However I still really enjoyed it.
June 23, 2025
Had no idea that this was a sequel to another series, so was totally lost about who the heck all these people were and all the backstory they referred to. And I kept getting hung up on the married Catholic priest. Don't know how Leo feels about this, but Francis said it was unlikely to change. Of course, I assume he is a priest in the Latin rite and not Eastern or other. That having been said, I did enjoy the mystery aspect of the book, but I'm not sure I like it enough to go back and read the Father Tom books and carry on with this current series.
November 20, 2022
A great read tangled up with cops, priests, marriage and other things. Father Tom married Chief of Police Helen, “due to a new decree allowing priests to request through their bishop, to be dispensed from their vow of celibacy to be allowed to marry; ”(this is NOT the case right now).” Reading the series Father Tom will explain how this was possible. This story is chock full of what has happened and what is to come. It kept my attention all the way through.
May 28, 2023
loved
You don’t really have to read the other books before this one because this one explains a lot! I went back and forth on who I thought did the murder but did not guess for a while. Really enjoyed reading about Helen and Tom! I can see me reading more of this series❤️Oh come on, this book is fiction, it didn’t bug me to read about Hellen & Tom getting married! Really ⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️
You don’t really have to read the other books before this one because this one explains a lot! I went back and forth on who I thought did the murder but did not guess for a while. Really enjoyed reading about Helen and Tom! I can see me reading more of this series❤️Oh come on, this book is fiction, it didn’t bug me to read about Hellen & Tom getting married! Really ⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️
August 7, 2024
I have never not finished a book, but this one was a definite no for me. The storyline felt disjointed, and I struggled to grasp the content even after reading 5% of the book. It came across as trying too hard to be funny. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any redeeming qualities in the book. The female main character's inflated ego and the statement "the Pope personally allowed us to get married" left a bad impression on me.
February 1, 2022
An interesting mystery that sees police chief Helen solve the murder of Deacon Roderick with the help of her husband, Father Tom. It was an interesting story and the relationship between the lead pair was quite intriguing. The story moves at a good pace with some unexpected twists. I received a free copy of the book and this is my voluntary and honest review.
October 28, 2022
Ridiculous
The plot is pretty weak and there are some inconsistencies. Gladys is annoying and childish. Tom and Helen are nice characters. A light read if you're not worried about realism. Some of the plot details are easy to guess early on and it's surprising Helen doesn't work it out before being told.
The plot is pretty weak and there are some inconsistencies. Gladys is annoying and childish. Tom and Helen are nice characters. A light read if you're not worried about realism. Some of the plot details are easy to guess early on and it's surprising Helen doesn't work it out before being told.
October 30, 2022
Divine Intervention
A rather perplexing book. Good story but a Catholic priest being allowed to marry - that is so bizarre it did in fact make the book less enjoyable. I'm not a Catholic but you are changing fundamental rules that does nothing for the story. There are many religions where the minister, priest etc can marry so why??????
A rather perplexing book. Good story but a Catholic priest being allowed to marry - that is so bizarre it did in fact make the book less enjoyable. I'm not a Catholic but you are changing fundamental rules that does nothing for the story. There are many religions where the minister, priest etc can marry so why??????
Read
January 1, 2023Unique new mystery
This new series is not only unique but is funny as well. A priest married to the chief of police helps his wife solve murders but can't divulge what he learns in the course of his work. It creates some unusual and funny situations. You will want to read the entire series!
This new series is not only unique but is funny as well. A priest married to the chief of police helps his wife solve murders but can't divulge what he learns in the course of his work. It creates some unusual and funny situations. You will want to read the entire series!
November 15, 2023
The Honeymoon Homicide
A great mystery read. Loved the characters and storyline. Once you start it’s hard to put down. A strange married couple, a cop and a Catholic priest. They really make a great couple not only being married but working on cases together,although rough at times. A definite must read. A+++
A great mystery read. Loved the characters and storyline. Once you start it’s hard to put down. A strange married couple, a cop and a Catholic priest. They really make a great couple not only being married but working on cases together,although rough at times. A definite must read. A+++
December 9, 2023
catholic Catholic Catholic
As a non catholic, I found this book to be completely over the top Catholic. The whole book is centered on a Catholic couple. I had no idea what a lot of what they talked about, I got to 40% in the book, and it was more about Catholic life than the crime and solving it, and since I had no idea what they were talking about,, I ditched this early.
As a non catholic, I found this book to be completely over the top Catholic. The whole book is centered on a Catholic couple. I had no idea what a lot of what they talked about, I got to 40% in the book, and it was more about Catholic life than the crime and solving it, and since I had no idea what they were talking about,, I ditched this early.
January 24, 2024
page turning surprise
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book. As a Catholic, I was intrigued by the fact the church allowed a priest to marry. The murder and everything else was good. The whole part with the adopted daughter and her boyfriend seemed out of place, but u enjoyed the book.
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book. As a Catholic, I was intrigued by the fact the church allowed a priest to marry. The murder and everything else was good. The whole part with the adopted daughter and her boyfriend seemed out of place, but u enjoyed the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews