The Missing Madonna

Sister Mary Helen #3

by Carol Anne O'Marie

Sister Mary Helen is sinfully good at snooping through the San Francisco fog. Now a fellow OWL (Older Woman's League) member has disappeared. The police believe Erma Duran simply flew the coop, but Sister feels a Higher Authority pushing her to investigate. A gold medal entangled in Erma's bedsprings and a cryptic clue to a Byzantine madonna deepens the mystery. By the time Police Inspector Kate Murphy joins the hunt, Sister's good intentions have already paved her way straight to the Mission District--and a hellish encounter with sudden death.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Christian, Mystery Thriller

272 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Sister Carol Anne O'Marie, CSJ was a mystery writer and a nun in the St. Joseph of Carondelet religious order.

She wrote eleven novels with the protagonist Sister Mary Helen, an elderly nun who solves crimes. Most of the books are based in San Francisco.

Her final book, Like a Swarm of Bees, is about the origins of the Sisters of St. Joseph in the United States.

Sister Carol Anne O'Marie and Sister Maureen Lyons ran a shelter for homeless women in Oakland, CA.

Reviews

[Anastasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Missing Madonna by Sister carol Anne O'Marie is the 3rd book in the Sister Mary Helen Mystery series. Sister Mary Helen attends an OWL (Older Women's League) convention in New York where she meets up with an old friend. When this friend disappears on their return to San Francisco, Sister Mary Helen and her fellow OWL's investigate. This is the first book I have read in this series and probably would have enjoyed it more if I was more familiar with the series and characters. It was a nice mystery although a bit too slow for me and the solution seemed obvious. I kept waiting for the body to be found but it did not appear until the end.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good mystery but one that needed some serious editing. I ran across many instances where periods were missing at the end of sentences, and some instances of misplaced periods. Wrong word usage and a tendency to be repetitious were also present.

As always I loved the setting of San Francisco and being able to clearly 'see' all the places and roadways that were mentioned.

I also really liked many of the characters, especially Sister Anne and the detective pair of Kate and Jack.

Somehow I ended up with the third in the series, and am considering the possibility of backtracking and reading the first two.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has some genuine charm to it stemming from the obvious naïveté of the author and therefore of her characters (unfortunately, many of them are more cardboard cutouts than realistic people). The mystery itself simply went on too long. There are few clues, most of which are given pretty early on, and very little action until the denouement. All that said, I still finished the book (for awhile I kept reading because I was sure some new clue or complication must be just around the corner but when I realized it wasn’t I still pressed on). Ultimately the nuns who are the main characters bring back some nostalgia for me and their quaintness is rather cute.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be more interesting to read if you are very familiar with San Francisco. The author goes into a lot of detail regarding the streets and places that are used as a setting for this mystery. The writing is good, but the pace was a bit slow for my taste. There is also, very understandably, lots of reference to Catholic rites, icons, and feasts. It was a fun read, but not enough to draw me into reading more of the series.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sisters continue their mystery solving adventures, this time involving a good friend. There's not as much action as in the other books and there seems to be a lot of discussion about fog rolling into the bay area. We do get to know the main police characters a little better.

[Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to love this series more than I do. The mystery was weak and all of the secondary characters are underdeveloped. I wish there were more scene in the convent and in community. There is nonetheless a delightful charm to it. Maybe I’ll try another…

[Massanutten Regional Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Linda, Elkton patron, July 2018, 5 stars:

I love these books.! I wish there were more books in this series to read. Every mystery reader should read this.

[Rosemary Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this mystery with religious background. Intelligent characters and good plot

[Tabatha Salmon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit predictable but charming all the same.

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

it was very slow, the murder and the murderer are both uncovered in the last chapter.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in this nun's series. It may be old and I may have read it when it was new, but it it still worth the time to read again.

[Syrdarya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sister Mary Helen and Sister Eileen have joined the Older Women's League (OWLs). When fellow member and Sister Mary Helen's old friend Erma Duran goes missing, the nuns and a few other members join up to investigate.

Erma was a widow with three messes of children. She worked in a restaurant as a hostess and lived in an apartment where her landlord also happened to be her boss. At first Sister Mary Helen and the others can't find any clues, but with repeated digging they uncover a lot of little things which don't add up.

Sister Mary Helen's friend and Homicide detective Kate Murphy refers the nuns to the Missing Persons Bureau, because until there's a dead body, she shouldn't be involved. Kate and her partner Denny think that siccing the nuns on ladykiller Inspector Ron Honore will be amusing and at the same time get the nuns off the Homicide detectives' backs, but instead all three of them end up investigating the disappearance of an elderly woman.

A few of the characters were a bit like caricatures of stereotypes, but overall this was a very good book. Sister Eileen went easier on the Irish sayings this time, and the interactions of the nuns at the convent were rather sweet. I found it a little hard to believe that Kate was so upset over not getting pregnant yet when only a few months ago in book two she wasn't ready to start a family, but maybe that fits with her personality. I figured out the ending before any of the characters did, but following Sister Mary Helen through the process was still fun to read.

[Linda Rawlins · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Missing Madonna is the third book in the Sister Mary Helen Mystery Series. A convention with the OWLs (Older Women's League) takes place in NYC. Sister Mary Helen and Sister Eileen join their friends in various workshops and lectures. However, Sister Mary Helen soon becomes more focused on finding out why Erma Duran is upset and secretive. The book continues with their return to San Francisco and the sudden disappearance of Erma. Sister Mary Helen and Sister Eileen investigate the disappearance, even when told not to, with the help of her landlord, the police and the remaining members of the OWL's. The story was a light, fluffy story. I love the Sister Mary Helen Mysteries but felt this book went round in circles more than the first two books. However, if you like light mystery fiction with a bit of Catholic humor mixed in, you'll most likely enjoy The Missing Madonna.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This time, Sister Mary Helen is almost murdered upon searching for dear Erma –who mysteriously disappears shortly after a convention of the OWLS (Older Women’s League) in New York City.
---such a pure, wonderful delight --- Sister’s super-sleuthing is not only often funny (as she has self taught herself by using the info she picks up from the paperback mystery she is reading ((and is always in her plastic prayer book)) –but, her characters are all so warm, loving and really human. She truly understands the secrets of the human heart!

[Alton Motobu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple missing persons case turns into murder. Sr. Mary Helen's friend disappears after returning from a trip. Her 3 adult children and a shady landlord are suspects. Rich atmosphere of San Francisco, interesting characters and well-developed story line. Sub-plot about SFPD detectives (man and woman) investigating the case - leading to romance. Sr. Mary Helen is a likable character with spunk and a sense of humor.

[Marianne Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sister Carole Ann O'Marie is a very gifted author. The only thing that makes me sad, is because of her death in 2009, we will not be able to read any more of the adventures of Sister Mary Helen.

This book is the third in a series of 11 and is light reading, fun and an awesome, quick beach read.

[Kyrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one better than the previous one, although, I did feel at the end it really was solved like some sort of bizarre game - all the pieces falling into place. I really didn't follow the logic.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful and tangled web Sr. Mary Helen finds herself in this time. Follow her and her compatriots as they track down an old friend and a whole lot of trouble in between. Morale of this story, don't mess with harmless seaming old ladies.

[Alexandra]

3rd in the series.

[Barbara Radisavljevic · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review for this series is under Novena for Murder.

[Edna Little Fish In Running Waters Spring · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned more about the Statues within the Convent and enjoyed Sister Mary Helen's involvment in solving the Mystery and how she gets around Mother Superior.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, light fun.

[Enid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute cozy mystery series. Follows the trend of the Father Dowling Series. Light-hearted and fun to read.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another light-hearted, fast read with Sister Mary Helen's curiosity leading the way!

[Jean]

It was OK. Set in the 80s.

[CJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable read in the Sister Helen series.