The Corporal Works of Murder

Sister Mary Helen #10

by Carol Anne O'Marie

Readers have come to delight in the murder-solving exploits of septuagenarian Sister Mary Helen, a nun with a nose for nabbing killers. Publishers Weekly calls the mysteries "refreshingly different" and a "heady mix of humor and suspense." Once you meet this spry, clever sleuth, you'll make a habit of reading her adventures...

"...Bury The Dead."

On the feast of St. Francis Caracciolo, Sister Mary Helen finished chanting the Corporal Acts of Mercy-"...to feed and shelter the homeless, visit the sick, and bury the dead"-before she went to work at The Refuge, a San Francisco women's shelter. Immediately she wondered about a pretty new visitor, suspiciously too well kept to be down and out. Only a few minutes later, Mary Helen found the mysterious woman shot and dying on the sidewalk. The police don't want an old nun meddling in the case, but that doesn't stop Mary Helen from snooping around and discovering the victim's true identity. And when Mary Helen discovers two more bodies, it's the police who may be confessing their need of a sharp-witted Sister with connections to a Higher Authority....

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Mystery Thriller

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 3, 2002

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

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great addition to this series about an elderly nun who comes across a lot of dead bodies and helps solve their murder

[Marty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sister Mary Helen is a nun who helps out at a women’s Refuge in San Francisco. She is an older nun, a bit overweight but devout in her mission to do the Corporal Works of Mercy – one of them being, to “bury the dead.” Her religious order runs a Refuge for homeless women in one of the seedy areas of San Francisco. Into the Refuge where she works, comes a young pretty “bag lady” who doesn’t fit the traditional picture of a woman needing the refuge. … It turns out she doesn’t. She is shot within a block of leaving the Refuge. Sister Mary Helen rushes to her aid and hears her final word. . It turns out the “bag lady” was an undercover police officer. What is going on? Sister Mary Helen is determined to find out. –The women who come to the Refuge almost every day are an interesting group. (Note: the Refuge is only open during the day. It does offer showers and washing facilities, but no sleeping arrangements.) The author, Sister Carole Anne O’Marie actually works at a similar Refuge –but in Oakland. A good story if a little sparse in detail

[Alton Motobu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cozy mystery as Sister Mary Helen ignores police warnings to not get involved in investigating three execution-style murders in her neighborhood, especially since two of the victims were undercover officers. There are so many clues early on that by half way through the book the killer is obvious, although the characters in the book do not find out until practically the last page. For some reason Sister Eileen is not part of the story - she is in Ireland - not the same without Sister Eileen's interplay with Sister Mary Helen.

[William Jeanes Memorial Library]

Very clever character and plot development. The killer reveals his mental state at the beginning of the the story. Sister Helen is a volunteer at a women's refuge center in a poor neighborhood, where the patrons show her a different part of survival. Suspense until a final clue is solved by Sister Marie and is an unexpected revelation to the police involved.
-Patron M.D.

[sandy edmondson · Rating 5 out of 5]

These book never fail to entertain!

Sister Mary Helen is at her finest. Though I do miss Sister Eileen at her side. You will enjoy reading now Sister Mary Helen always seems to be a step of two in front on Detectives Kate & Gallager.

[Cierra Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book! A thrift store find!

[Evelyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very slow read - ending apparent

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sister Mary Helen solves a murder near the shelter at which she volunteers. An entertaining quick read.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sister Mary Helen has retired after decades of teaching. Now she works at a refuge for homeless women. When a young homeless woman is shot doors down from the refuge, Sister Mary Helen hears her whisper the word 'pity' with he dying breathe. It turns out that she was an undercover police woman. Then another undercover officer is killed and the old nun gets hot on the trail despite police warnings.

[Kimberly Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the mystery, I did not like the protagonist, for a Nun she's a nasty busy-body, who shows no respect or decorum......

An undercover police woman is murdered, the nun goes out of her way to make trouble for the undercover police officer who is running the Tattoo parlor next to the Rescue Mission.... How stupid is it that the Undercover cop blows his cover to the nun and she in turn blabs & uses his name in public.....

[CJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually liked this one better than some of the others although I'm a little tired of the homeless shelter setting - too depressing. Other plot points were very believable, and SMH's involvement not as contrived. She's become rather like Miss Marple and Jessica Fletcher: don't invite them to your town unless you're ready for someone to croak!

[Mary Newcomb]

Sister Mary Helen can't help but be in the middle of a murder investigation. This one seemed fairly simple to resolve (at least for me). Of course I got more information than the investigators did.

[Hapzydeco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in a seedy corner of San Francisco this tenth book in the Sister Mary Helen series is a realistic cozy in which a Miss Marple/Jessica Fletcher character becomes the Flying Nun. Although not dull at times the novel had me humming refrains of Joe Zawinul's classic.

[Scott L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little cozy. The solution is not convoluted like a Rex Stout or Agatha Christie; in fact it is almost too easy. But this is really such a pleasant read that one can forgive Sister O'Marie for not being more deceptive.

[Kyrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted something light to counter the nonfiction I've been reading. This however wasn't it. It was clunky, with clues dropped like bricks everywhere. I figured what was going on almost immediately and who long before anyone else did. Not her best work.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent suspense with a fine dash of murder in it. This story will keep you thinking the whole way through, and really helps you to get into Sister Mary Helen's head. Though it might make you want to go volunteer to make others lives better.

[mumto2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

San Francisco

[Marianne Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sister Mary Helen is wonderful!!!! The perfect combination of humor and suspense.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

a simple mystery but enjoyable