Sign of the Cross

A Collins-Burke Mystery #1

by Anne Emery

Monty Collins is a sharp-tongued public defender who just wants to represent an upstanding character for a change. A priest with something to hide isn't quite what he had hoped for, but when the literate, arrogant, and tight-lipped Father Brennan Burke is implicated in the strange murder of a young woman, Monty doesn't just take the casethe case takes him. When Burke won't come clean, Monty is forced to play private detective, traveling into his client's past. Things look good for the case until another body is found, marked with the same telltale sign as the first. Burke keeps mum, alternate suspects are ruled out, and the trial looks like it might be lost before deliberation. As if it couldn't get any worse, Monty's wisecracking ex-wife enters the picture, and she seems to know more about Burke than Monty does. Evidence and coincidence pile up, leading to a revelation neither Monty nor the reader see coming.

Genres: Mystery, Canada, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Thriller, Crime

329 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2006

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Anne Emery is the author of SIGN OF THE CROSS (2006), OBIT (2007), BARRINGTON STREET BLUES (2008), CECILIAN VESPERS (2009) and CHILDREN IN THE MORNING (2010). Anne was born in Halifax and grew up in Moncton. She is a graduate of St. F.X. University and Dalhousie Law School. She has worked as a lawyer, legal affairs reporter and researcher. Apart from reading and writing, her interests include music, philosophy, architecture, travel and Irish history. Anne lives in Halifax with her husband and daughter.

Series:
* Monty Collins Mystery

Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best First Novel (2007): Sign of the Cross

Reviews

[Tahera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book caught my interest from the get go! I decided to listen to this on a whim and it did not disappoint. First in the series, Sign of the Cross is a solid legal thriller/murder mystery with an interesting plotline, engaging and intense courtroom scenes and well-etched out main and supporting characters. I enjoyed the dynamics between Monty Collins and Father Burke and I particularly loved Father Burke's character; from leading a life of drugs and debauchery to priesthood, he has seen it all uses his experience to do good for the community.

Christian Rummel does an excellent job with the narration and adds to the overall enjoyment of the book. The setting of the book is Halifax, Canada in the early 90s and you do get the feel of the decade in the writing; plus the author also gives an insight into how the Canadian legal system works. Judging by the subtitle it looks like Monty and Father Burke will join hands for future cases. It will be interesting to see how a lawyer and a priest go about solving crimes.

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I grew up in Nova Scotia and spent many years there since, I must confess I had never heard of this writer and her series of books. Set in Halifax, there is a good and recognizable sense of place. Through one of the main characters,a lawyer, we are taken inside the Law Court and learn about the legal process, and also are introduced to some Roman Catholic priests and their theology. The mystery was a page turner. The interesting and complex characters were so well developed I felt I knew them.
Monty Collins, the lawyer, is asked to defend Father Brennan Burke, an handsome imposing priest who may be arrested for the murder of a wild teen aged girl killed after a dance put on by the church. Brennan is at times sullen and at other times displays a sense of humor. He is highly intelligent, knows Latin and modern Italian,vulgar street language and directs the church choir. He previously studied in Rome and practiced in New York. Collins finds him very secretive. Soon a child in the choir is killed through her mother's neglect. The little girl was a wonderful singer, and a favorite of the choir master. Her mother is then found murdered in the same way as the teenaged girl. Circumstantial and forensic evidence points to Father Brennan and he is arrested and found guilty on two counts of murder.
Collins goes back and forth between believing his client is innocent and thinking he must be guilty. He realizes the only way to exonerate Brennan is to delve into his past since the priest feels he was set up, but is not forthcoming about his past or any potential enemy. He learns the younger Brennan has a history of brawling, womanizing, drugs and drink. Nevertheless the two men begin to forge a friendship. Collins has an ex wife, also a lawyer and two children. He seems jealous of the friendship she develops with the priest. The mystery is solved through the two men working together.
I was sorry to see the book end, and pleased to see there are six more books in the Collins/Burke series which I look forward to reading. 4.5 stars

[Mae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this mystery series. This is the first book in the Burkes – Collins’s mystery series. I read the fourth book in the series. I went back to the first book Anne Emery wrote in this series and I have to say I think I liked it more than book 4.
In this book we meet Monty Collins intrepid criminal defence lawyer. He is separated from his lovely and strong-willed wife Maura and shares custody of their two children. In this book and in the 4th book Maura and the kids (Tom and Normie) are not just add on but part of the story. I find this interesting because it also means the author must spend some time developing the characters of people who are not the focus of the story but do play significant roles. I like this little family unit even though they are separated, and the relationship adds to the depth of the story.
We also meet Father Burke, who is not your typical priest, nor does he have a saintly past. Which makes him more interesting as a character.
The story starts out not in your typical mystery novel fashion. We do not have a death and police investigating. Collins’s boss asks him to take on Father Burke as a client. Collins’s boss, Rowan Stratton, is already friends with Father Brennan Burke and has heard via his police connections that Father Burke is going to be charged with murder. It falls to Monty Collins to defend Father Burke and to find out if he is indeed guilty of murder.
The story is about introducing the characters of Father Burke and Monty and how a friendship builds between the two. The murder and subsequent murder are there to build on these characters and to show how everyone reacts to the news of Burke being a murder suspect given what they know of him. The story also shows the skills both Burke and Collins bring to the investigation of murder, court room drama, musical education and just being a good person.
I quite like Father Burke and Monty Collins and all the people who surround them. I will continue to read this series.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Overall, a disappointment. The author telegraphed the perpetrator's identity before page 50, and the resolution when it came was rather facile. I was taken by surprise, not by the mystery within the novel, but that such easy plots are still being written. Would suit a YA audience. In fact, as I write this, it comes to me that had I come across this in my younger days, (say perhaps my Nancy Drew days, when I was 12), I would have liked it very much. For an older audience, looking for a good "mysterious" read of any kind, it misses the mark.

It's such a shame because Emery had all the fixings for a good old-fashioned detective/mystery, set in Canada, with appealing characters and a good storyline. I really can't understand how she dropped the ball on this one with such an interesting premise in her hands. The end, when it came was also painful. Once the perpetrator of the crime was revealed (for those who didn't already know), the story dragged on for another 30 or 40 pages, riddled with a whole lot of nothing, and finally just fizzled out.

Emery does know her legal stuff, though, and the court room scenes were enjoyable, as was her characterization of her Main Man, Montague (Monty) Collins.

I didn't hate it, but didn't like it enough to say it was actually "good". It was "just OK", with a bit of jam on the top.

[Rob Kitchin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sign of the Cross is the first book in the Monty Collins series set in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Collins is a lawyer who’s been playing in a blues band since his university days and is separated from his sharp-tongued, law professor wife. In this first outing he’s trying to defend a bullish but charismatic priest who is suspected of committing murder, who is fairly uncooperative and parcels out information only when forced to. Interestingly, the only character I had difficulty fully believing in was Monty, who seemed a bit lost and a bit pastiche. His acerbic wife, his kids, and the characters based around the church all seemed more coherent. This might partially be the artefact of the first person tense, but was more than that I feel; he just felt a little unsubstantial. The plot is a somewhat hesitant to begin with, but gains shape and direction as it unfolds. With regards to the mystery, Emery manages to keep a number of suspects in the frame, though the denouement was no great surprise. At the end I was turning the pages as much to see how the relationships between the characters turned out as the tale, especially Burke and Monty’s wife. Overall, a fairly run-of-the-mill mystery, lifted by the supporting characters.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great characters, set in a city I'm familiar with. Enjoyed thoroughly the in-depth examination of the emotional stages and thought-processes the murder-suspect went through before (and after)joining the Catholic priesthood. Loyalty, life goals, and focus, tho all-the-while giving vent to the more 'human' sides of the male nature won the battle for his life choice. His tenacity in honoring his core beliefs, while abnegating his base bodily needs (not always totally) was the most fascinating part of this book for me. Also noted was how skillfully a female author narrated the book in the voice of a male attorney. Mystery as to who actually commited the two murders Father Brennan Burke was accused of took second place for me in this book. Look forward to other books in this series.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm hooked! It kind of tapered off at the end, but I still liked the writing and story. Ordering the next in the series now.

[Andrea Engle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Montague Collins, a criminal lawyer in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is assigned by his partner, Rowan Stratton, to the defense of a soon-to-be-suspected priest in a murder case … astonishing for a first novel ….

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Attorney Montague (Monty) Collins has the client from hell in Father Brennan Burke. The priest is surly, cynical, secretive, arrogant, and Monty has to stop him from being sent to prison on two first-degree murder charges. Father Burke insists someone’s framing him, but as Monty investigates, he begins to have doubts. Regardless of Burke’s guilt or innocence, Monty knows defending this man will be enormously difficult. Adding to Monty’s stress is an unsettled personal life as he and his ex-wife Maura try to remain civil to one another for their children’s sake. Maura also happens to be an excellent lawyer and Monty needs her help. That she and the irritating Brennan seem to hit it off only irks Monty further.

What can I say about Sign of the Cross but wow! This book is everything I look for in a mystery: memorable, well-developed characters, a compelling plot, and great writing. Tension flowed through every page with mounting suspense. That author Anne Emery clearly knows Catholicism, lawyers, and court proceedings, all adds up to one amazing legal thriller that I couldn’t put down. There is so much depth to this mystery, so much to think about, and such a satisfying ending that I really wanted their stories to continue. Happily, Emery has another Monty Collins’ novel called Obit. I can’t wait!

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for my bookclub. I don't normally read mysteries, but as far as that genre goes, it seems to me this is well done. The story is complex, consistent and intelligent with a lot of interesting characters and relationships as well as detail about Catholicism and psychological insight. There was a steady stream of suspense and many plausible possibilities as to the murderer, including the accused himself. When the truth was revealed at the end, I was not surprised but I also had never been certain. I was engaged in the story, but not fully taken by any character except the accused who, to me, was deeply committed to his beliefs, reflective, compassionate, understandable in every way and likeable. My mediocre rating is a result of a) not being well qualified to rate mysteries and b) not having a deep connection with any other character. Okay, Sister Marguerite was pretty cool.

Also, I live in Halifax where this story takes place and found some of the references to this city interesting. Most, however, were gratuitous names of streets or buildings with no description that added to the story or image of the place. Overdone.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just loved this book by Canadian (Maritime, to be exact) author Anne Emery....and I certainly look forward to reading the next book in the Monty Collins mystery series. I loved her writing...I thought she weaved together a taut, interesting, legal thriller with as much skill as John Grisham....I loved the characters she came up with...Monty Collins was terrific....and Father Burke...well, his whole story line in the book was interesting, to say the least.....and the whodunit aspect of the novel was well thought out...I did figure out whodunit, but, I was near the end of the book before it all came together for me...and I loved finding out that I was correct..actually, the whole novel with the legal jargon, the insight into the Canadian court system and the highly researched glimpse into the Roman Catholic Church was extremely well done ...I also loved reading about all the places in and around Halifax...I knew all the streets mentioned, the hotels the entire area...so it was easy to conjure up the images in my mind to go with the story.....It was un-put-down-able to me...I read it over a weekend...Started Friday night....finished on Sunday afternoon......

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book much more than I did. I had a lot of trouble warming up to either of the two main characters. I also guessed really early on who dunnit. After that the plot just plodded along.

One of the main problems that I had with this book, however, was its treatment of women... I had to keep double checking that the author herself is a woman because I totally fail to understand why a woman would create scenes just to diminish the credibility of women who have been assaulted or who suffer from other types of hardships. I also fail to understand why a female author would support the idea that if a man behaves badly there must be a woman to blame. Not once, not twice, but THREE times (thrice) this author took that route. Disgusting.

I will not be looking up the next book in this series, nor any other books by this author.

[Sandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

actually a 3.5 I'd say. Good enough that I'm getting the next book she wrote - not a series, but the same characters.

[Paula Dembeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first installment of the Collins-Burke Series published in 2008 and set in Halifax Nova Scotia. Montague (Monty) Collins, a lawyer burned out by his clients and a grueling schedule working legal aid, was lured away several years ago to private law practice by Rowan Stratton and now does much of the criminal defense work for his firm. Monty has been estranged from his wife Maura for years and although they live apart and do not agree on most things, they have successfully been co-parenting their two children, Tommy and Normie.

Late one night, the body of a young girl was discovered dumped on the service road beneath one of the city’s bridges. Twenty-year old Leeza Rae was working part time at a local youth center before she was brutally murdered and a religious symbol was carved in her chest. She was last seen alone, leaving a dance at St. Bernadette’s Youth Center in downtown Halifax. Signs are currently pointing to an unusual suspect, a local handsome, hard drinking Irish Catholic priest named Father Brennan Burke.

Monty’s boss asks him to represent Father Burke, an acquaintance of his, but Monty finds his client a reluctant one. Burke is in his late forties, a worldly, highly educated, very intelligent man who is tight lipped and self-contained. He is difficult to talk to and Monty can barely get a civil word out of him. The man absolutely refuses to share any information with him unless he is forced to and just insists he did not commit the murder. He has gladly answered all the questions the police asked him, often revealing more than he should, but conceals important information from Monty who is struggling to construct a defense.

Unable to get anything from his Burke, Monty begins to investigates the man’s past trying to figure out who may be motivated to frame his client. He is surprised to hear Father Burke was quite a rogue, a man who drank, did drugs and bedded many a willing young woman. He seems to have crammed as much into life as he could before giving it all up for the priesthood.

When the body of a second woman with a similar mark carved on her chest is discovered, the case against the priest strengthens and there is talk of a serial killer. Father Brennan insists he did neither of the murders and although Marty believes his victim is innocent, he is worried he may never be able to prove it to a jury.

Monty has played in a blues band since he was a young man in college. The one thing he does share with his client is a love of music. The priest has a lovely voice, enjoys liturgical music and directs a children’s choir at the Choral School. And oh yes, there is a second thing these two men share, the love of a good drink. It is during those times they develop a friendship.

Monty does not present as a strong character and initially I found it difficult to connect with him. On the other hand, Father Brennan Burke is a tall, handsome, striking man who makes an immediate impression. He is a terrific singer, a brilliant choir director and works well with children. Even Tommy and Normie make a strong connection with him.

Maura MacNeil, Monty’s wife is a sharp tongued, smart, attractive woman who had once tried social work but now teaches poverty law at the Dalhousie Law School. Emery presents her as a strong character, stronger on the page than her husband who is supposedly at the center of the action. There are several supporting characters, including Irishman Father Michael O’Flaherty the pastor at St. Bernadette’s, retired police detective Emmerson Walker, Executive Director and Principal of the school Sister Marguerite Dunne and her assistant Eileen O’Darragh, Mrs. Kelly, who manages the comings and goings at the rectory and a handful of poker buddies.

The narrative begins hesitatingly but grows over time as suspects are placed before the reader for consideration. Curiosity about the priest’s past grows with each new foray Monty takes into the priest’s past, collecting evidence that shows that before Father Burke entered the priesthood, he led a life that was neither celibate nor vice-free.

There is no big surprise when the killer is revealed and many will have guessed the culprit, but Emery does provide a satisfactory chase to the finish.

The series is set in Halifax Nova Scotia and those familiar with the area will recognize many local landmarks such as the Neptune Theater, Citadel Hill, the Hydrostones, The Public Gardens, The Dingle, the Northwest Arm and well-known streets such Spring Garden Road, Morris Street, and Dresden Row. But the setting does not play a major factor in the narrative, in fact the novel could have taken place in any mid-sized city. Still, it is nice to see a crime story set in a Canadian city that is not one of the major three stretched across that country's immense landscape.

There are several more books in the series and I am intrigued enough to continue to the next one titled “Obit”.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sign of the Cross is a murder-mystery fiction involving a catholic priest. Father Brennan Burke is an arrogant and handsome priest whose current habits and his life before priesthood leave him a prime suspect. Even his lawyer Monty Collins does not trust him. Sign of the Cross is the first of a series of 11 Collins-Burke Mystery novels written by Anne Emery as of 2020.

Lawyer Monty Collins is tired of the same underclass clients who lie and cheat him when he is only trying to help them. He wishes for an intelligent and articulate client and his wish comes true when Father Brennan Burke is accused of committing a brutal murder. Monty’s nightmare continues however, when he realizes that despite his profession, Father Burke is not above reproach when it comes to concealing facts from his lawyer. Monty needs to find a possible alternative scenario for the murders and Father Burke is no help at all.

There are many interesting characters in the novel but none more interesting than Father Burke. He loves the choir and is gruff but kind to his young students. At the same time, he smokes drinks and swears like a layman and he has a past that would burn the doors down in the confessional. Emery does an excellent job of building his character in such a way that even though he appears to be a devote priest you can’t help but think he is capable of murder. On the other hand, Monty and his family have a dynamic which almost provides comic relief throughout the story. I really liked them all.

There is an unexpected twist that leads to quite surprise reveal at the end. There is no doubt that all is not as it seems at St. Bernadette’s parish. I do feel as though the story is not as complex as it could be. There are only a few characters who are available to commit the murders. The reveal is more about why than about who.

I enjoyed the book because the characters are interesting and there are a few surprises. I highly recommend this book to those who like murder mysteries. I give it a 4 on 5.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

They mystery here seems at first quite complex ... a young girl is murdered following a youth center dance and a retired police officer has put one of the priests who run the center squarely in the frame. But there is no evidence that can not be explained away pretty easily. Still, Monty Collins, lawyer to accused priest Brennan Burke, has his hands full as his client seems congenitally unable to follow his advice. He manages to prevent the priest from being charged, but then there are more deaths and he's eventually charged.

Collins believes wholeheartedly in his client's innocence, even as he's exasperated by his unwillingness to cooperate on what seem to be key points. Neither one is a completely honorable man -- but they do both seem to know their personal failings even if they can't quite overcome them. The trial brings out incidents from Burke's past -- further exasperating Collins who feels like Burke should have told him some of this before.

Really, the novel as a whole is more about the men and their relationships with each other and their respective familial circles. The mystery itself centers on just one or two key points that, if Collins can figure them out, Burke will be completely exonerated. The solution to at least one of the clues felt kind of tenuous, AND it felt like something they should have examined more closely a lot sooner. But it did finally lead to a resolution.

Overall, I generally enjoyed it. It was a bit frustrating that the kindle edition had a locked font, but at least it wasn't something that was too difficult to read. It was written in around 2006, but it felt like it was set more like in the mid 1980s. The second book is available via the library, so I may continue the series some day.

[Nada Sheppard · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a Catholic and a born and raised Nova Scotian, I was very eager to read this book. But by the time I was done, I threw it in the recycling. I couldn't even bring myself to donate it for someone else to read.

I once heard a movie reviewer describe a movie this way: "Every character in this movie is a raging a$$h*ole" and I found it the perfect description for this novel. There was not a single character to be liked -- not one. Every character in this book is distractingly unlikeable or unrealistic. I had figured out the mystery before I had gone through a quarter of the book (though I had not got the motive correct [and I honestly thought the motive I had concocted was better than the one the author wrote]).

The author's writing style is fine, though clunky and frustrating. Almost every chapter ends with a "little did I know what was to come" kind of line, and I found it took me out of the story. Characters that we hear so much about come and go from the story with barely any reason.

I will say, however, that as a local, it was fun to read about so many familiar places. At one point, a character starts smoking in a restaurant and I was shocked, as smoking indoors in restaurants has been outlawed for decades now, but then I remembered that this book takes place in 1990, and smoking in restaurants was perfectly normal back then. For that small detail and the fun I got from hearing about other local landmarks of the community, I have given it an extra star.

I honestly could go on, but I really just found this book so disappointing, and in a way, insulting, that I think I've said enough. I am not likely to read more by this author.

[Larraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book by accident. It sounded interesting. I've had it for a while, but decided it was time to read it. I'm glad I did especially since it's the first book in the series. This is the first in the series featuring Montague Collins, an attorney in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and Father Brennan Burke, an Irish-American priest whose youth misspent until he found God and entered a seminary. He has a beautiful voice and is a choir master of a choir school in a building that was a former orphanage. When two women are murdered, he is the chief suspect for a variety of reasons. Montague (Monty for short) investigates his past and finds a lot of troubling issues. More than once he wonders if his client really IS guilty.



This is another Canadian author who doesn't seem to get the attention of British authors in the United States. I don't understand why. I'm looking forward to reading more by the author. After the first book which spells out the relationship between the two men, it seems as if every book is more or less self contained from what I've been able to ascertain. Ms. Emery is a gifted writer with a legal background which shows. I really like the strong sense of place here as well as her descriptions of the Canadian legal system. I definitely plan to read this series. There are a bunch of them. It will take a while to catch up.

[Mya R · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for a geographical challenge. Two stars for the actual mystery part of the mystery, which has the same weaknesses as most first time mysteries, including telegraphing the real murderer far too soon, and a far too facile wrap up. But rounding up to three stars for some interesting characters, and a decent introduction to Halifax, especially combined with a map and some internet searches.

—Related links—

The Halifax Explosion of 1917 remains the largest accidental, artificial, non-nuclear explosion. It killed more than 1,700 people, injured 7,000, and leveled parts of the surrounding communities:
https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/...

Halifax has a lot of parks and other public spaces:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halifax...

Pictures & history of the Halifax Court House:
https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/dfhd/page_n...

[Solus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot: Brilliant.
Narrative: It required rereading paragraphs to understand what the persona was saying.
Characters: That's the part where this felt like a fictional book. The character's way of speech and humour seemed artificial.

It's a nice novel. But, could've been better. It just felt as if this plot was given to Alex Michaelides, we would've had another masterpiece like the silent patient. By no means do I say it's badly written, it's that I failed to understand certain choices the author made, like the tone of the narrative, the stubbornness of the policeman & how the theme of religion interlink with the affairs of the court.

I recommend it, given you can bear some annoyances.
I'm still not certain if all what I endured was justified by the ending of the novel.

[Tracy Trofimencoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how I love a mystery and this debut novel was no exception! Great characters, intriguing plot twists and a familiar setting (Nova Scotia) made this book so enjoyable. Excellent lead character that the author creates and her own background in law makes Monty a realistic barrister with natural human flaws. The accused, Catholic priest Father Brennan Burke is a harsh, poker-faced yet admirable character as he faces not one but two murder charges. A nice cast of supporting characters rounds out this mystery nicely. Looking forward to the next instalment.

[Margaret Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emery has given her readers a startlingly imagined story, her protagonist being a Catholic priest who has been accused of murder. The priestly role has deep archetypal associations. Emery knows how to play on this, demonstrating the alternately corporeal and spiritual dimensions in her character, Father Brennan Burke. She delves deep. She succeeds in demonstrating the truth, to paraphrase Shakespeare, that, between heaven and earth, there are a whole lot of things going on. An excellent read.

[Michelle Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like her precious book Ms Emery takes us to Nova Scotia and Father Burke, The good looking Irishman. I don’t think the Catholic Church would approve of him completely, but it seems that if you are a talented Irishman you can get away with many things. He is accused of two murders and spend some time in Remand. He claims he is not guilty, but cannot explain or divulge many things. Monty Collins his lawyer is hard pressed to find ways to defend him. All is resolved in the end, with a lot of choir music and poker games. A lovely entertaining book.

[Sue Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book Monte Collins, a lawyer in Halifax, meets and tries to defend an intriguing priest by the name of Father Brennan Burke, accused of killing a young woman. Emery does a great job with her descriptions of the setting, Halifax, and of the various characters, some on the shady side. Collins and Burke meet, spar, trade verbal punches - in short, make it very difficult for Collins to defend Burke against his murder charge. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and its central characters.

[Wendy Hearder-moan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I’m going to enjoy this series, although I hope that Monty will settle down a bit and stop being such a womanizer. It’s as though the author couldn’t quite decide which of her female characters is the right fit for him. Good plot and unlike some reviewers, I certainly didn’t guess who was the culprit. Even now, the motive seems a bit weak, however.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was published about 17 years ago and, I believe, the author's first book. I thought it was a pretty good "whodunit" and while I thought I had solved the mystery early on, I had not, so that was a bonus. There's definitely room for character development and fleshing out of back stories as the author continues this series, so I will pick up the next book and see how that goes. 3.5 stars.

[Paulette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of my Read Across Canada Mystery series, this mystery novel is set in Halifax, Nova Scotia. When a teenage girl is murdered and a Catholic priest is accused of the crime, lawyer Monty Collins takes the case. An intriguing investigation and a great sense of place. Recommended and I plan to read more in the series.

[Marisa Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a lawyer must defend a priest suspected of murder. The lawyer soon finds his client is keeping lots of secrets - one of which holds the key to the person framing him for murder.

Well written, lots of twists, but not a fast read - slow at parts.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting mystery that takes place in Halifax. A Catholic priest is charged with the murder of a young girl. His defense lawyer is trying to get his client off but the priest is not overly forthcoming in information.

[Sindhura Motaparthi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice twist