BAD SAMARITAN

Sister Agatha faces not only the closing of her beloved monastery but also the most important murder case of her life.

The thought of leaving Our Lady of Hope Monastery in Bernalillo, N.M., to move to Colorado taxes Sister Agatha’s faith. Just as devastating, however, is the news that Sheriff Tom Green, her old high-school flame, has been arrested for murder. Tom is accused of killing his political rival Robert Garcia at a rally and Fourth of July celebration in a crowded park after Garcia is found shot dead, a blood-smeared club in his hand and Tom unconscious at his side. Although both had apparently been drugged with a date-rape drug placed in their hot-dog relish, Garcia’s powerful family, including the mayor, still insist Tom is guilty. With her faithful retired police dog Pax at her side, Agatha tracks down clues while facing threats from Garcia’s backers. She learns that Tom’s wife was planning to leave him, while Garcia’s wife is hiding the secret that her son was not fathered by her husband, a controlling wife-beater. Agatha is a formidable sleuth with a long string of successful cases to her credit (The Prodigal Nun, 2008, etc.). But proving Tom innocent while facing her own problems will be no easy task.

A case designed to appeal to Agatha’s fans while keeping them waiting to learn the fate of Our Lady of Hope.