About this title: It's a cold, snowy December in the upstate New York town of Millers Kill, and newly-ordained Clare Fergusson is on thin ice as the first female priest of its small Episcopal church. The ancient regime running the parish covertly demands that she prove herself as a leader. Her blunt manner, honed by eight years as an Army chaplain, is meeting with a chilly reception from some members of her congregation. Chief of Police Russ Van Alstyne, in particular, doesn't know what to make of her. When a newborn baby is abandoned and a young mother is brutally murdered, Clare has to pick her way through ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Date published: 2003
ISBN-13:9780312986766ISBN:0312986769
Description: Fair. No dust jacket as issued. few dog tooth marks on the cover. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 384 p. Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: MASS MARKET PAPERBACK
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Date published: 2003
ISBN-13:9780312986766ISBN:0312986769
Description: Very Good. 0312986769 Mass Market Paperback, Condition: Very Good; this book is in very good condition with light curve to the spine / light reading creases to the covers. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Date published: 2003
ISBN-13:9780312986766ISBN:0312986769
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 370 p. Audience: General/trade. Very good mass market paperback. Pages are starting to yellow. Although this book has been read before, it is still a nice solid readers copy! YOU WON T FIND BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE! Nevada Books is a name you can trust for great service and customer satisfaction. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Date published: 2006
ISBN-13:9780312940553ISBN:0312940556
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 371 p. Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries (Paperback). Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Date published: 2006
ISBN-13:9780312940553ISBN:0312940556
Description: Good. Light shelf wear and minimal interior marks. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Date published: 2006
ISBN-13:9780312940553ISBN:0312940556
Description: Fine. No dust jacket as issued. Satisfaction Guaranteed, please feel free to ask any questions! Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 371 p. Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries (Paperback). Audience: General/trade. read more
Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Acceptable. Shows definite wear, and perhaps considerable marking on inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
"HEAVY SNOW ... ICY DESIRES ... COLD-BLOODED MURDER Clare Fergusson, St. Alban's new priest, fits like a square peg in the conservative Episcopal parish at Millers Kill, New York. She is not just a "lady"; she's a tough ex-Army chopper pilot, and nobody's fool. Then a newborn infant left at the church door brings her together with the town's police chief, Russ Van Alstyne, who's also ex-Army and a cynical good shepherd for the stray sheep of his hometown. Their search for the baby's mother quickly leads them into the secrets that shadow Millers Kill like the ever-present Adirondacks. What they discover is a world of trouble, an attraction to each other-and murder. ... The premise of this book really intrigued me, since I don't know much about Episcipal priests but what I've gleaned from the Father Tim of Mitford books by Jan Karan, (a great series if you haven't picked it up, by the way). What gave this five stars for me wasn't only the mystery which was satisfying in itself, but the reality of the chars. Claire isn't perfect, and she doesn't try to be by the end of the book. Ditto Russ. They have feelings for each other and this tension, I assume will be carried over to subsequent books, all of which I have here to read. Overall a stellar start to a series I can't wait to continue."
"A colleague lent me this murder mystery, set in the Adirondacks. I enjoyed the story and also the treatment of the main character, a female Episcopal priest. I especially liked the fact that she drove a red two-seater. Some of it was not very realistic, however. There are a few technical errors about liturgical practice. It bugged me that the two main characters make such fundamental mistakes about professional boundaries -- although I suppose it's part of the story that human nature causes you to transgress such boundaries from time to time. It REALLY bugged me that the victim's name was McWhorter. And then, to top it all off, the priest crashed her car."
"I was quite worried about this book. I decided I could only like this book based on whether or not a certain aspect occurred. I am pleased to say that I can like this book. It was a quick read and I put off a lot of responsibilities so I could finish it quickly. You know it is an entertaining book when I would rather read in my room than watch some football games with my honey on the couch. The problem was I figured out the mystery about halfway through and then I just felt like the characters were idiots that they had not come to the same conclusions yet. Reading murder mysteries (and solving them early) makes me feel smart as if I could join the police force and help them solve real murders. But then I have to remind myself that in real life, there is not an author to drop clues in easy to find places. You have to find all the clues yourself. Then I feel bad and repent of my arrogance.
Some criticism of the book: I got lost in some places wondering who was speaking to whom, a few more 'Clare said ' 'He said' would have been helpful. Slightly predictable. As well as I do not feel like an improved person for having read it. (I do not feel weakened, but not better.) Pro's: The characters felt very distinct and very realistic. I felt like I knew them in real life. Clare and I would get along quite well. Entertaining. Quick read.
My favorite quote: " 'I was going to ask if you believe praying can really help at a time like this?' Clare folded her hands together and pressed them to her lips. She paused. 'I believe that prayer focuses our human thoughts and energies, sends them to the people we're praying for. I believe that helps, in ways we can't yet understand.' Harlene looked surprised . . . she expected a quick yes from a priest . . . 'I believe that God hears our prayers, and cherishes them. I believe He answers by sending us His Spirit, giving us strength and peace, and insight. I don't think he responds by turning away bullets and curing cancer. Though sometimes that does happen.' Harlene frowned. 'In other words, sometimes the answer is no?' 'No. Sometimes the answer is 'This is life, in all its variety. Make your way through it with grace, and never forget that I love you.' " Having just read The Lost Symbol, that conversation really hit me hard. Maybe Noetic science does have some answers for us.
What I learned . . . if someone wants to give her/their baby up for adoption, please go through the proper channels. Not only will it provide proper care for baby and mother, but also ensure that the baby will go to the couple the birth parents desired. It just doesn't work to drop a baby off somewhere with a note saying whom you would like to raise the kid. Police, DHS, foster parents, investigators all will have to get involved. If you have an unwanted pregnancy, please choose the adoption option, and please choose it through the proper channels. Cell phones really are useful tools. A lot of problems occurring in this book would not be a problem if everyone had cell phones. So even though I did not grow up with cell phones being in common use, I have since been so ingrained with their commonality that it was like reading an outdated novel even though it is quite modern. It was weird to me that they had to borrow the person's home phone when they needed to make a call while visiting a neighbor. They also had to worry about long distance, I vaguely remember that."
"Read for f2f Mystery group. Not what I had expected- think I was anticipating something a bit more in the literary fiction line. Instead this was closer to a cozy with more peril. Clare was one of those types who rushes headlong into danger without thinking. I did like her military background juxtaposed to her calling as a minister. The settings were well described and easy to picture in my mind. The snowy wilderness chase stuff (brrrr) reminded me of C. J. Box's books. I do not like snow & cold so maybe that made me a little less fond of the book than I might have been if it had been set in, say, the bleak mid-autumn."
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