The Hour of Death: A Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn Mystery

The Hour of Death by Jane Willan is second story in A Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn Mystery series. We return once again to Pryderi, Wales and the nuns who reside at Gwenafwy Abbey. Tiffany Reese, president of Village Art Society, is found dead in the parish hall. The police have not ruled it a homicide and Sister Agatha disagrees with their assessment. Sister Agatha dreams of becoming a mystery writer and investigating real cases will aid her writing. With the assistance of her fellow nuns and Father Selwyn, Sister Agatha sets out to get answers. The Hour of Death can be read alone if you have not read The Shadow of Death. The backstory for Sisters Agatha and her fellow nuns is provided in the book. I like that Sister Agatha actively investigates the mystery by questioning townspeople and searching for clues. There are quirky characters and a unique abbey. The nuns are encouraged to pursue personal interests (when they reach a certain age) such as Sister Agatha’s desire to write mystery novels. She is the librarian for the abbey as well and aids them in making their gouda when she must (not her favorite pastime). While the book contains good writing, the pace is sluggish. I also felt The Hour of Death was disjointed and rambling. I had a hard time wadding through this cozy mystery. The mystery was interesting with several suspects and misdirection. Sister Agatha’s method come across as bumbling, and I began to wonder if she would ever stumble upon the killer’s identity. The way the story is laid out makes it slightly more difficult to solve, but it can be done long before the solution is revealed at the end. My rating for The Hour of Death is 3 out of 5 stars. I wanted to give this series a second opportunity and, which I did, learned that I am not the right audience for A Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn Mystery series. That, though, is the beauty of books. There is something for everyone.