I was prowling the stacks at my local library and, judging this book by its cover, took home The Body in the Bookcase, “A Faith Fairchild Mystery” by Katherine Hall Page. I picked it because the nosey sleuth is a minister’s wife. I had two questions going into this mystery.
Will it entertain me as a murder mystery?
What bearing will the Christian connection have to the story?
The answer to the first question is yes, it was pretty good. The mystery played out well. It was in the world of antique dealing and I like the way she resolved it. A delightful subtext through it was the sleuth’s business. She is a caterer and Ms. Page interweaves that in the story telling. Then she gives an appendix with some of the very tasty sounding recipes.
The Christian connection was by way of back story. Ms. Page has an excellent feel for the life of a minister’s wife and there are some eerily accurate portrayals of some of the more colorful characters you might find in a congregation. But it stays in the background. For example, her husband is working on his sermon, she sets him up with a snack and sneaks out to go sleuthing. At that point, she becomes another amateur detective.
There is no faith-based reflection of how murder is bad or how a Christian might pursue criminals (whether in a professional or amateur capacity). I don’t even remember a prayer for help when she got herself into a tight spot.
But this is one in a series. There might be more Christianity represented in other books. Regardless, I will read more of them.
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