Scorched Grace

A Sister Holiday Mystery

By: Margot Douaihy

Narrated by: Mara Wilson

Sister Holiday, a chain-smoking, heavily tattooed, queer nun, puts her amateur sleuthing skills to the test in this “unique and confident” debut crime novel (Gillian Flynn).

When Saint Sebastian's School becomes the target of a shocking arson spree, the Sisters of the Sublime Blood and their surrounding community are thrust into chaos. Unsatisfied with the officials' response, sardonic and headstrong Sister Holiday becomes determined to unveil the mysterious attacker herself and return her home and sanctuary to its former peace. Her investigation leads down a twisty path of suspicion and secrets in the sticky, oppressive New Orleans heat, turning her against colleagues, students, and even fellow Sisters along the way.

Sister Holiday is more faithful than most, but she's no saint. To piece together the clues of this high-stakes mystery, she must first reckon with the sins of her checkered past-and neither task will be easy.

An exciting start to Margot Douaihy’s bold series for Gillian Flynn Books that breathes new life into the hard-boiled genre, Scorched Grace is a fast-paced and punchy whodunnit that will keep readers guessing until the very end.

Ok plot uneven writing

I found the main character unintegrated and more a type than a rich character. Also uneven writing with occasional jarring similes.

Hot New Writer

I look forward to more great content from Gillian Flynn’s new publishing label. A gritty and engaging tale of a twisted kind, my favorite.
I enjoyed the book and all of its contrasting energies between good and bad, and the things the characters tell themselves to either justify or punish themselves.

Did Anyone Fact Check This Book?

The author has talent. Her ideas are interesting and there are many beautifully written sentences. An editor needed to help her tighten up the trajectory of the plot. There were places where the timelines between incidents were unbelievable and suggested a sloppy way to push ahead the plot. One cannot rush to a trial days after an arrest! Please inform the author that giving insulin to a person with low blood sugar is likely to kill him! Mara Wilson is great!

Story drags

The title character is a good character but the story drags with a predictable ending.

Nothing Special

I finished it so it can't have been that bad.
On the other hand there was nothing special about it.
The Characters and writing were flat. The mystery and it's precursors overdone at this point.
Maybe a fun read for someone interested in New Orleans or Catholic schools but even those descriptions were either dull or unbelievable.
Maybe I went in expecting too much and if you just want a readable murder mystery you'll enjoy it?