The body of an unknown man, shot to death, neatly wrapped in brown paper (rather like an oversized package) was discovered one morning on the top of the compost heap at the Harrington Convent School. The discovery was made by old Turtle, "the Convent’s head-gardener and, in a general way, most unhandy man," who was outraged - but not particularly surprised - at this intrusion into his compost pile. Turtle duly notified the proper authority, in the person of the Convent's Mother Superior. who in turn ordered the police to be notified. But it would take a good deal more than a murder at her Convent to shake Reverend Mother. After all, they'd had a murder there before, and Reverend Mother had been pleased to meet and work with Chief Inspector Andrew Pearson of Scotland Yard on that occasion, and she had been quite satisfied with the outcome. Would Pearson return to the Convent to solve another crime? We'll find out in More Murder in a Nunnery, by Eric Shepherd. It's the subject of today's audio review on the Classic Mysteries podcast, and you can listen to the complete review by clicking here.
Eric Shepherd wrote only two mysteries in his career. In 1940, Murder in a Nunnery introduced readers to the Mother Superior of the Harrington Convent School for girls and to Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Andrew Pearson. Written with grace and humor, the book featured a collaboration between its two central characters as they tried to solve the murder of an elderly (and unpleasantly troublesome) old woman. Fourteen years later, in 1954, Shepherd brought back Reverend Mother and Pearson, now promoted to Deputy Commissioner, in More Murder in a Nunnery. Although the two books were published 14 years apart, the story of More Murder in a Nunnery picks up just two years after the events described in the first book.
This time, a body is discovered on the convent's compost heap. Reverend Mother makes it clear that she would prefer to deal with Pearson in any investigation, and that is indeed what happens. Several of the characters from the first book are still on hand, including - significantly - some of the young students, who may or may not be involved in an international plot against one of the girls.
More Murder in a Nunnery is, I think, better described as a rather gentle thriller than a classic puzzle mystery (though there are some very good confrontational scenes throughout the book). A lot of the fun, as in the earlier novel, comes from the built-in difference in attitudes of the nuns and the police. There’s a lot of satire and gentle humor here, as there was in the original Murder in a Nunnery.
I have to admit that I preferred that earlier book – I think the satire was sharper and the plot was stronger – but there’s still a lot to like in More Murder in a Nunnery. The characters – nuns, students, police – are clearly defined and drawn. I must also admit that this is one case where it makes very good sense to read the books in order, the better to understand the relationships among the characters. If you enjoyed Murder in a Nunnery, you’re very likely to enjoy Eric Shepherd’s More Murder in a Nunnery.
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