A Matter of Time (Faith Abbey Mystery Series, Book 3) - Hardcover

Manuel, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1557253056 ISBN 13: 9781557253057

Publisher: Paraclete Pr, 2002

Synopsis

Monastic sleuth Brother Bartholomew takes a personal retreat in Bermuda to unravel a spritual crisis of his own, but soon finds himself untangling a bizarre murder mystery involving a local fisherman.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly:

Though this third installment of Manuel's Faith Abbey series isn't as smoothly paced as last year's A Matter of Diamonds, fans of Cape Cod monk Brother Bartholomew will enjoy seeing his character unfold. In Bermuda for a long-overdue spiritual retreat, Brother Bartholomew stumbles onto a murder involving an international drug ring and must join with his old pal, Eastport (Mass.) chief of police Dan Burke (who also happens to be vacationing in Bermuda), to solve the mystery. As usual, Manuel offers a marvelous sense of place, evoking the sultry beauty of Bermuda as readily as he has the windswept landscape of Cape Cod. Manuel clearly knows the world of competitive ocean sailing, so the novel's backdrop the high-stakes competition of Bermuda's annual Gold Cup Regatta comes alive. He also provides a richly textured spiritual crisis for Brother Bartholomew, who spends the first half of the novel coming to terms with his growing distance from God. The book's greatest strength is the time Manuel takes with its key characters. However, this can also be a weakness; apart from a thrill-ridden and murderous second chapter, the plot doesn't really gain momentum for a full hundred pages. A subplot about a failing marriage turns out to have little relevance for the overall story, and the climax which involves a chase scene on the high seas during a tropical storm is predictable.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review:

Imagination and scholarship shine through new books -- Melanie Lauwers, Cape Cod Times, September 29, 2002

Manuel does a terrific job bringing the island to life. . .a thumping good mystery tale. -- Sue Harrison, Provincetown Banner

Manuel offers a marvelous sense of place . . . also, a richly textured spiritual crisis for Brother Bartholomew. -- Publishers Weekly, August 19, 2002

. . .enough sea-faring action to satisfy fans of "A Perfect Storm". . . a fine edge of reality. -- Chicago Tribune, November 3, 2002

A cracking yarn. . . a solid writer with good ideas and smart execution. -- The Royal Gazette, November 13, 2002

Manuel's skills are more than adequate. -- Episcopal Life, November 2002

About this edition

• Publisher: Paraclete Pr
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 1557253056
• ISBN 13: 9781557253057
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288