Hope, Faith, and a Corpse by Laura Jensen Walker

 

Book Summary

Faith, Hope, and a Corpse by Laura Jensen Walker has Hope Taylor and her dog, Bogie arriving in Apple Springs, California.  Hope is looking forward to this new start and she loves the charming home she rented.  Hope has been hired to be the associate pastor at Faith Chapel Episcopal Church.  She is the first female pastor in the church’s history.  On her first morning, Hope is looking for Father Christopher when she stumbles upon parishioner Stanley King on the floor of the columbarium.  Someone had decided to cut Stanley’s time on earth short by conking him on the head with one of the urns.  Hope is found standing over Stanley with the murder weapon in her hand.  Not the best start to her new job.  Hope with help from her canine companion, Bogie sets out to find Stanley’s true killer. 

My Thoughts

Faith, Hope, and a Corpse by Laura Jensen Walker is the charming first installment in in A Faith Chapel Mystery series.  We are transported to Apple Springs, California where Hope Taylor is the new associate pastor at Faith Chapel Episcopal Church.  Discovering a murdered parishioner and being found holding the murder weapon while standing over the victim is not the best first impression.  With parishioners looking at her askance and not wanting Hope’s services, she has no choice but to prove her innocence.   I enjoyed reading this charming new cozy mystery.  Hope Taylor is an entertaining protagonist.  Her movie references are delightful, and I liked her quirky sense of humor.  She has an adorable dog named Bogie which adds humor to the story. I liked that Hope is a woman starting over after enduring tragedy.  She has such a good outlook on life.  I thought the story was well-written with steady pacing.  There are a variety of secondary characters that enhance the story.  We get to know some of the attendees of the church.  I liked the tea the group put on that had a Downton Abbey flair.  The author’s word imagery allowed me to visualize the town with its shops, homes, and townspeople.  The mystery was a fun one to solve.  There are several good suspects, a red herring, and well-placed clues. It was fun watching Hope play a mature Trixie Belden.  The author did a great job with the mystery. Faith, Hope, and a Corpse is a sweet story that has friendship, secrets, hope, lies, humor, and murder.  I am looking forward to the next A Faith Chapel Mystery.  Faith, Hope, and a Corpse is a pleasing cozy mystery with big dog named Bogie, an offensive victim, shocking secrets, tea party planning, a spirited sister-in-law, and a positive pastor.  

Faith, Hope, and a Corpse can be purchased from Amazon*.  You can find Laura Jensen Walker's other novels here.  Thank you for visiting today.  I am a stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour tomorrow for Bait and Witch by Angela M. Sanders.  I will have an excerpt from the book.  I hope that you have a day filled with hope and kindness.  Take care, stay safe, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

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