Ministry Murder Mystery #5 (Say That Three Times Fast)

This book I read back in June. I'll be playing catch up with my reviews in between reading new books. That said keep an eye out in the next few days for my first Goodreads First Reads review of The Story of Land and Sea by Katy Simpson Smith. As for this book, I would place it as mystery chick-lit and though it is part of the Ministry is Murder series I would not call it religious. Her setting feels more like just that, a new setting for light-hearted murder mysteries that probably has not been explored as much.


A Truth for a Truth by Emilie Richards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had come into this series in the middle, not realizing it was a series. Despite that, I found it easy to jump into since it looks like each story can stand on its own with just a few connections between.

Aggie Sloan-Wilcox, wife to the current minister of Emerald Springs, mother of two and occasional house-flipper, has a busy life adding amateur sleuth to her list. When the former minister and his wife recently moved back to Emerald Springs to retire, nobody thought he would retire so permanently so soon. In the middle of the memorial, Aggie is left with the unfortunate task of informing the congregation the grave side service has been cancelled due to an anonymous tip that Win Dorchester had been murder. As she finds her self caught up in the investigation, she begins to question how faithful Win had actually been during his ministry and what other secrets of the past would drive a church member to murder. His widow, Hilde, as proves an additional challenge for Aggie with her predetermined ways a proper minister's wife should behave mixed with her busybody way of dealing with her grief.

Aggie is a funny, likable character creating the image of a modern-day minister's wife while juggling everyday life, volunteering at her husband's church, and carrying out her own investigation. Her repeated blunders with all things technology adds humor, while side stories about her daughters add some seriousness and rounds out her character, as well as the book, as a whole. There were a few parts that stood out as unbelievable (extraordinary might be a better word since this is fiction) such as the climactic scene at towards the end but it feels like its there for more entertainment then anything.

Though this is book #5 of the Ministry is Murder series, I will definitely be going back to read its predecessors. For those who like women's fiction and mysteries, this book is a good combination.

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