Reviews

Advent of Dying by Carol Anne O'Marie

read247_instyle_inca's review

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

queen_of_the_rats's review

lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

mrskatiefitz's review

5.0

I enjoyed this even more than the first book of the series. Sister Mary Helen is a fun character, and I like the way Catholic tradition, experience, and teaching is worked into the story. I especially love the fact that the chapter titles refer to the liturgical year, using St. Andrew's feast day and the Sundays of Advent to mark time. I also appreciate that the author includes characters behaving in realistic ways that go against church teaching and shows how some of them, at least, come to see the error in their behavior and take steps to change it. The book shows a very loving attitude toward these characters, which I think does a lot of good for the image of the Catholic church among non-Catholic readers.

The mystery itself was also compelling, and though I figured out a few things early on, I didn't piece the whole puzzle together until Mary Helen did. I found that I cared more about the victim in this book than the last one, probably because there was an air of mystery about her, and not just about the manner of her death. I also found myself wondering about the author. My impression is that she must have been quite the character herself.