In the tradition of M. C. Beaton, Hope Taylor, pastor of a small-town California church, tries to find out who sent a church elder to Heaven.Hope Taylor arrives in Apple Springs to start her new life as the first female pastor of Faith Chapel Episcopal Church. The northern California town’s quaint cottages, bungalows, and shops promise a fresh start for the 42-year-old widow and Bogie, her … 42-year-old widow and Bogie, her scruffy black Labrador. But where is Father Christopher? The kindly old rector who hired Pastor Hope was supposed to meet her upon her arrival, but he’s nowhere to be seen. Hope’s faith springs eternal, so she explores the little white church hoping to find Father Christopher. But when she enters the columbarium, she instead finds church elder Stanley King–his skull crushed by a fallen burial urn.
Hope had made Stanley’s acquaintance before, and had struggled to take a charitable view of his character. Stanley was as wicked as he was wealthy, as petty as he was pious. His soul may have been holy, but his behavior was wholly rotten. The last time Hope had seen him, he had shouted drunkenly that she would preach at Faith Chapel over his dead body.
Many of the townsfolk witnessed the altercation, so Hope finds herself as the prime suspect in Stanley’s murder. With Bogie’s four-footed assistance, Hope is determined to find the real killer and clear her name…even if it will require a bit of divine intervention.
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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.
Hope, Faith & a Corpse earns 5/5 Sunday Sermons…Entertaining Fun!
Despite an unexpected run in with an Elvis garden gnome, forty-something Paster Hope Taylor was on time and eager to start her new pastoral work with Faith Chapel Episcopal Church in Apple Springs, California. However, she’s unable to find her new boss, Father Christopher, and in her search, she enters the church’s columbarium tripping over a dead body. Not the best of introductions, especially when a lady from the altar guild yells, “Stanley’s dead, and she killed him!” True, Stanley King is dead, bludgeoned with Ethel Brown’s urn with her cremains inside, but not so true the new pastor is the killer. However, the victim’s opposition to accepting a female paster—“Over my dead body.”—is being closely scrutinized by the detective in charge, it isn’t the only issue that could have resulted in murder; the victim was a despicable person, so many seem ripe with a motive. But, who took their grievances one step too far?
Totally entertaining first-in-a-series! “The Vicar of Dibley” is a favorite British sitcom, so the premise of a female pastor of a small town church, somewhat opposed, was one I was eager to engage. The mystery followed the traditional cozy formula I greatly enjoy: crime occurs in the first chapter, main focus on the ins and outs of investigation, the lead character has a dubious link to the victim worthy of close scrutinization, intros to characters and connections are throughout. There are legitimate alternative scenarios worth notice with hints pointing to family, vestry members, business associates, and other parishioners, and several have questionable alibis. Hope is spurred to investigate on her own to squelch any rumors, and adding a bit of humor and insight into Hope and her past, she is joined by her sister-in-law Virginia and Hope’s Labrador, aptly named Bogie to represent her old movie passion. Beyond the murder investigation, the community begins to take shape, Hope slowly becomes accepted, there’re tea parties, and a skeleton in the backyard. Walker’s mystery is very clever, well-written, steady-paced, and her writing style is engaging, creates a lovely small town environment with descriptive language, and entertaining dialogue. I enjoyed this first book in the series, and look forward to more.
FYI—Unique to the story are the movie and television references punctuating the witty banter and inner dialogue of the main character. The author adds a fun and informative section, Pastor Hope’s Movie Guide, which gives her Top 11 Desert Island Old-Movie Picks which provides insights into the movies she wouldn’t be without if on a desert island. Of course, what else? Faith Chapel Tea Recipes! Cucumber Sandwiches best with English cucumbers, Ham and Apricot Cream Cheese Sandwiches, Classic English Scones, Lemon Squares, and Triple Chocolate Brownies.
This is a delightful new cozy mystery that grabs your attention from the first page. I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters in Apple Springs. From Hope, the new (and first female) pastor at Faith Chapel Episcopal Church to her sister-in-law, members of Hope’s congregation to a much-despised Stanley King to Bethann, a former lead singer in a 60s girl band, you will be entertained. There are twists and turns as you follow Hope as she struggles to prove her innocence and discover the person who killed Stanley. This is a good start to a new series and I hope I will have an opportunity to go on more adventures with Hope and the delightful people of Apple Springs.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Hope Taylor Episcopal priest is a wonderfully unique character. I was hooked on this book from page one.
Moving from the Bay area to a sleepy little town to be the first female priest in town take a lot of guts and a thick skin, but Hope has learned over her 40+ years to take most things in stride and not let negativity get her down.
Finding a dead body and having half the town think she is the killer was a bit more than she bargained for on her very first day at work.
This book is fabulous! Funny, a tad bit snarky, wrapped up with warm, caring people and a couple not so warm ones, it is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good cozy mystery with loads of fun involved.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Oh my, Hope Taylor is a woman I would surely be friends with. We share our Wisconsin roots, we hear our mother’s voice in our heads – “a place for everything and everything in its place” all the time, our inner thoughts sometimes roll off our tongues and escape out our mouths, we both love old black and white movies and can quote lines perfectly if necessary. She even has a labrador named Bogie.
Hope in the new associate pastor at Faith Chapel Episcopal Church and her first day doesn’t get off to a good start. While trying to locate the lead pastor, Father Christopher, she finds church elder Stanley Kind instead. He just happens to be dead in the columbarium with a crushed skull and a bloody urn by his side. She had only met the man once and he was drunk and not very supportive. When two parishioners find her and the deceased that quickly jump to the conclusion that she killed the man. Being a murder suspect was not the fresh start she was hoping to have. Now she is going to have to prove herself to her new congregation and clear her name.
Laura Jensen Walker introduces some fantastic characters in this first Faith Chapel Mysteries. Not only do I love Hope but her sister-in-law Virginia too. She drops everything to come to Hope’s aid and she is a whole lot of fun. I also liked the technology-challenged Father Christopher. He reminded me of one of my former pastors. There are several other characters that remind me of people in my life. Bogie also stole my heart immediately. All the characters are believable and some are very quirky. They were all very fleshed out for the first book in the series.
The life of a small-town church is accurately portrayed. While not a pastor, I worked for our small town church for several years in different capacities and everything from the fundraisers to the services rang true, as did the dealing with the variety of members’ attitudes and feelings.
The victim was truly a despicable man so there was no shortage of suspects. The more I learned about him I was surprised he lived as long as he did. Another mystery involves a skeleton found buried in Hope’s backyard. Both mysteries are well-plotted and interesting. I really enjoyed doing some armchair sleuthing of my own as Hope was trying to uncover all the facts she could. Several twists and a little legwork brought the real culprit to light. The author’s descriptive writing style made everything clear in my mind’s eye each and every step of the way. The final twist was quite a surprise.
Hope, Faith, and a Corpse was a heavenly read. I loved the way humor was woven liberally throughout the entire story. I truly didn’t want to reach the end. I am very excited about this series. I can’t wait for book two! I have hope and faith that this series is going to be a must-read for cozy lovers everywhere. A Perfect Escape!!
I know I’m in for a great read when I’m laughing from page one. The first laugh comes when Hope literally runs into Elvis – complete with his famous white number cut sown to his waist. Boy, can he pack a punch. From there to the discovery of the deceased takes no time at all. Hope recovers from her encounter with The King and sets out to find her new boss, Father Christopher. Before she can find him she finds the towns’ resident jerk, a wealthy man disliked by almost everyone. Not the best way to start a new job. Being found holding the murder weapon, a burial urn covered in blood, gets more than a few fingers of suspicion pointed at her and even more fingers pointing her to the town’s exit sign.
Spending time with Hope was just what I needed. I’m old enough to remember when our church hired the first female pastor and people were very vocal in their opinions. Some left in a huff. That was many decades ago and those attitudes are still around and facing Hope as she tries to fit into her new congregation. With her quirky sense of humor, her inner Trixie Beldon urging her into investigating and the addition of her delightful sister-in-law, Vicky and a sweet dog named Bogie make for a great team.
As for the mystery, it’s solid, complex and had enough red herrings to keep me guessing. The setting of Apple Springs sounds to me like a place I would be happy visiting and maybe staying for a spell.
My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Hope, Faith, And A Corpse is the first book in the A Faith Chapel Mystery series.
I love this series; at first, I had my doubts, but it didn’t take long to get into the story and its lovely characters. The story is humorous and, at the same time, seriously deals with those members of the congregation that feel that a woman shouldn’t be a priest. I would like to add, don’t be put off that the main character is an Episcopalian priest, as religion doesn’t enter into the story.
Our main character, Hope Taylor, arrives at the church where she will be the new pastor. While looking for the rector, Father Christopher, she enters the columbarium and soon discovers Stanley King’s body, an elder and significant donor. She unknowingly picks up the murder weapon, an urn that has blood on it. A couple of parishioners are ready to accuse Hope of murder. Hope needs to clear her name and soon finds that King was not well-liked and that there are many suspects. Hope will get help from some church members, the owner of a diner, and her neighbor in finding the killer.
The story is well-written and moves at a comfortable pace. The characters are well-developed, engaging, and very enjoyable. The community, Apple Springs, seems to be a nice place to live, and I look forward to learning more about the town.
I am anxiously awaiting the next book in this intriguing new series.
Hope, Faith, and Corpse by Laura Jensen Walker is a new cozy mystery series whose protagonist is an Episcopal priest who is the assistant in a parish in Apple Springs, California, an hour east of Sacramento. It is a new assignment for her and is off to a rocky start what with her discovering a dead body and all. There are people in the parish that are not excited about her being there, some sexist, some just not amenable to change. She is making friends, though; some within the church; some without. She has purchased a lovely little home, and has her dog to keep her company. She is making headway in this new life of hers at Faith Chapel.
Hope is a terrific character: mid-life at 42, widowed by a man she loved more than anything; the stepmother and step grandmother to David’s daughter and grandchild; and has a best friend in Sacramento with whom she is in touch daily. Since being in Apple Springs she has collected bodies, but that is to be expected, isn’t it? This was a good, multi-faceted murder mystery with murders in this century as well as 150 years earlier. It made for a fun read and is an exciting new entry into the genre. I look forward to more in this series.
I was invited to read a free ARC of Hope, Faith, and Corpse by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #hopefaithandacorpse
a
It all started with Hope Taylor’s first day of work when she ran into Elvis the King but that bump on her head was nothing compared to what happened later. Hope Taylor, Episcopal priest, was starting over in a new town and church and was excited but nervous. She entered the church looking for Father Christopher but instead discovered a body. Now as a self proclaimed accidental sleuth she finds herself involved in one or maybe even two murder investigations.
I enjoyed the uniqueness of a female priest as a protagonist and the author did a good job of also humanizing the character. The diversity of the secondary characters added a lot to the story too. Thanks to Crook Lane and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.
HOPE, FAITH, AND A CORPSE by Laura Jensen Walker brings murder to a new cozy mystery series set in Apple Springs, California. This is a story that brings warmth and humor while tackling serious situations, examining prejudicial attitudes and focusing on a unique amateur sleuth. It was one of the most enjoyable cozy mysteries that I have ever read.
Our protagonist, 42 year old Hope Taylor, arrives in Apple Springs to start as the first female pastor of Faith Chapel Episcopal Church. While searching for the rector and her new boss, Father Christopher, she enters the columbarium and nearly trips over church elder Stanley King. When kneeling to check on him, she happens to pick up an urn that has blood on it. When Father Christopher and two of the women of the church enter, one of them accuses Hope of murder. What a dreadful first day on the job! To clear her name, she focuses on her inner Trixie Belden while taking on her new duties at Faith Chapel. But will the community give her a chance? Many are not open to changes and focus on long-held prejudices against women in church leadership.
The descriptive writing made the cottages, bungalows, shops and people of Apple Springs come to life. I felt like I was visiting the town and trying to help Hope. Her quirky sense of humor is not always obvious to others and this actually makes her more relatable. The secondary characters were a mixed bag with varying levels and depth that worked great for a first novel in a series. There were enough challenges and adventures with secondary characters to keep the situation lively while Hope moved forward with solving the murder. Sister-in-law Virginia’s visit and phone calls added snarkiness in addition to some much needed support for Hope. Bogie, Hope’s Labrador, provided moments of humor as well as adding another dimension to Hope’s life. The story had plenty of suspects and twists along with a fast-paced plot.
Overall, this was a story that quickly drew me into Hope’s world. It was filled with lots of humor, but also kindness, friendship, hope and the challenges of starting over against a backdrop of murder, arrogance, lies, secrets and more. This was a fun and entertaining read that I did not want to put down.
This is the first book in the Faith Chapel Mystery series, and I highly recommend it to those that enjoy the genre. Additionally, if you love share Hope’s love of classic movies, this may be the next book for you. It was a fun, relaxing, and entertaining read and I can’t wait for the next book featuring Hope, Father Christopher and the other residents of Apple Springs.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books and Laura Jensen Walker via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for January 12, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
Hope, Faith and a Corpse by Laura Jensen Walker was a lovely and engaging cozy mystery that kept me turning the pages all afternoon.
Ms. Walker’s descriptive writing clearly sets up the community of Apple Springs in northern California and I felt like I was walking along the streets with Hope and Bogie. Many of the residents came to life while reading this book and I could easily see myself moving there. Hope Taylor is a strong and capable pastor if the community will just give her a chance. I liked her immediately and found her to be easily relatable. I confess that I adored her sister-in-law, Vickie who is vivacious, honest and often snarky. Together Hope and Vickie make quite a team. A quickly paced plot with numerous suspects, twists that kept me guessing and a surprising reveal made this book a winner for me.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
clergy, small-town, amateur-sleuth, women-sleuths, cozy-mystery, family-dynamics, friendship, law-enforcement
Widowed Hope moves to a small upstate town to become assistant rector in a parish that has never had a woman priest before. Tough enough, but soon she comes upon the recently dead body of the town’s most thoroughly despised resident and goes right to the top of the suspect list even before she’s had a chance to make friends! But she does make friends and her sister-in-law comes up from the city to be her support and comic relief. And so the sleuthing begins! Add in lots or movie trivia, a fine English Tea a la Downton Abbey hosted by by the parish ladies then opened to the rest of the town’s residents, a skeleton in the garden, and more. I absolutely loved it and hope to read more!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley!!!