Book Review - A Priest, A Rabbi, and a Baptist Minister: The Murders at Windy Meadows by Janet A. Brown

A Priest, a Rabbi, and a Baptist Minister: The Murders at Windy Meadows by Janet Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three clerical detectives use their special talents to solve a thrilling murder mystery set in a senior living facility!

A Priest, A Rabbi, and a Baptist Minister: The Murders at Windy Meadows is a suspenseful and uniquely fun new mystery by author Janet A. Brown, and the title reveals the intriguing premise. The three clerical sleuths do their best to assist the lead detective in gathering clues at a senior living facility that is the scene of a brutal murder.

Father Brendan O’Clery’s favorite niece, Detective Maureen McNeely, is the first-time lead on the investigation of the murder of a well-liked female staff member at the Windy Meadows senior living facility, where her own grandmother, and Brendan’s mother, is a resident. One of the only female detectives in the department, Maureen’s investigation is being hampered by her misogynistic division captain, who is withholding the necessary manpower and resources needed to do the job. Uncle Brendan, with a background in military intelligence prior to coming to the religious life, is volunteered by his older brother, the diocese’s archbishop, to lend Maureen a hand, at least with corralling their cantankerous and interfering 80-year-old mother. He seeks out the assistance of his two closest friends, Rabbi Ezra Lieberman and Pastor Langdon Boothe, as they, too, have contacts among the Windy Meadows residents. They know the residents would be more forthcoming talking to them than to the police about what they may have seen or heard at the time of the murder.

Brendan, Ezra, and Langdon, despite their different faiths, have a nice camaraderie and work well together under Maureen’s direction. I enjoyed that each faced a special struggle at Windy Meadows: Brendan – his mother, Langdon – an overly flirtatious former member of his church, and the widowed Ezra – an unexpected crush on the attractive niece of former members of his temple. I enjoyed how they played their differences off against each other and their teasing, but they still played to their strengths when they could.

The chilling opening with the horrific assault on Jocelyn Whittier had my heart in my throat and set the tone for subsequent acts of violence. The story is told from multiple viewpoints, mainly Brendan’s but also that of the vicious killer. There were many residents at Windy Meadows in the vicinity of the crime at the time of the murder, so there are numerous possible witnesses to process. Clues to the identity of the killer are slow to come to light, but Maureen, Brendan, and his friends do the best with what they have. There are hints throughout that point to the resolution, so sharp-eyed armchair detectives may be able to develop a successful theory before the investigation comes to a close. Still, ruling out the red herrings and navigating the surprising twists in the plot will keep readers engaged and on the edge of their seats.

I recommend A PRIEST, A RABBI, AND A BAPTIST MINISTER: THE MURDERS AT WINDY MEADOWS to readers of mysteries and thrillers, especially fans of more mature protagonists or sleuths from religious vocations.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

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