For a self-published mystery, this book has garnered remarkably positive kudos. It is the first of a series, the story of a monk who has been transferred to a West Virginia abbey where he makes friends with a monk who was raised nearby. In this book they are determined to somehow discover whether the death of the abbey’s librarian was a murder. Publishers Weekly enthused, "Gentle humor and restrained prose lift Cecala's series launch . . . Cecala crafts a quirky mystery with two unlikely sleuths and an exceptionally appealing setting. Readers will be eager for more adventures from the endearing duo." “An absolutely wonderful book with an engaging, if somewhat unusual sleuth . . . the author does a fantastic job of conveying the wildly different atmospheres of the abbey and rural Appalachia accurately. I loved the twisty plot, the author's affection for the area and the characters. I look forward to more volumes in the series.” --Janet Perry. The most recent book by the author, K. P. Cecala, is Called to Serve: The Untold Story of Father Irenaeus Herscher OFM, published by the Franciscan Institute. It is the official biography of the late Thomas Merton’s librarian who he described as his “happy little Franciscan.” Cecala claims that Herscher was her spiritual advisor as well as Merton’s. She lives in New Jersey.
Scotts Valley, California: Createspace. 187 pages. Trade paperback