Book Review: A Darkly Hidden Truth by Donna Fletcher Crow

A Darkly Hidden Truth by Donna Fletcher Crow

Publisher: Monarch Books

Publish Date: December 1, 2011

Paperback, 366 pages 
Fiction, Christian, Suspense, Mystery
 ISBN: 978-0857210500
The Monastery Murders #2

My Review:
What a fun and different mystery to read.  I did not read the first in The Monastery Murders, but I will be going back to read it because I am enamored with Felicity and Father Antony.  Ms. Crow has quickly become a must-read after one book.

I loved Felicity and Father Antony.  There is a buzz of attraction between the two of them.  Father Antony is sure of how he feels, but Felicity is conflicted because she is pretty sure she wants to become a nun.  I liked this added possible romance.  It made their working together more interesting and their interactions more plausible to me.  They worked well together.  I also liked the fact that Felicity is an American in England.  I understood her on that level and it made the book easier to understand for us Americans.  Sometimes I get lost in British-speak, but I didn't have that problem in this book.  Father Antony is great as well.  He loves to solve mysteries, he loves his calling and he's falling in love with Felicity.  He's a great character and I liked watching him develop in this book.  There is definitely some back story in the first book between these two, but I never felt lost in this book.  Ms. Crow goes into the back story briefly but enough that those of us that pick up the second book have no trouble getting into it and understanding the characters.  I really appreciated this fact and it made reading this book very enjoyable.

The plot moves along at a great pace.  Interspersing the action with some history that helps Father Antony and Felicity solve the mystery really made the book for me.  I love the history of things like the Templars, and other groups associated with the church.  But this is not another Da Vinci Code, it's completely different, so don't worry about that.  I loved her angle and how the plot moved.  I must say I didn't see several things coming and that was great as well.

Combining interesting characters, fascinating history and an interesting murder mystery, Donna Fletcher Crow was able to grab my attention within the first few pages of A Darkly Hidden Truth and I had a hard time putting the book down until I turned the very last page.  I look forward to going back and reading the first book in the series and I also look forward to future books as well.  Ms. Crow just has a way of writing that draws you in and makes you interested in the story and I really enjoyed that.  Plus the British setting was an added plus for me.  I haven't read as much British fiction so gaining a little knowledge of the countryside was great for me.  If you love mysteries then I suggest you give this series a try.  You can start with the first book, or start with A Darkly Hidden Truth which I thoroughly enjoyed.

My Rating: 4.5/5.0

About the Book:
More page-turning action from a popular author.


Felicity has decided to become a nun. She departs to visit convents in spite of her mother's imminent arrival and Fr. Anselm's request that she and Fr. Antony recover a missing priceless Russian icon before the Patriarch of Moscow arrives at the community for Holy Week.

Felicity's discernment journey takes her to Rempstone, Norwich, London, and Walsingham, but her discovery of a friend's murdered body in a shallow grave, the disappearance of more icons, the shooting of a London art expert just after she visits him, the disappearance of Antony, and finally the abduction of Felicity and her mother teach her far more about motherhood, life, and love than she could learn in any convent retreat. Breathtaking chase scenes, mystical worship services, dashes through remote water-logged landscapes, the wisdom of ancient holy women, and the arcane rites of The Knights of St. John of Malta keep the pages turning. And will Felicity choose the veil--or Antony?


About the Author (from Goodreads.com): 
Donna Fletcher Crow is the author of 35 books, mostly novels dealing with British history. The award-winning GLASTONBURY, The Novel of Christian England is her best-known work, an Arthurian grail search epic covering 15 centuries of English history. A VERY PRIVATE GRAVE, book 1 in the Monastery Murders series is her reentry into publishing after a 10 year hiatus. THE SHADOW OF REALITY, a romantic intrigue will be published later this summer.

Donna and her husband have 4 adult children and 10 grandchildren. She is an enthusiastic gardener and you can see pictures of her garden, watch the trailer for A VERY PRIVATE GRAVE, and read her international blog at www.DonnaFletcherCrow.com

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FTC Information: I received this book through Kregel Tours for an honest review.  I do make money from purchases made at The Book Depository and B&N.com, but all money is used to fund giveaways and shipping for giveaways from the blog.