Sister Eve and the Blue Nun

ACCLAIM FOR LYNNE HINTON

“Hinton's appealing, multidimensional cast and cleverly written mystery will appeal to both inspirational and secular genre fans.”

—
B
OOKLIST
REVIEW OF
T
HE
C
ASE OF THE
S
IN
C
ITY
S
ISTER

“This sophomore series outing is a witty and delightful cozy that will enthrall fans of Gay Hendricks and Tinker Lindsay's Tenzing Norbu series about a Tibetan monk–turned–detective as well as readers who appreciate a different type of sleuth and a book with a faith-based flavor.”

—
L
IBRARY
J
OURNAL
REVIEW OF
T
HE
C
ASE OF THE
S
IN
C
ITY
S
ISTER

“A novel that has something for every reader—mystery, intrigue, murder—with well-thought-out characters who are willing to do what they need to help those who want answers to their family's puzzles. The story line is plausible and has an understory for readers to discover. Hinton is an amazing writer and knows what makes a great mystery.”

—
R
OMANTIC
T
IMES
REVIEW OF
T
HE
C
ASE OF THE
S
IN
C
ITY
S
ISTER

“A new contemporary mystery series has murder, mystery, laughter, and a crime-solving nun. Characters are well defined, charming, sweet, and caring. The story line is believable and flows evenly throughout the book. Lynne Hinton has written a mystery series with a new and refreshing twist.”

—
R
OMANTIC
T
IMES
REVIEW OF
S
ISTER
E
VE
, P
RIVATE
E
YE

“This great Christian mystery will leave readers wanting more!”

—
CBA R
ETAILERS
+R
ESOURCES
REVIEW OF
S
ISTER
E
VE
, P
RIVATE
E
YE

“Hinton will delight her longtime fans with the inaugural Divine Private Detection Agency Mystery . . . This well-paced, entertaining whodunit explores the complexity of family and the mysteries of faith while highlighting the beauty of the New Mexico desert.”

—
P
UBLISHERS
W
EEKLY
STARRED REVIEW OF
S
ISTER
E
VE
, P
RIVATE
E
YE

“Lynne Hinton grabs you and doesn't let go until the last page is turned. I hope, no, I pray we haven't heard the last from Sister Eve, private eye.”

—P
HILIP
G
ULLEY
,
BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE
H
ARMONY SERIES

“Lynne Hinton has created a marvelous character in Sister Eve Divine. This nun-turned-detective will keep an enduring hold on your heart and mind long after the case is solved and the roar of her Harley fades into the desert air.”

—M
ARK DE
C
ASTRIQUE
,
AUTHOR OF
A M
URDER IN
P
ASSING

“Lynne Hinton's reverently irreverent Sister Eve is my new hero. This is not just a well-crafted, page-turning mystery—this is a grounded, believable, and enlightened examination of family dynamics, internal emotional and spiritual struggles, and the choices human beings make. The characters are complex and multidimensional—readers will find themselves relating to them with ease. An absolute joy to read.”

—M
AGGI
P
ETTON
,
AUTHOR OF
T
HE
Q
UEEN
'
S
C
OMPANION
AND
H
EAVEN
'
S
D
AUGHTER

“In
Sister Eve, Private Eye
, Lynne Hinton has once again created a central character who is fascinating, flawed, funny, and compellingly human: Sister Evangeline Divine, the Harley-riding Benedictine nun . . . With her signature combination of warm, folksy characters and down-home style, Hinton strikes just the right note with
Sister Eve
—a blend of humor, suspense, wit, and incisive flashes of philosophical insight.
Sister Eve
is a winner.”

—P
ENELOPE
J. S
TOKES
,
AUTHOR OF
T
HE
B
LUE
B
OTTLE
C
LUB
,
C
IRCLE OF
G
RACE
,
AND
S
AINT
S
OMEDAY

“Although
Sister Eve, Private Eye
is laced with humor, this eponymous nun neatly sidesteps the potential pitfalls of cuteness. Lynne Hinton writes with grace and compassion, and I look forward to learning where she'll take Sister Eve next.”

—M
ARGARET
M
ARON
, E
DGAR AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF
T
HE
B
OOTLEGGER
'
S
D
AUGHTER

“With keen insight into the life of one who has used her life's calling for God, Hinton paints a complex and realistic heroine who is sure to win the hearts of readers. Fans of the Mitford series and
Murder, She Wrote
are certain to soak up every page of this well-written and delightful novel. I can't wait to read Sister Eve's next adventure in this series.”

—M
ICHAEL
M
ORRIS
,
AUTHOR OF
M
AN IN THE
B
LUE
M
OON

OTHER BOOKS BY LYNNE HINTON

T
HE
D
IVINE
P
RIVATE
D
ETECTIVE

A
GENCY
M
YSTERY
S
ERIES

The Case of the Sin City Sister

Sister Eve, Private Eye

Welcome Back to Pie Town

Pie Town

Friendship Cake

Hope Springs

Forever Friends

Christmas Cake

Wedding Cake

The Things I Know Best

The Last Odd Day

The Arms of God

Meditations for Walking

The Order of Things

W
RITTEN UNDER THE NAME
J
ACKIE
L
YNN

Down by the Riverside

Jacob's Ladder

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

W
RITTEN UNDER THE NAME
L
YNNE
B
RANARD

The Art of Arranging Flowers

Copyright © 2016 by Lynne Hinton

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.

Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected].

Publisher's Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

ISBN 978-0-7180-4167-0 (eBook)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Hinton, Lynne, author.

Title: Sister Eve and the blue nun / Lynne Hinton.

Description: Nashville : Thomas Nelson, [2016] | Series: A Divine Private Detective Agency mystery ; 3

Identifiers: LCCN 2015045317 | ISBN 9780718041885 (softcover)

Subjects: LCSH: Nuns--Fiction. | Women private investigators--Fiction. | Murder--Investigation--Fiction. | Conceptionists--Fiction. | GSAFD: Mystery fiction.

Classification: LCC PS3558.I457 S56 2016 | DDC 813/.54--dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015045317

16 17 18 19 20 21 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1

For Kelly Middlesworth and my friends at Heartland Hospice. Thank you for your many acts of kindness. I am honored to have worked with you all.

CONTENTS

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Twenty-One

Twenty-Two

Twenty-Three

Twenty-Four

Twenty-Five

Twenty-Six

Twenty-Seven

Twenty-Eight

Twenty-Nine

Thirty

Thirty-One

Thirty-Two

Thirty-Three

Thirty-Four

Thirty-Five

Thirty-Six

Thirty-Seven

Thirty-Eight

Thirty-Nine

Forty

Forty-One