Sister Holiday, a chain-smoking, heavily tattooed, queer nun, puts her amateur sleuthing skills to the test in this debut crime novel.
When Saint Sebastian’s School becomes the target of a shocking arson spree, the Sisters of the Sublime Blood and their surrounding community are thrust into chaos. Unsatisfied with the officials’ response, sardonic and headstrong Sister Holiday becomes determined to unveil the mysterious attacker herself and return her home and sanctuary to its former peace. Her investigation leads down a twisty path of suspicion and secrets in the sticky, oppressive New Orleans heat, turning her against colleagues, students, and even fellow Sisters along the way.
Sister Holiday is more faithful than most, but she’s no saint. To piece together the clues of this high-stakes mystery, she must first reckon with the sins of her checkered past-and neither task will be easy.
An exciting start to Margot Douaihy’s bold series for Gillian Flynn Books that breathes new life into the hard-boiled genre, Scorched Grace is a fast-paced and punchy whodunnit that will keep readers guessing until the very end.
SCORCHED GRACE
Margot Douaihy
Did you know today, at least the day I’m posting this, is Mardi Gras? I have a special book for you set in New Orleans, a very special place.
Set against the backdrop of New Orleans, SCORCHED GRACE is about a nun. Her name is Sister Holiday.
She is queer, smokes heavily, is even more heavily tattooed, and has from time to time taken things into her own hands. Quite literally she was built to abolish your idea of where nuns come from, what they’re made of, and their purpose here on earth.
The book opens with an introduction to Sister Holiday, the Catholic Church, the school where she devotes herself, and the fire that nearly claims her.
Sister Holiday is quick to jump on the mystery of who or what caused the fire. She bumbles alongside detectives on the case, and we learn more and more about the nun, what makes her, what drives her, and just how special she is.
A phoenix-rising story with many themes ripe for kindling. From questions of faith and absolution, what gets washed away when our sins are forgiven, and what is left behind for us to be filthy with in perpetuity?
I appreciated the idea of a nun like Sister Holiday, someone who is disarming and crosses divides. I also had fun getting a little nerdy with the religious themes but overall, I felt a bit disappointed by SCHORCHED GRACE.
First, the characterization of Sister Holiday is not complete. I don’t think the author was able to fully capture all the elements of Holiday’s complex character. She was drawn well as an outline but some of the details were not filled in. I expected more faith and testimony, less inserting oneself into police investigations.
Secondly, I felt the mystery was a little clumsy with a forced ending. The reveal felt like a ta-da rather than an a-ha.
Lastly, I can’t help but be disappointed by the work that was done to introduce a character like this that goes against what we think of as a stereotypical nun. Just to unwind it with a very stereotypical ending.
Overall, I enjoyed my time with SCORCHED GRACE. But came away with a tepid feeling from a presumably HOT book.
This one is out today where books are sold.
Thanks to Netgalley and Zando Projects, Gillian Flynn Books for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
SCORCHED GRACE…⭐️⭐️⭐️
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