Sister Simon's Murder Case — A Nun, a Gun, and a Flat Delivery

What happens when you give a nun a gun and a murder to solve?

I was chopping onions for a dal that would take two hours I didn't have when I started this one. The premise hooked me immediately—Sister Simon, a "very proper nun" who learned to shoot with deadly accuracy from her policeman father. This is a fascinating intersection: religious vocation meets inherited investigative instincts. My therapist would have thoughts about this character.

And then... well. Let me explain.

The Nun With the Gun (Yes, Really)

Sister Simon exhibits classic amateur detective patterns, but with a twist that genuinely intrigued me. She's not bumbling into clues or relying on feminine intuition—she's methodical, trained, skeptical. Her father taught her "never to take anything for granted in a murder case." That's not cozy mystery energy. That's actual investigative psychology.

The setup works: a terrified elderly woman named Dannie Grear is murdered in a Midwestern resort town during tourist season. Classic closed-circle environment with rotating suspects—a different flavor of tension than Better off Dead: (Jack Reacher 26), where the protagonist operates with far more physical intimidation than quiet investigation. The "opinionated local police" run into obstacles while our protagonist quietly works her own angle. I found myself asking: why does Sister Simon really pursue this? Is it justice, or something more personal about proving her father's lessons right?

Margaret Ann Hubbard—who studied theatre at the Goodman School in Chicago—understands human nature in ways that surprised me. The victim was "terrified" before her death. Someone keeps attacking anyone who "knows too much." This is escalating paranoia, not a single crime of passion. That pattern of escalating violence to protect secrets shows up in Short Ghost and Horror Collection 003 too, though there the psychological terror is more supernatural than procedural. Psychologically, this tracks as a killer protecting something bigger than just one secret.

The Problem I Can't Ignore

Here's where I have to be honest with you.

Maria Therese's narration is clear. I could understand every word while my onions caramelized. But clarity isn't the same as engagement. The delivery is flat—genuinely monotone in places where the text is begging for tension. When a killer is stalking multiple victims? When Sister Simon is presumably piecing together clues that could get her killed? The voice... doesn't shift.

One listener put it bluntly: "no drama at all in her voice... I finally had to give up on it." I didn't give up, but I understand why someone would. At five hours and twenty minutes, this isn't a massive commitment, but flat narration makes every hour feel longer.

This is a LibriVox recording, which means it's free and volunteer-produced. I respect that enormously—these recordings preserve books that might otherwise be forgotten. But it also means you're getting what you get.

The Faith Question (Handled Better Than Expected)

I was bracing myself for heavy-handed religious messaging. A nun protagonist? A mystery from this era? I expected sermons.

But here's what one listener noted: "Christian thoughts, doesn't beat you to death with it—very nice to have a Christian-based mystery that's worthwhile." Sister Simon's faith is part of her character, not a conversion tool. She's a nun who solves murders. The vocation informs her worldview without hijacking the plot.

This is actually sophisticated character construction. Her religious identity and her investigative identity coexist. Neither dominates. She can pray and she can shoot, and the story doesn't treat this as contradiction. Classic compartmentalization, but the healthy kind.

Who Should Tune In (And Who Shouldn't)

This is for you if: You want a vintage mystery with an unusual protagonist. You're okay with calm, almost meditative narration. You appreciate religious characters who aren't caricatures. You're looking for something free to stream during low-focus activities.

Skip it if: You need vocal performance to carry tension. You want a fast-paced thriller. You're easily bored by steady, unchanging delivery.

Honestly? I'd recommend this for housework or a long drive where you don't need emotional peaks to stay engaged. The plot itself has good bones. The narration just... doesn't build the house.

A Case Study in Underutilized Potential

Sister Simon is a genuinely compelling character concept—a nun with a cop's training, operating outside official channels, bringing both moral authority and practical skill to a murder investigation. Margaret Ann Hubbard created something that deserves better audio treatment.

But here's the thing: it's free. The story is solid. If you can adjust to the delivery—or speed it up to 1.25x, which helps—there's a worthwhile mystery here. Just don't expect the performance to match the premise.

My dal turned out great, by the way. Sister Simon would probably disapprove of how much chili I added.