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Caroline Canfield Mysteries #2.5
Unholy Orders
Seventeen acclaimed mystery authors are brought together under a general religion/mystery theme. Some of the stories are inspirational, some are terrifying, but all are clever mysteries by writers at the top of their form.While some of the mystery stories feature familiar religious figures, such as Father Dowling, others tread new ground into the shamanistic visions of the Navajo and the rituals of the Hasidim. Table of 1.) The Reverend Collins' visit / Anne Perry -- 2.) Widow's Peak / Rochelle Krich -- 3.) Speak no evil / Nancy Pickard -- 4.) Volo te habere -- 5.) Margaret Frazer -- 6.) The labyrinthine way / Dianne Day -- 7.) The shaman's song / G. Miki Hayden -- 8.) The chairty of a saint / Tom Kreitzberg -- 9.) The seal of the confessional / Rhys Bowen -- 10.) Dilemma / John Lutz -- 11.) The chosen / Joyce Christmas -- 12.) Model town / George Chesbro -- 13.) Amish butter / Jacqueline Fiedler -- 14.) That old eternal triangle / Kate Charles -- 15.) God's instrument / Terence Faherty -- 16.) Father Hugh and the kettle of St. Frideswide / Mary Monica Pulver -- 17.) The Dunne deal / Ralph McInerny -- 18.) Remembered Zion / Carolyn Wheat -- 19.) In a Jewish vein / Serita Stevens.
285 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2000
145 people want to read
About the author
Serita Stevens
28 books17 followersSometimes also published as Megan MacDonnell, Shira Stevens, Serita Mendelson Stevens, or Serita Deborah Stevens.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 13, 2018
The Pope ain't gonna get into any Trump/Putin 3-way action no matter how many unholy orders he issues. Just wanted to get that out of my system. Okay: about the book, it's edited by Samantha Stevens so you know you're gonna have witches...no? Serita Stevens? Well, you still get witches. And there is this one Jewish vampire invading America as a baby (or something) and then priests who kill priests and then confess and then the confessed-to priest has to kill, etc. resulting in no more priest (or something). With weeping virgins galore and stigmatas and a snake on a dead tree on the cover, there is something for everyone here, except me. But it's all for a good cause: the adoption of Romanian orphans (some of whom are apparently vampires, so beware.)
June 25, 2010
There is this thing with anthologies where there is a variety of stories, not just in style, but quality. You can start one story and it's mediocre, the next is wonderful, then one that is just plain bad.
All of these stories are wonderful. I enjoyed some more than others, and they had very different feels, some were serious, some were suspenseful, some funny, one tongue in cheek. But all good,quality writing.
All of these stories are wonderful. I enjoyed some more than others, and they had very different feels, some were serious, some were suspenseful, some funny, one tongue in cheek. But all good,quality writing.
August 7, 2015
It was enjoyable until I read the story that claims that people who hunt serial killers are just as evil as the actual serial killers. That story made me so angry I had a hard time calming down afterward. I then put the book down and never picked it up again. It feels like if I even look at any more of the stories, I'm buying into that idea. It still makes me feel angry.
August 27, 2016
A peek inside an assortment of religions through eighteen religious mysteries from historical to contemporary, Native American to the big three of the religious world. All well-written stories.
In 2001, Unholy Orders was nominated for the Anthony Award for Best Anthology.
Note: All the authors have donated their royalties to Hugs and Hopes for Romania, a privately-funded charity that supports private foster homes to ensure that abandoned Romanian babies have human touch during the months it takes before they can be adopted. Their aim is to "take kids out of the institution and provide a family atmosphere…"
Series:
"Reverend Collins' Visit" (William Monk, x.5)
"Volo te habere..." (Dame Frevisse??, an early intro to Joliffe?? It is set in 1404.)
"Amish Butter" (Caroline Canfield, 2.5)
"Dunne Deal" (Father Dowling, x.5)
The Stories
Anne Perry's "Reverend Collins' Visit" was an echo of Agatha Christie as Henry Rathbone observed the passage of society outside his sickroom window putting two and two (and two) together to solve the truth about the Reverend Collins' thefts.
Rochelle Krich's "Widow's Peak" is so sad with its look at the upheaval caused by the Holocaust when wives could not find their husbands nor husbands their wives. In this case, Rose finds her Yossel much too late.
Nancy Pickard's "Speak No Evil" finds Joseph Owen tracking a serial killer by stalking a young woman two years into a five-year vow of silence. She witnessed the murder, but refuses to speak of it.
This is disturbing on two levels. The one in which the witness, Sara, refuses to speak the words that could save another woman's life; the second in which FBI agent Joseph Owen is so overwrought at the young woman's attempted suicide that he believes he too is a serial killer through his pursuit of serial killers. I can understand why he has this crisis...but I sure don't agree with it! Really well written.
Margaret Frazer's "Volo te habere..." is a dip into Bishop Beaufort's early years and a simple case of murder and legitimacy in 1404 when Beaufort has Richard Medford investigate the murder of a young, emotional woman who claims Stephen Hameden is her husband.
An interesting look at the necessary precision of words and the ease of marrying in the early 1400s.
Dianne Day's "Labyrinthine Way" is a little bit magic and a little bit justice as a woman priest uses hypnosis to snare an evil man within a labyrinth. Rather mysterious.
G. Miki Hayden's "Shaman's Song" was a funny look, well, except for the murder bit, at how Coyote Man manages to pull together the money he needed for the dowry for Yellow Flower Girl. Indian Agent Dennis Riordan believes in his power of finding.
Takes a look at the Dine perspective on death.
Thomas Kreitzberg's "Charity of a Saint" was a bit convoluted with reporter Marvin Quinn investigating a St. Alice miracle in which she sends a dream to a farmer, Henry Lance, and he discovers buried Elizabethan treasure. The catch? Vicar Donald Rorty is very unhappy about the publicity St. Alice is receiving.
Rhys Bowen's "Seal of the Confessional" was lovely in its justice with a future protection. I know it's [technically] wrong to approve of Father Costello's tea party, but it was the right thing to do.
John Lutz's "Dilemma" is a crisis in faith when Police Corporal Alana Martinez needs to choose between the greater good and the law.
Joyce Christmas' "Chosen" is a Lourdes-type miracle in which a young Catholic girl receives a vision for which she is castigated for lying, but it does result in the apprehension of a murderer.
George Chesbro's "Model Town" is rather apocalyptic in that Brendan Furie's interviews of a number of townspeople into the miracle of the weeping statues, miracle cures, and horrible economy of a shut-down mining town leads to his conclusion that this is a Model Town relating to his employers forecast of a world collapse due to fear. The statistics Furie collects his employers hope will pinpoint a way around it. If it can save individuals along the way...it's all to the good.
Jacqueline Fiedler's "Amish Butter" is full of misconceptions when Caroline picks up an Amish hitchhiker on a dark and stormy night with some odd, moving luggage.
Kate Charles' "That Old Eternal Triangle" has a real twist at the end! Cressida has come to hate her dull, boring husband. Hugh is a good man but there is nothing left in their married life for Cressida. When Father Jonathan arrived in the parish, he came to spend more and more time with Cressida and Hugh. When Jonathan admitted to his wrongful desires, it set Hugh's fate.
Terence Faherty's "God's Instrument" is a roundabout way for a man to find God and yearn for a life that makes a difference through the tragedy of a train explosion which kills a number of people.
Mary Monica Pulver's "Father Hugh and the Kettle of St. Frideswide" uses psychology and the help of a saint to catch a medieval chicken thief.
Ralph McInerny's "Dunne Deal" is a confusion in stolen goods dropped in the poor box.
Carolyn Wheat's "Remembered Zion" is...I can't think of words strong enough or sad enough. God. A woman who remembers Kristallnacht. Who remembers the Germans taking away her friend Esma. Being told she should hate her. Now, it's starting again. Her own son is a part of it. She cannot be a part of this. She must take a stand. And she does. For a very short time as she sees the hate in her son's eyes.
This is a jewel. Be prepared to cry. And remember.
Serita Stevens' "In a Jewish Vein" is of a trip a trio of Jewish women make to Romania to adopt a baby. Only to run into unexpected help and an even more unexpected spouse.
The Cover and Title
The cover looks like an Ansel Adams' photograph with its subject matter, the black-and-white, and the lighting/lightning that hits that old dead tree in which the snake is entwined. The bottom edge is a background of leafy trees.
The title reflects the subject matter of "mystery stories with a religious twist", Unholy Orders.
In 2001, Unholy Orders was nominated for the Anthony Award for Best Anthology.
Note: All the authors have donated their royalties to Hugs and Hopes for Romania, a privately-funded charity that supports private foster homes to ensure that abandoned Romanian babies have human touch during the months it takes before they can be adopted. Their aim is to "take kids out of the institution and provide a family atmosphere…"
Series:
"Reverend Collins' Visit" (William Monk, x.5)
"Volo te habere..." (Dame Frevisse??, an early intro to Joliffe?? It is set in 1404.)
"Amish Butter" (Caroline Canfield, 2.5)
"Dunne Deal" (Father Dowling, x.5)
The Stories
Anne Perry's "Reverend Collins' Visit" was an echo of Agatha Christie as Henry Rathbone observed the passage of society outside his sickroom window putting two and two (and two) together to solve the truth about the Reverend Collins' thefts.
Rochelle Krich's "Widow's Peak" is so sad with its look at the upheaval caused by the Holocaust when wives could not find their husbands nor husbands their wives. In this case, Rose finds her Yossel much too late.
Nancy Pickard's "Speak No Evil" finds Joseph Owen tracking a serial killer by stalking a young woman two years into a five-year vow of silence. She witnessed the murder, but refuses to speak of it.
This is disturbing on two levels. The one in which the witness, Sara, refuses to speak the words that could save another woman's life; the second in which FBI agent Joseph Owen is so overwrought at the young woman's attempted suicide that he believes he too is a serial killer through his pursuit of serial killers. I can understand why he has this crisis...but I sure don't agree with it! Really well written.
Margaret Frazer's "Volo te habere..." is a dip into Bishop Beaufort's early years and a simple case of murder and legitimacy in 1404 when Beaufort has Richard Medford investigate the murder of a young, emotional woman who claims Stephen Hameden is her husband.
An interesting look at the necessary precision of words and the ease of marrying in the early 1400s.
Dianne Day's "Labyrinthine Way" is a little bit magic and a little bit justice as a woman priest uses hypnosis to snare an evil man within a labyrinth. Rather mysterious.
G. Miki Hayden's "Shaman's Song" was a funny look, well, except for the murder bit, at how Coyote Man manages to pull together the money he needed for the dowry for Yellow Flower Girl. Indian Agent Dennis Riordan believes in his power of finding.
Takes a look at the Dine perspective on death.
Thomas Kreitzberg's "Charity of a Saint" was a bit convoluted with reporter Marvin Quinn investigating a St. Alice miracle in which she sends a dream to a farmer, Henry Lance, and he discovers buried Elizabethan treasure. The catch? Vicar Donald Rorty is very unhappy about the publicity St. Alice is receiving.
Rhys Bowen's "Seal of the Confessional" was lovely in its justice with a future protection. I know it's [technically] wrong to approve of Father Costello's tea party, but it was the right thing to do.
John Lutz's "Dilemma" is a crisis in faith when Police Corporal Alana Martinez needs to choose between the greater good and the law.
Joyce Christmas' "Chosen" is a Lourdes-type miracle in which a young Catholic girl receives a vision for which she is castigated for lying, but it does result in the apprehension of a murderer.
George Chesbro's "Model Town" is rather apocalyptic in that Brendan Furie's interviews of a number of townspeople into the miracle of the weeping statues, miracle cures, and horrible economy of a shut-down mining town leads to his conclusion that this is a Model Town relating to his employers forecast of a world collapse due to fear. The statistics Furie collects his employers hope will pinpoint a way around it. If it can save individuals along the way...it's all to the good.
Jacqueline Fiedler's "Amish Butter" is full of misconceptions when Caroline picks up an Amish hitchhiker on a dark and stormy night with some odd, moving luggage.
Kate Charles' "That Old Eternal Triangle" has a real twist at the end! Cressida has come to hate her dull, boring husband. Hugh is a good man but there is nothing left in their married life for Cressida. When Father Jonathan arrived in the parish, he came to spend more and more time with Cressida and Hugh. When Jonathan admitted to his wrongful desires, it set Hugh's fate.
Terence Faherty's "God's Instrument" is a roundabout way for a man to find God and yearn for a life that makes a difference through the tragedy of a train explosion which kills a number of people.
Mary Monica Pulver's "Father Hugh and the Kettle of St. Frideswide" uses psychology and the help of a saint to catch a medieval chicken thief.
Ralph McInerny's "Dunne Deal" is a confusion in stolen goods dropped in the poor box.
Carolyn Wheat's "Remembered Zion" is...I can't think of words strong enough or sad enough. God. A woman who remembers Kristallnacht. Who remembers the Germans taking away her friend Esma. Being told she should hate her. Now, it's starting again. Her own son is a part of it. She cannot be a part of this. She must take a stand. And she does. For a very short time as she sees the hate in her son's eyes.
This is a jewel. Be prepared to cry. And remember.
Serita Stevens' "In a Jewish Vein" is of a trip a trio of Jewish women make to Romania to adopt a baby. Only to run into unexpected help and an even more unexpected spouse.
The Cover and Title
The cover looks like an Ansel Adams' photograph with its subject matter, the black-and-white, and the lighting/lightning that hits that old dead tree in which the snake is entwined. The bottom edge is a background of leafy trees.
The title reflects the subject matter of "mystery stories with a religious twist", Unholy Orders.
August 4, 2019
Like most short story anthologies, this one brings together some very good writing with some mediocre attempts. The authors I already knew fell squarely in the middle.
With Margaret Frazer, I find the setup of her Dame Frevisse novels more interesting than the mysteries and their solutions. A short story gives short shrift to the social commentary she does so well—but if you’re a fan who hates having to get a hundred pages in before the dead body appears, this format is just meant for you.
With Rhys Bowen, this story may be more like her earlier work. It’s nothing like the delightfully twee series starring Lady Georgianna Rannoch, her Royal Spyness.
Nancy Pickard’s “Speak No Evil” was my top pick: chilling, and unexpectedly deep. “The Shaman’s Song” by G. Miki Hayden reminded me of the Jim Chee books by Tony Hillerman, which is high praise,
The stories as a collection leaned heavily in the direction of Anglicanism and Catholicism. That’s one reason I was disappointed with the two Jewish entries in the book, including the editor’s. I didn’t like the prose, and it’s tiring never to find Jews like me, who take Judaism seriously but don’t belong to an Orthodox Jewish community, in the fiction I read.
With Margaret Frazer, I find the setup of her Dame Frevisse novels more interesting than the mysteries and their solutions. A short story gives short shrift to the social commentary she does so well—but if you’re a fan who hates having to get a hundred pages in before the dead body appears, this format is just meant for you.
With Rhys Bowen, this story may be more like her earlier work. It’s nothing like the delightfully twee series starring Lady Georgianna Rannoch, her Royal Spyness.
Nancy Pickard’s “Speak No Evil” was my top pick: chilling, and unexpectedly deep. “The Shaman’s Song” by G. Miki Hayden reminded me of the Jim Chee books by Tony Hillerman, which is high praise,
The stories as a collection leaned heavily in the direction of Anglicanism and Catholicism. That’s one reason I was disappointed with the two Jewish entries in the book, including the editor’s. I didn’t like the prose, and it’s tiring never to find Jews like me, who take Judaism seriously but don’t belong to an Orthodox Jewish community, in the fiction I read.
August 7, 2009
Knowing my love of mysteries, my daughter and son-in-law gave this book to me. What a great way in which to read the work of some authors with which I have not had acquaintane before. I will definitely look up other works by authors whose writing styles I enjoyed, and will give me other writing to enjoy.
February 20, 2009
Uneven short fiction involving religion and spirituality. Interesting, but I forgot to read slowly. Guess I may have to reread some of them. All in all, fun to read.
April 20, 2012
Some of my favorite authors in here but their stories weren't the very best they've done.
May 16, 2013
refreshing an array of different styles and stories nice read
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews