I got really hooked on this book!

First let's talk about this cover, it's absolutely perfect and what drew me to the book.
Sister Holiday finds herself witnessing a fire at Saint Sebastian's School and gets herself into the investigation. She suspects everyone, goes looking for clues, is yet again a witness to another fire, becomes a suspect herself. All while she reminisces about her previous life. It was a great balance of past and present - we got the mystery solving in the present, and what happened in the past that led Holiday to this new life. This book left me wanting more.

Honestly I'm surprised how much I liked this book considering it's completely based on religion and nuns, but the storyline was much more than just God. We follow a group of teaching nuns who run a Covent and work with teens when there's a series of fires on the grounds all leading to different suspects. I did enjoy the book I just thought it was quite predictable. It was incredibly fast paced and consistently has chapters focusing on homophobic responses and family problems

Author: Margot Douaihy

Review Written By: Elliot Eatinger


Summary:

In the unconventional life of Sister Holiday Walsh, two profound factors begin to consume her

life: God, and fire.


Saint Sebastian’s School in New Orleans is stricken with tragedy when a rogue case of arson

leaves two students (and the nun who saved them) injured, and a beloved custodian dead. The

problem is that the death looks to be far from an accident. This series of unexplained events

sends Sister Holiday on a determined path of crime solving, fueled by a complex admiration for

the Holy Ghost and truth-seeking, while ghosts from her own past chase her down at every turn.


Review:

(without major spoilers)




Sister Holiday is a queer, punk nun from Brooklyn who relocated to New Orleans after an

inexplicable string of tragedies and come-to-Jesus moments, following in the footsteps of her

former devotee mother. If that isn’t enough of a character pull, I don’t know what it is.


This story undoubtedly has a complex relationship with Catholicism and devotion, saddled from

the perspective of someone who has found guidance in faith even when it’s tested. It might be a

complicated read for anyone who has left a faith of religion – and I say that speaking from

experience. I think it’s well worth the read regardless because it provides a unique perspective

that I haven’t seen in contemporary fiction in some time. Sister Holiday’s faith – along with the

unwavering faith of the Sisters of the Sublime Blood – is one that drives the story through every

slow climb, sharp turn, and freefalls into the unknown.


This is also a story with blood in its teeth and grit under its nails; Douhaiy unapologetically

explores the shades of gray in every single character, especially its lead in Sister Holiday. These

are deeply flawed, complex people who go through the motions of this increasingly strenuous

time and dig their nails into the story, as it haunts and follows them just as they might follow it.

The other three Sisters of the convent, along with Saint Sebastian’s other staff, all prove to be a

surprising supporting cast that you don’t want to let go of. Honestly, I could’ve done with the

book being longer in order to spend more time with them.


There’s one part in particular – with a couple of tense encounters between Holiday and Prince

Dempsey, a delinquent student with a troubled past, foreshadowing written all over him (just not

the way you’d think) – that had me set aback. It’s made extremely clear through the narrative

that Sister Holiday is someone who is constantly seeking penance for her messier past, while

trying to use those breakneck instincts to solve what feels like an unsolvable case; whether you

like her or hate her, she certainly drives forward. The overarching narrative, interwoven with

flashbacks of Holiday’s life prior to the convent, and ghosts of her making new appearances

provides the reader a chance to decide for themselves.


I wanted to spend far more time with Maggie Riveaux, the sharp and sardonic fire inspector with

messes and secrets of her own. There’s a dichotomy presented in between her – a Black woman

prominent in her field – and one of her deeply ignorant, casually bigoted white counterparts in

the police department that proves itself as a clear set of cracks in this fictionalized setting of New

Orleans’ public servants, but doesn’t quite sink its teeth into a deeper commentary in favor of the

relentless pace of narrative pursuit.


There’s a fascinating landscape right behind her that is shown with great love and complex

admiration, through Douhaiy’s rich poetic prose – and it was another one of those moments

where I found myself asking for more attention to the gems hidden in the cracks. My next

question for Douhaiy might be about what would she do, if we spent more time in this world?

There are a lot of open ends left, and maybe it’s on purpose, with the Gillian Flynn book deals

wide open.


Overall, I think it’s a deeply rewarding novel. The ending and final sets of twists hurled me back

to the very beginning of the book, and demanded attention to what I might have missed along the

way. Scorched Grace is brutal and brilliant and one hell of a debut prose novel. I’m looking

forward to what she does next.


xx


Content warnings for: violence, graphic depictions of injury and death, homophobia.

Leaning towards a 4.5

I had a lot of fun reading this one. Lesbian punk turned nun witnesses a fire at the school she works at and the death of a friend. The reader will later learn how personal this situation is for her. Sister Holiday the goes on a quest to track down the arsonist.

For the mystery part I will say it is a case of "the person you were suspecting the least" and I wasn't fully engaged in the mystery.

However I loved the characters and their complexity in particular Holiday. The story is intercut by flashbacks of her past complicated/toxic relationship with her ex which contrasts with how she is today.

The Catholic aesthetic was also on point and I want to see more catholic queer books

Who can resist a queer, punk nun on a mission? I can't. Set in a steamy New Orleans, Scorched Grace is a mystery that evolves around Sister Holiday, music teacher at Saint Sebastian Catholic School. Someone's been setting fires at the school, and Sister Holiday's determined to find out who. But her turbulent, rule defying, past makes her a prime suspect.

I started this book thinking it would be a cozy-type mystery, which it isn't. Sister Holiday has some astute insights into the religious life, and strong criticisms of the Church's patriarchal structure. There's a lot of internal monologue in this story, which makes the pace drag at times, but Holiday is an interesting, intense and original character. Think Hildegard van Bingen meets Metallica.

It's a busy plot. Too busy, with flashbacks to Holiday's heavy drug use and dysfunctional family; ideas on redemption and forgiveness; the murder of another nun; sexist police detectives; and a potential new girlfriend in fire investigator Magnolia Riveaux. I hope the author slows down in her next book, because she is clearly capable of depth and nuance. But I am willing to forgive a lot for a character who muses, "This might be the only thing I'm sure of: God is especially alive in women."

Sister Holiday is my new favorite detective! A queer, tattooed, cigarette smoking, punk rocker nun from Brooklyn is an unexpected protagonist, but one that I completely fell in love with. A perfect whodunit, set in New Orleans and with a host of eccentric characters (and suspects), Doualhy's writing is so fun and alive. At her convent, Sister Holiday narrowly survives a series of arsons that are both mysterious and deadly. It's such a perfect set-up for a series and I hope that happens! It's a gothic vibe that I enjoyed spending time with, definitely check it out.

This is an original take on a classic theme, sneaking in elements from multiple sub genres. It's a little baggy, and does break some genre rules along the way, most egregiously regarding the way the culprit is woven into the narrative throughout. Having said so, it's a highly entertaining read, with fresh characters and ideas. I particularly liked the religious setting and the way that faith is dealt with throughout. And if it's the start of a series, I'll definitely be looking out for future instalments.

My thanks to Gillian Flynn Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

I had so much fun reading Scorched Grace. Margot Douaihy‘s storytelling made this mystery a delight to read. A religious bad girl who’s joined a convent to get away from her past only to find herself in the thicket of a murder mystery? 5/5 stars.

Not only did the story itself keep you guessing as to who the culprit may be, but Douaihy’s writing style was beautiful. The attention to detail, the language used, it was all so beautifully weaved together that I found myself rereading entire pages to enjoy the art of her writing again and again.

This book delivered the spunk and grit that the premise promised it would. A tattooed, take-no-bullshit, crime-solving queer nun? Count me in - for the long-haul. I read a review that wondered if this book would be the first in a mystery series, and I would be on board with that. Sister Holiday is a character I would love to return to again, and Margot Douaihy is an author who I think will just get better with time and experience. This was such a fun read, and I'd recommend for fans of spunky mysteries!

Absolutely yes! I really enjoyed reading this novel. The characters were fun, it held my interest, and provided an escape from reality. I would definitely recommend!

Brilliant premise and character! However one star removed because the writing felt overly pretentious at times.

Margot Douaihy has created an interesting, compelling character in Sister Holiday, a queer chain-smoking young nun in New Orleans. Suspected in an arson at the Catholic school she teaches, Sister Holiday decides to do her own investigation. I enjoyed this fresh take in the detective genre and see the potential of a number of novels with Sister Holiday in the forefront. For me, the pacing was off in the middle of the novel, slow for the genre while still hitting several predictable beats. I thought the most interesting mystery was that of Sister Holiday herself and the exploration of faith and grief and identity was much more gripping than the arson mystery. The more traditional mystery fell a bit flat for me, though the strength of Sister Holiday and the side characters that only made brief appearances makes me interested in following her beyond this book. It is the start of a series that feels like it will only get better in time. Recommend for readers who like their mysteries with a heavy dose of character development, fresh takes on detectives, and exploration of faith. A big thank you to NetGalley and Zando Projects for an early eARC. Look for it in February 2023!

This book was such a fun idea. I really enjoyed the flashbacks to understand how Sister Holiday ended up in the convent. The mystery was a little too easy to guess and some characters felt too shallow. I'm interested to see if there will be a sequel where sister forms the PI company and if she dates Rosemary.

This book just didn't really do it for me. The writing was good and I loved the idea of a queer, lost, punk rock nun solving a crime but I didn't believe in any of the characters or their relationships to one another. It felt stilted and forced.

Thank you to net galley and the publishers for the e-arc.

Thank you to NetGalley, Zando Projects and their imprint [author:Gillian Flynn|2383] books, and [author:Margot Douaihy|14872428] for an eARC of this mystery!

Scorched Grace is an intense, riveting read about a queer nun, Sister Holiday, who is on a mission to find a serial arsonist threatening to ruin her second chance at a calm life. The list of suspects is long, evidence is lacking, and the case is causing Sister Holiday's traumatic past to bubble up on each cigarette break. I thoroughly enjoyed this classic whodunit with unconventional characters. The story is immersed in incredible hot and humid atmosphere, each chapter crafted to intrigue our attention. Sometimes the writing felt somewhat crude at points, but nothing some practice can't fix, so I'm looking forward to future novels!

I couldn't get into this one. I think I made it 20% in, but I wasn't excited to read more. I wasn't liking the characters or really digging the plot. I think a little more needed to happen at a faster pace for me to get into it.

This book was an exciting and thrilling ride about a nun who is seeking to solve the crimes committed at her school. Sister Holiday is not your average nun though, she may even be very far from it. She is covered in tattoos, swears, was once in a band, queer, and even has a fake gold tooth! What more could you ask for?

The idea behind this book was great. I love the representation and the perspective that the author has provided us with. I at first thought this would be a very preachy type of book and I was pleasantly surprised that it was nothing of the sort. The author did a fantastic job with creating a vivid scene and an interesting story.

The pacing of the book felt very off though. There were scenes where Holiday would be going somewhere or doing something, and then it would jump to a memory, or something that Holiday was pondering over. And then it would pick right back up, which was sort of hard to follow along because the memory sequences were uninterrupted lengthy scenes. I also felt as if the characters were over exaggerated in their actions and diction. I think a lot of authors want to add intensity to their books and they do this by making their characters’ personalities crazy. But personally, I like reading about characters that seem relatable and ‘real’.

Overall, I thought this was a pretty good book. It held my attention and was a fun read. I’m glad the author left it open for more to come.

- (3.5 stars rounded up)

Oh man, I was so excited by the idea of this book. Smoking nun, I'm sold! Unfortunately in practice this wasn't quite what I was expecting. Still a great addition to the mystery collection.

Thanks to Netgalley for a free ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

DNF 10%-I had a hard time getting into this one. While the main character was interesting, I wasn't a fan of the storytelling and this couldn't stick with it.

This book is brilliant. The author explores the role of women in religion in a way that showed the good, the bad, and the downright chilling.