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Scorched Grace: A Sister Holiday Mystery (Sister Holiday Mysteries, 1) Hardcover – February 21, 2023
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A USA TODAY Bestseller · A New York Times, Apple Books, and The Guardian Best Crime Novel of the Year · An Indie Next Pick · Winner of the Pinckley Prize for Crime Fiction · Longlisted for the Mass Book Award · A Finalist for the ITW Thrillerfest, New England Book, Left Coast Crime “Lefty”, and Anthony Awards
Sister Holiday, a chain-smoking, heavily tattooed, queer nun, puts her amateur sleuthing skills to the test in this “unique and confident” debut crime novel (Gillian Flynn).
When Saint Sebastian’s School becomes the target of a shocking arson spree, the Sisters of the Sublime Blood and their surrounding New Orleans community are thrust into chaos.
Patience is a virtue, but punk rocker turned nun Sister Holiday isn’t satisfied to just wait around for officials to return her home and sanctuary to its former peace, instead deciding to unveil the mysterious attacker herself. Her investigation leads her down a twisty path of suspicion and secrets, turning her against colleagues, students, and even fellow Sisters along the way. And to piece together the clues of this high-stakes mystery, she must at last reckon with the sins of her own past.
An exciting start to a bold series 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.
- Print length320 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherZando – Gillian Flynn Books
- Publication dateFebruary 21, 2023
- Dimensions6 x 0.97 x 9 inches
- ISBN-101638930244
- ISBN-13978-1638930242
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From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
A USA Today Bestseller
Indie Next Pick
A New York Times Best Crime Novel of the Year
A New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice
A Guardian Best Crime and Thriller Novel of the Year
One of Apple's Best Books of 2023
Boston Magazine’s Best Author of 2023
An Amazon Editors’ Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Winner of the 2023 Pinckley Prize for Crime Fiction
A 2024 ITW Thriller Award Finalist for Best First Novel
2023 New England Book Award Finalist
A Left Coast Crime 2024 "Lefty" Award Nominee for Best Debut Mystery Novel
Longlisted for the 2024 Mass Book Awards
A 2024 Anthony Award Finalist for Best First Novel
One of the Most Anticipated Books of 2023
Goodreads • Barnes & Noble • Electric Lit • LGBTQ Reads • Book Riot • CrimeReads • BookPage • Novel Suspects • Autostraddle
“Sister Holiday, the protagonist of Margot Douaihy’s showstopper of a series debut Scorched Grace isn’t what you’d imagine a nun to be like, even in laissez-faire New Orleans . . . I cannot wait to read the sister’s next investigation, of mysteries and of her own self.” ―Sarah Weinman, New York Times
“A whodunnit with an unforgettable mystery solver . . . Sister Holiday isn’t your average nun: She’s a headstrong, thoroughly-tattooed chain smoker who sets off on a one-woman investigation through New Orleans to find out who is behind an arson attack at her school.” ―Jillian Ortiz, TODAY
“The prose really sings . . . Such lyricism in the service of setting the scene betrays the author’s background as an established poet.” ―Jim Ruland, Los Angeles Times
“The book critiqued institutions, foregrounded sexuality and retained some lyricism, without losing the compulsive page-turning playfulness of a breezy read . . . its prose would set Dashiell Hammett’s Sam Spade or Robert B. Parker’s Spenser at ease.” ―Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune
“Within five pages, I was in love with this novel. The voice is unique and confident, the sense of place deeply present, and the plotting completely assured: every time I was about to ask a question about Sister Holiday, her background, her drive, the mystery―the answer magically appeared. Sister Holiday is simply a joy of a narrator―and definitely my kind of character: flawed, dark, buoyant, and often laugh-out-loud funny. I feel like she and Camille Preaker from Sharp Objects should go on a road trip together. This novel is so much more than a mystery (which is my favorite kind of mystery), it's an exploration of faith, love, and the worthy struggle to be a better human. I just loved it!" ―Gillian Flynn, Gillian Flynn Books
“A badass, brilliant queer nun solving a murder mystery in New Orleans? How could I not fall in love with this book? You will, too!” ―Mara Wilson
“Margot Douaihy’s bold entry into the hard-boiled genre revitalizes it for our times. Skillfully plotted, propulsive, and deeply engaged with the communities it represents, Scorched Grace is one of the best crime fiction debuts I’ve come across in a long while.” ―Don Winslow, #1 internationally bestselling author of The Power of the Dog and City on Fire
“One chapter into Margot Douaihy’s Scorched Grace and you’ll be ready to follow Sister Holiday wherever her instincts take her. Vibrant, crackling and deliciously insubordinate, it’s a mystery full of trapdoors and surprises but with a keen emotional force that leaves you shaken, hooked.” ―Megan Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of The Turnout
“Douaihy's prose is fresh and energetic, and she brings the delightfully original character of Sister Holiday vividly to life. Holiday believably leads her own investigation, and the story satisfies right up until the very twisty end.” ―Karin Slaughter, New York Times and internationally bestselling author
“Harrowing and gorgeously written, with an unforgettable protagonist―Sister Holiday, ‘the first punk nun’―Margot Douaihy’s Scorched Grace takes readers on a searing journey through faith, fire, and female rage. A brilliant debut mystery.” ―Elizabeth Hand, author of Hokuloa Road and Generation Loss
“Margot Douaihy’s Scorched Grace is pure, hard-boiled delight, and so is its protagonist, Sister Holiday. I can’t wait for the next installment.” ―Kelly Link, MacArthur Fellow and bestselling author of Pulitzer Prize finalist Get in Trouble
“Scorched Grace burns with the wholehearted energy of faith, love, and transgression. Sister Holiday embodies the frailties of faith, the contradictions of humanity, and the joy of sisterhood in all its forms.” ―Sophie Ward, Booker Prize–longlisted author of Love and Other Thought Experiments
“Fearless, ebullient, and twisty as hell, Scorched Grace remixes the crime novel for our current age, and debuts a magnetic noir heroine, whose brash wit and profound soulfulness command our instant and utter devotion.” ―Debra Jo Immergut, author of You Again and The Captives
"I inhaled this book. Sister Holiday drew me in with attitude and world-wisdom that, as she herself says, holds a kind of grace; meanwhile the hot, gnarly, beautiful world of New Orleans and all the edgy, intimate characters of the convent, school, and investigation (and, of course, the series of deadly arson attacks that drive Holiday and the book), had me turning the pages. Margot Douaihy gives Sister Holiday a sharp tongue and a body blessed by ink, and in this story Douaihy’s writing is the fuel, the spark, the oxygen. It is the fire and the ashes." ―Elizabeth K Reeder, MacDowell Fellow and author of An Archive of Happiness and Ramshackle
“In the American tradition of hard-boiled detectives, this was full of sweat, heat, and a lingering acrid smoke that pervaded the whole book. I could almost feel the grime under my fingernails as I read it. Sister Holiday is utterly unique―a gold-toothed nun with a history of addictions that still haunts her and a faith that is real, passionate, and anything but saccharine. She is a courageous truth-teller, even when she needs to tell the truth about herself.” ―Georgina Clarke, author of the Lizzie Hardwicke series and The Dazzle of the Light
“Stunning fiction debut and series launch . . . This briskly plotted master class in character development makes the most of its New Orleans setting.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Douaihy, a poet and professor who shares Sister Holiday’s punk sensibility, immerses the reader in her hyperlocal New Orleans setting and the murky depths of Sister Holiday’s tormented soul. Her prose is frequently lyrical and often lacerating, her characters layered and intriguing. It’s not surprising in the slightest that this series starter is the first book published by Gillian Flynn’s eponymous new imprint. Scorched Grace is both entertaining and devastating, dominated by a queer sleuth with a clever, curious mind and a fatalistic yet somehow still hopeful heart.” ―Linda M. Castellitto, BookPage, starred review
“Scorched Grace marks the ferocious prose debut of Margot Douaihy, who introduces us to perhaps the most unique heroine in the history of the hard-boiled mystery genre. Sister Holiday is both devout and profane, caring deeply about her God and her faith and her mission, even if she doesn’t have much patience for the trappings of orthodoxy and tradition. I’m really interested in seeing where the rest of the series goes, in this first offering from Gillian Flynn’s publishing imprint.” ―Doreen M Sheridan, Criminal Element
“A powerful story about religion and sin, family, and secrets . . . Scorched Grace is a unique and emotional novel, set against the backdrop of New Orleans in all its sticky, sweaty heat and unrelenting beauty and charm . . . When the ending hits, it is delightfully unexpected, bringing all the plot’s twists and turns to one satisfying finale. Scorched Grace has all of the makings of an award-winning novel, and I see Douaihy skyrocketing to fame. Her novel is similar to creative, renowned works by authors like Douglas Stuart, and Douaihy’s unique and modern writing should receive similar accolades.” ―Erin Clemence, Mystery & Suspense Magazine
“The rough, sarcastic, first-person voice of Scorched Grace seizes the reader in a headlock from the first page . . . Holiday is prayerful, funny, cruel, and exhausted: in short, excellent company . . . Though the history of hard-boiled detective novels skews undeniably toward one kind of identity, Scorched Grace blazes a queer path forward for the genre. Here’s praying for a long series with Sister Holiday at the helm.” ―Laurel Flores Fantauzzo, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine
“[A] confident, well-paced thriller―presenting a wide assortment of possible suspects, and never giving away too much at once . . . we are kept guessing about the identity of the killer until the final pages . . . a welcome introduction to the queer detective nun whom we didn’t know we needed.” ―H Felix Chau Bradley, Xtra magazine
“Scorched Grace is brutal and brilliant and one hell of a prose novel debut.” ―Elliott Eatinger, Defunkt Magazine
“Scorched Grace is like no other book you’ve ever read.” ―Gwendolyn Kiste, The Lineup
“If you’re not sold by a punk rock nun solving mysteries then can your soul even be saved?” ―Michelle Hart, Electric Lit
“If you’re looking for something new in crime and whodunits, take note.” ―Book Riot
“Holiday is an interesting character, and her story is well plotted." ―Michael Cart, Booklist
“Margot Douaihy’s chain-smoking nun Sister Holiday may be the most original character you’ll come across for quite some time. Douaihy wanted to reclaim pulp tropes for a female protagonist, and I have to say, Sister Holiday is punk AF. Set in New Orleans, Scorched Grace takes place at a Catholic school where an arson attack has harmed several students. Sister Holiday, a fan of detective fiction, is ready to solve the case (or else face suspicion herself).” ―Molly Odintz, CrimeReads “The Most Anticipated Crime Books of Fall 2022 (and Beyond!)”
"The sacred meets the profane head on in Margot Douaihy’s debut mystery. It’s funny. It’s touching. Its honesty is refreshing, and we hesitate to compare the writing or the plot to anything prior. At times poetic and other moments full of zest. Sister Holiday breathes life into every scene and moment of this book.” ―Barnes & Noble Editors, Most Buzzed About 2023 Debuts
“A noteworthy entry. The mystery-novel debut of Lebanese-American Margot Douaihy, Scorched Grace tells the story of Sister Holiday, a hard-boiled, much-tattooed nun with a troubled past who joins a convent in New Orleans . . . By focusing on family and secrets, Douaihy offers a new take on the figure of the hard-boiled detective.” ―Marcia Lynx Qualey, Esquire Middle East
“The first novel by poet Douaihy, coeditor of Cambridge’s Elements in Crime Narratives series, features punk rocker–turned–music teacher Sister Holiday, the only chain-smoking, tattooed, queer nun of the Sisters of the Sublime Blood in New Orleans . . . The first book from suspense novelist Gillian Flynn’s imprint at Zando . . . has already been acquired for a prestige-television adaptation.” ―Library Journal
“Margot Douaihy has created an instantly memorable character―edgy, headstrong, hardboiled, deeply flawed, darkly funny, with a voice that crackles and burns with passion and wit. Sister Holiday may not know where she’s headed, but you’ll follow her anywhere.” ―Neil Nyren, Book Trib
“What do you get when you mix a poetic writer with the mystery genre? More metaphors than you can shake a stick at. Laugh out loud metaphors. Stunningly beautiful metaphors. All interlaced within an exciting mystery that is as different as it is classic in feel. . . . The twisty plot, gorgeous language, and the renegade nun as a main character bring this novel into its own category. . . . Scorched Grace is a novel both exciting and profound. The crisp pacing keeps things moving briskly forward while the writing takes you deep. I can’t ask for more than that.” ―Anne Laughlin, Lambda Literary
“Colorful and surprising, Scorched Grace is one seriously heavenly mystery . . . With its scenes of austere convent life and gritty crime in a city lush with jasmine, Spanish moss, and strolling peacocks, this whodunit is a surprisingly fun and funny read.” ―Apple Books
“The author’s writing style is dynamic, with a skilled approach to building each chapter. . . . Scorched Grace is, at times, irreverent and laugh-out-loud hilarious, but it delivers an interesting mystery with an unforgettable cast of characters.” ―Amy Wilson, Novels Alive
“What’s cooler than a tattooed, chain-smoking punk lesbian nun? A tattooed, chain-smoking punk lesbian nun turned detective―that’s what!” ―GCN, 19 captivating LGBTQ+ books to read this spring
“The writing is so good, and Sister Holiday is such a magnetic character. I loved it, and I’m pretty sure I will love subsequent books.”―Sarah Weinman, Zed
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Zando – Gillian Flynn Books; First Edition (February 21, 2023)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 320 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1638930244
- ISBN-13 : 978-1638930242
- Item Weight : 1.25 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 0.97 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #161,614 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,358 in Murder Thrillers
- #3,933 in Amateur Sleuths
- #5,673 in Women Sleuths (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Margot Douaihy is originally from Scranton, PA, now living in Northampton, MA. She received her PhD in creative writing from the University of Lancaster in the UK. The first book published by Gillian Flynn’s imprint with Zando, Scorched Grace is also her debut novel, and she has also authored the poetry collections Bandit/Queen: The Runaway Story of Belle Starr, Scranton Lace, and Girls Like You. She is a founding member of the Creative Writing Studies Organization and an active member of Sisters in Crime and the Radius of Arab American Writers. Margot is an Assistant Professor in Popular Fiction Writing & Literature with Emerson College in Boston. As a coeditor of the Elements in Crime Narrative Series with Cambridge University Press, she strives to reshape crime writing scholarship, with a focus on the contemporary, the future, inclusivity, and decoloniality.
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Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book enjoyable and engaging to read. They appreciate the compelling protagonist and her unique perspective. However, opinions differ on the plot and writing style, with some finding it realistic and well-executed, while others feel it's unrealistic and lacks momentum.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable to read. They appreciate the descriptive writing that immerses them in the scenes. While some found the plot disappointing, others enjoyed the characters and descriptions.
"...This is a fun, interesting mystery. Sister Holiday is a character with some complexity and contradiction to her...." Read more
"...seem a bit out of character for a nun, but they definitely make this book interesting...." Read more
"It took me soooo long to read but I didn’t want to give up because I liked the concept. But i was bored." Read more
"...using but a few words to describe the characters in a way that is unforgettable. Great fun, a delicious pleasure to read." Read more
Customers appreciate the characters' development. They find the protagonist, Margot Douaihy, incredible and appreciate her unique perspectives and resilience of purpose.
"...She revealed unique perspectives and resilience of purpose in her characters, who are strong regardless of their human flaws or past life experiences." Read more
"not bad great character i think some of the plot seemed nit realistic the mystery was not so hard to predict but i like the character al lot" Read more
"Sister Holiday is my new idol. Thank you for giving us this incredible protagonist, Margot Douaihy. I can’t wait for the next book!" Read more
Customers have different views on the plot. Some find it engaging with multiple storylines and a promising premise. Others feel the plot is unrealistic, with random flashbacks that don't progress the story, and ornate prose that interrupts the narrative. While some find the mystery interesting enough to keep, others feel it's hard to believe in certain parts.
"...This is a fun, interesting mystery. Sister Holiday is a character with some complexity and contradiction to her...." Read more
"Full of contradictions - a nun who is a queer punk; religion that twists doctrine into murder; fire that signals the rebirth of the phoenix...." Read more
"...Ultimately, the premise had a lot of promise but in my opinion it was not executed well and seemed very amateurish." Read more
"...is pretty bad as well, the flashbacks seem random and do not move the story forward...." Read more
Customers have different views on the writing style. Some find it superb and engaging with a great narrator. Others feel the flashbacks are random and unstructured, and the writing is flowery and excessive.
"...She’s quite the nun! This is an exceptionally well-written book and I can’t wait for sequels...." Read more
"...I found the writing style to be overly descriptive which just didn’t do it for me. The plot was unrealistic...." Read more
"...The best mystery I’ve read in years. Douaihy’s writing is incredibly descriptive and makes you feel immersed in the scene - I can still smell the..." Read more
"...The writing is pretty bad as well, the flashbacks seem random and do not move the story forward...." Read more
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Don’t Sleep on Sister Holiday
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2023Sister Holiday Walsh is not your traditional, black-habited nun. The newest member of New Orleans' Convent of the Sisters of the Sublime Blood, she's nearly 40 years younger than the three other members of the order; has tattoos from chin to wrists; smokes the cigarettes she confiscates from students at the high school where she teaches; and is a lesbian (although not practicing).
When she sees smoke pouring from the high school and then sees the school custodian fall out of a second floor window, she doesn't hesitate to rush in. She finds two injured students and does her best to get them to safety.
She becomes a thorn in the side of police and fire officials, especially after they declare the fire to be arson and the death of the custodian to be murder. Soon a second fire happens, killing a sister. Clues pointing in the direction of Sister Holiday mount up.
As this mystery unfolds another one is revealed: why is Holiday a nun? She resists the restrictions of convent life. She has little respect for the bishop and his minions. Yet, she does have faith and piety and is successfully reinventing her life.
This is a fun, interesting mystery. Sister Holiday is a character with some complexity and contradiction to her. In places, this is a hard mystery to believe, but it's interesting enough to keep you going.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2024It took me soooo long to read but I didn’t want to give up because I liked the concept. But i was bored.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2023Full of contradictions - a nun who is a queer punk; religion that twists doctrine into murder; fire that signals the rebirth of the phoenix.
Scorched Grace is hard to put down and impossible to forget.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2023I really wanted to love this book, but I just didn’t. I could tell pretty much immediately that I wasn’t going to like it based on the writing style and almost didn’t finish it, but ultimately plodded through. I found the writing style to be overly descriptive which just didn’t do it for me. The plot was unrealistic. I felt it would have been more believable to have Sister Holiday trying to solve the crime on her own than expecting the investigators to bring her into their process. Also, there is a scene where insulin is given to a diabetic with hypoglycemia (you would give glucose, not insulin unless you wanted to kill them.) While this may not be the biggest dealbreaker for the book, it does show a lack of research on the author’s part. Ultimately, the premise had a lot of promise but in my opinion it was not executed well and seemed very amateurish.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2023Scorched Grace: A Sister Holiday Mystery has been labeled as more than a mystery, and that label is very true. Sister Holiday is a nun living in New Orleans with the Sisters of the Sublime Blood. She's also a music teacher, a chain smoker, and a cool tattooed lesbian. Those traits might seem a bit out of character for a nun, but they definitely make this book interesting.
When Sister Holiday witnesses a fire in the school that kills a fellow employee and injures two students, she puts her sleuthing skills to the test to find out who set the fire. Being such an outcast, local authorities have reason to believe Sister Holiday might have set the fire herself. When another nun ends up dead and a school bus catches fire, Sister Holiday races to prove her own innocence while keeping an eye on a sketchy student and the other employees at the school.
But most of the book is not spent sleuthing. An investigator named Riveaux pops in and out to question Sister Holiday and the others while giving updates on the crime, and she is almost as colorful as Holiday.
Instead, the reader goes on a journey with Sister Holiday through her troubled past to learn how she got here. We learn about her parents and a horrible accident involving her mom. We get to see her relationship with her queer brother. We witness her days playing in a rock band while being madly in love with a married bandmate. These scenes are written as short flashbacks throughout the novel
Those looking for a hardcore mystery to solve might be a bit disappointed by the amount of time spent on character development, but those storylines definitely give the book flavor, as well as the colorful ambiance of the Big Easy in the background.
Given that the lead character is a nun and the book takes place at a convent, there are the themes of religion which may turn some readers off. But like many, Sister Holiday's relationship with God is complicated. There is a beautiful scene where Sister Holiday cleans a stained glass window of the Mother Mary and enjoys looking out at the city through Mary's eye.
And the book is filled with its own philosophical wisdom with quotes like, "Earth can be a heaven or a hell, depending on perspective. Control your thoughts, choose where to focus, and you can shift your reality." As Sister Holiday says herself, "God never judged me as harshly as I judged myself."
Overall, Scorched Grace is a complex book that is just as complex and multi-layered as Sister Holiday. Hopefully, this will be a strong series with more mysteries to come. The book was published February 21st and is the first release from Gillian Flynn's (author of Gone Girl) self-named imprint.
Top reviews from other countries
- JulieReviewed in Canada on March 22, 2023
3.0 out of 5 stars A Nun To Follow
A news article alerted me to a Today Show segment where Gillian Flynn talked about Gillian Flynn Books, an imprint of Zando Projects, and the first book to be published by the imprint, is Scorched Grace by Margo Douaihy.
I instantly pre-ordered Scorched Grace, and with the book hand, (after the publication date), I requested the audio on NetGalley; it was a long shot on getting approved, but I was desperate to read this book, and this audio would give me the added push I needed to bump it up my TBR and make it a priority! Let me say, my plan worked perfectly!
My first thought: the sentences are short and succinct, but instead of coming across choppy, they are very poetic. I've since learned that Douaihy has a background in poetry, so of course this comes across in her writing! The writing alone is stunningly perfected. The dazzle is how there seem to be no extra words, no fluff or filler. It's exquisite.
I love Sister Holiday as character, but even more so as a female character - she's simply a badass. She's gritty, queer and tattooed. She has a shocking past that will live rent-free in my mind for awhile. She's arrogant and strong-willed. She's imperfect and has a mind of her own. She's exactly the type of character I love for all of these reasons.
The writing, the story, the characters (Sister Holiday in particular), it's all very cutting edge, and I think that's what Flynn saw in this book. I think that's the similarities that I see, and what connects this novel to Flynn. It's the noir type of book that I love; that I crave. It makes me question the good, the bad, the wrong and the right.
The audiobook narrator was perfect for her role as Sister Holiday; Mara Wilson (of Matilda fame) worked so well on so many levels. And when I googled her, I found out she's an atheist, which I find quit ironic (and yes, the internet tells us way too much)!
I can't wait to see where Douaihy takes Sister Holiday, as it appears this is going to continue as a mystery series! I will also be patiently waiting for the next release from Gillian Flynn Books!
PS I think this title change to Scorched Grace (from Scorched Cross) is so much more fitting!
Thank you Zando for the complimentary copy to listen to and review.
- Munich2023Reviewed in Germany on November 21, 2024
2.0 out of 5 stars Okay but not great.
An easy enough read. The characters did not resonate with me. The culprit/murderer was a bit ridiculous.