The Sisters of Mercy by Morty Mittenthal

This review first appeared on Reader Views. Read the Reader Views version here. 

Sister Katherine Teresa Monahan suspects something unnatural or foul about the deaths of priests Sean Fearney and Giuseppe DeCarlo. She’s so suspicious that she reaches out to a vouched-for PI named Julian Jacobson to investigate their deaths at the retirement home both priests lived in. Meanwhile, Caitlin O’Hara, Adelina Ricci, and Lily Evans plot the punishment of the clergy that took so much from their souls, bodies, and families. Through clever poisonings with coded candy, the three women exact their revenge against the priests who had cruelly taken so much from them. PI Jacobson endeavors to track down the culprits before another murder can take place, but will he be in time? And, once he unmasks the murderers, will he find more sympathy for them than their reprehensible victims?

The Sisters of Mercy by Morty Mittenthal is a short story that packs a punch. Clearly adding in social commentary about how abusive priests often too easily get away with vile, degrading, and soul-wrenching criminal violations, author Morty Mittenthal paints a story of how some survivors may plan the ultimate revenge. Readers can’t help but feel sympathy for the three murderers. Additionally, readers will wonder what they would do in PI Julian Jacobson’s place. Would they turn these women in knowing the violations that they and their families had suffered? Or would they simply give them a warning?

At times, The Sisters of Mercy suffers a bit from telling instead of showing. However, this does help create a fast-paced mystery. Still, though, some slowing down and delving into the thoughts and feelings of the main characters—especially the murderers—would have been more welcome. As would depictions of the scenes rather than reports on them. Nevertheless, the ticking clock against the final murder serves the story well pacing-wise.

Packed with relevant social commentary and a looming countdown, author Morty Mittenthal weaves an engrossing and fast-paced tale. While the whodunit is relatively clear early on given the multiple storylines, the ultimate solution of the mystery remains elusive until the last page, making this story less about the “who” than the “why.”

The Sisters of Mercy by Morty Mittenthal, Gmuer Verlag