Quiet as a Nun

Jemima Shore spent many school years as a student at the Blessed Eleanor's Convent. There she became good friends with fellow student Rosabelle, the daughter of the wealthy family who owned the land the convent stood on. When the two girls graduated their paths diverged, with Jemima becoming a famous television investigator and Rosa becoming a nun. Years later, Jemima finds herself back at the convent to try and discover what drove her friend to lock herself in the convent tower and starve herself to death, and if the stories of the ghostly Black Nun of the convent are true.

This is part of a series of Jemima Shore books written by Fraser, but this is the only one I've read so far. It was turned into an episode of the old "Armchair show more Thriller" t.v. series in the U.K. and I'd really love to see this. The character of Jemima is interestingly flawed- she's in love with a self-absorbed married man and admits that a previous affair led to her success. Yet she's likeable and always looks for the reasonable explanation, even when she's creeped out. show less

Investigative journalist Jemima Shore returns to her old school in a Catholic convent at the request of the Reverend Mother. One of the nuns, an old friend of Jemima's, has just died in tragic circumstances, and there are unexplained circumstances about her death. The current students tell Jemima a story she hadn't heard during her time as a day student, about a mysterious Black Nun who appears just before or just after a death. There does indeed seem to be an unknown nun roaming the halls of the convent.

This book is more adventure than mystery. The suspense lies in how Jemima will escape danger rather than in how she will solve the mystery. It's a bit like Nancy Drew for an adult audience. (Nancy Drew would not have an affair with a show more married man.) It combines some of the features I loved about the Nancy Drew series – a search for a hidden document and a secret passage. It was entertaining while it lasted, but it won't leave much of an impression. show less

The title and gothic cover design may very well be the best things about this novel. The premise – that the death of a nun is more mysterious and important than outsiders initially realise – is potentially interesting, but turns out to be dull. There is very little mystery once it is revealed (early on) that the nun had written a will which would, if found and enacted, end the convent’s existence. Everyone wants the will, but where is it? And who or what is the mysterious ‘black Nun’ that has been spotted haunting the convent?

The dull ‘heroine’ Jemima Shore is dragged from her supposedly exciting life in London, where she is a television celebrity of sorts and illicit lover of a married MP, to ‘investigate’. This is show more because she attended the convent’s school as a girl and still has some sympathies with them, despite clearly preferring her own somewhat mediocre life choices. Her ‘investigations’ consist largely of chatting to nuns and children, doubting what they say and thinking that she knows best, which doesn’t make for an exciting novel.

The story reaches a new low point when the villain is introduced and responds in a very leisurely way to the demands of his role. Put simply, he is unbelievable. The subsequent conclusion is as turgid as the previous story and the only moment of excitement arose when I failed to believe a marvelous coincidence that neatly resolves the events in a manner that the characters appreciate.

The writing style is perhaps overly formal for allowing the audience to identify with a first person narrator who is meant to be a personable celebrity. Fraser uses the end of each chapter to create a dramatic moment or question, but since I did not care about the characters or the plot, these had no effect on me.

If you are interested in learning about life in convents, the novel does give you some insight into this, but even then there are probably more informative or imaginative sources. Overall, this was a disappointment. show less

The main character, Jemima, is more an investigative reporter than detective. She solves the problem but not through any great detective work. Best part was her comments about going to a convent school and about nuns and their way of life.

Best known for writing British histories, this book, written in 1977, is the first in the Jemima Shore series of mysteries.

This one has a strong grounding in Roman Catholicism, and is set in a convent. It is written in a "high British" style, slightly formal: "As I made the preparations for my nocturnal adventure,..." reminiscent of Dorothy L. Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey series. Once you get into the rhythm of the words, it reads very cleanly. It is well written, the main characters are well drawn, though the secondary characters less so.

The mystery is not the main point of the book, though it does build suspense well. The satisfactory nature of the resolution will, in part, depend on your sympathy with the spiritual views show more presented.

Based on the synopses of the next few books in the series, it looks like Fraser relies heavily on her strengths writing about history, at the expense of the mystery side. As a mystery fan, I will not be seeking out the rest of this series. show less

Jemima Shore, popular television news announcer, is drawn to Blessed Eleanor's Convent in Sussex when Reverend Mother Ancilla asks her to visit. A former classmate of Jemima's, now known as Sister Miriam, has died in the tower at the convent. Mother Ancilla believes Jemima can help make sense of the death as well as of other recent happenings.

The story is not straightforward. Although given permission to ask questions of any residents, Jemima uses the cover of an upcoming television program to hide her real purpose. Further, Reverent Mother herself is not altogether straight with her.

Sister Mirium died of starvation. She had taken to the tower in a bid for greater understanding. She told only one other nun where she was, hiding out to show more find answers to a quandary facing her. When she entered the convent she gave all of her worldly goods to the convent, as is required, and those goods included the convent itself. However, she was unable to offer the land beneath the buildings because it was legally entailed.

There were rumors among the sisters that Miriam had made a new will, clarifying the disposition of the land. There were worldly interests in the land, a developer at her heels, promising homes for the less fortunate. What served the Lord best?

Through off-and-on conversations, Jemima finally puts together the story and, in so doing, puts herself in danger.

I found it a decent story with enough movement to keep me going. I found the writer's use of "ess" on the end of nouns like "foundress" offputting. It harks back to the 1950s. I wasn't in love with Jemima. I had hoped for more. show less

A mystery that is primarily interesting because of its setting in a Catholic convent in the immediate post-Vatican II era. The detective, a television journalist named Jemima Shore, comes back to her old private school at the urging of the mother superior to determine what caused a mentally unstable nun to kill herself. Unless, of course, it wasn't suicide....