A Novena for Murder is the first book in a series by Sister Carol Anne O’Marie. Her protagonist, Sister Mary Helen, has just retired and is looking for some time to read and relax. Instead, she is thrust into the middle of multiple homicides being committed on Holy Hill at Mount St. Francis College for Women in San Francisco. Sister Mary Helen and her friend Sister Eileen help to solve the mystery. The book was written in 1984 so the investigative technique is a bit outdated. For instance, the detective stops to use a payphone to call her partner, but the premise is sound. A fun, fast-paced cozy mystery.