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IN ST. PATRICK'S CUSTODY

The fun of the Patrick and Grace Mysteries starts here. Patrick O'Mally, retired New York City cop, befriends Grace Johnson, recent widow when she is faced with being sent to a nursing home by her children. Patrick takes her to the Haven of Rest Homeless Shelter, where he often volunteers. Grace immediately fits in and is hired as a Jill-of-all trades. Before long, with the disappearance of the statue of St. Patrick from St. Patrick's Cathedral, the senior sleuths find themselves involved in a chase for the statue, an unsolved murder from Patrick's day in the force and a near-fatal poison attempt on an old priest. You won't want to miss the start of this favorite couple's escapades.

LET'S HIT THE ROAD WITH THEM

Patrick and Grace are my very favorite characters. They are more fun than a barrel of monkeys and they get into more trouble than a couple of two-year olds. The series started out with IN ST. PATRICK'S CUSTODY at The Haven of Rest, a homeless shelter in New York City, but they can't be confined to just one place. This series will take them to sites all over the country, following a minor character from a former book.

RECIPE FOR MURDER (Book #2) takes them to Albany, Nebraska, where Walter (the cook from The Haven of Rest) is found hanging in the apple shed.

Each alternate book will again find them at The Haven of Rest. OLD HABITS DIE HARD (Book #3) centers around a missing Mother Superior.

The Mall of America in Minneapolis, MN is the site of Book #4, MALLED TO DEATH. It is centered around a PI convention, and you just never know who might pop up!

FRAMED (Book #5) uncovers some picture-proofs for Grandma Bellazoni, from IN ST. PATRICK'S CUSTODY. It is again set at The Haven of Rest in NYC.

Patrick and Grace follow an old recovered alcoholic to Gettsyburg, PA, where he is convinced that the soldiers of the Civil War are "out to get him." Sure enough, he is found dead on the battlefield. The secrets seem to be buried somewhere at Ike and Mamie Eisenhower's farm. Book #6 is titled MAMIED ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

A new resident shows up at the Haven of Rest Homeless Shelter. He tells Mr. Douglas, the director, that he didn't have enough money for his rent, so he went to his (very fundamental) minister to get help. The minister refused, sending Mr. Douglas off to try to right the wrong. When he couldn't get satisfaction either, after listening to the minister whine about how BURNED OUT he was, Mr. Douglas returned to Haven of Rest. The next morning, the paper announced that the minister had died in a fire during the night, obviously the result of arson. The new resident at The Haven of Rest is suspect # 1. Patrick and Grace know he didn't set the fire, but there are a lot of fingers pointing in his direction, and he can't explain his whereabouts at the time of the fire. In BURNED OUT, Book # 7, Patrick and Grace definitely have their work cut out for them.

Patrick and Grace take Grace's granddaughter to Disney World, but it has been closed due to a fire. Patrick is certain it is arson, but Grace persuades him to leave, her "woman's intuition" telling her they are needed somewhere else. On their way back north, Grace spots a sign for "Four Flags Over Georgia." She convinces Patrick to stop for the night. While there, they meet up with an old Italian woman who is out for blood. She spent her life's savings getting her book (a murder mystery, of course) published, only to find out the publisher is running a real scam. Grace's daughter is horrified when Grace tells her that they are "helping Ma Fia figure out what's up." Fiadora Manzoni (known affectionately as "Ma Fia") gets all of them into deep trouble, and Grace's daughter steps in to keep her daughter safe. MA FIA'S MURDER (No. 8)is a little scary, but a whole lot more fun! You won't want to miss this one.