clerical sleuths | CW Hawes

Interview with the Reverend Ember Cole

Today, I have the honor of talking with the Reverend Ember Cole, pastor of Saint Luke’s Methodist Church in beautiful Magnolia Bluff, Texas. The home base for the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles.

CW: Welcome, Ember. Glad you can be with me here today on the blog.

EC: My pleasure, CW. Thanks for inviting me.

CW: So to start, why do you wear a Catholic hat?

EC: (laughs) It’s easily recognized as religious, and with the clerical collar immediately marks me as a person of the cloth. And because women ministers are still something of a rare breed, that helps me in my ministry.

CW: Makes sense. To go one further, why did you choose the ministry for a career?

EC: I don’t think of the ministry as a career. I see it as a life of service to my fellow human beings.

CW: What kind of service?

EC: To help them with both their physical and spiritual needs. Especially the spiritual. To borrow a turn of phrase from my evangelical colleagues, we all have a God-size hole in us. And we too often fill it with everything but God. But only God really fits. It’s the square peg, round hole thing.

CW: Gotcha. So you don’t consider yourself an evangelical?

EC: Not in the sense they mean by it. I believe we should tell people about Jesus and encourage them to believe, so I’m evangelical in that sense of the word. But I don’t accept the other things they believe.

CW: Such as?

EC: The verbal and plenary inspiration of the scriptures. The virgin birth. And very recently, I’ve started to doubt if there even was an actual physical Jesus.

CW: Whoa, Reverend! No Jesus?

EC: (laughs) Yeah, that’s a bit of a shocker, isn’t it?

CW: I mean, like, how did everything get started if there wasn’t a Jesus to kick things off?

EC: Oh, there was somebody. It was Peter. Paul quite clearly says Jesus first appeared to Peter. Then after Peter, Jesus went on to appear to many others.

CW: Wait a minute. Are we talking about a spiritual Jesus here?

EC: In a sense, yes. You see, the idea is that God created Jesus, you know, the Word, and through the Word all things came into being.

Then Satan rebelled and God kicked him out of heaven, which the ancients thought was the most distant sphere from us. We’d think of their spheres surrounding the earth as dimensions or parallel universes. So Satan came to our dimension.

Then God sent Jesus to our dimension, but not physically to earth. He appeared in Satan’s realm, which the ancients thought was up by the moon. Today, it makes more sense to think of it as another dimension, or a parallel universe.

CW: Okay, so Jesus moves from God’s dimension to Satan’s dimension.

EC: Right. At least something like that. Using our contemporary understanding.

CW: Okay. So Jesus is now hanging out with Satan.

EC: (laughs) Something like that. Then Jesus lets Satan kill Him. After which, Jesus rose from the dead, and first appeared to Peter. In a dream, maybe. Or a vision. Lastly, He appeared to Paul in a vision.

CW: That’s… That’s… Wow, that’s different. And all this happened not on earth, but in another dimension.

EC: Right.

CW: Mind boggling.

EC: But it is what Paul wrote and taught. And Paul’s genuine letters are the first Christian writings that we have. Paul never mentions talking to an eyewitness, nor does he ever mention Jesus’s birth or His family. What Paul does write is that all, and I repeat, all of the information he got was by visions or through the scriptures. Never an eyewitness to an earthly Jesus. And if we think about it, why wouldn’t he if such a witness existed? But Paul never does. Only visions and scripture. And those make sense only if Jesus was never here on earth in the first place.

CW: Huh. That isn’t what I learned in seminary. And the Methodist Church is okay with you believing this view?

EC: You went to seminary? Well, that’s interesting. I wonder…

CW: That was a lifetime ago. But what about your bishop? What does he think?

EC: Well, the church probably isn’t okay with it. And my bishop doesn’t know. You’re the first person I’ve told about this. But then you…

CW: Nope. I’m just an amanuensis. So this is news to me.

EC: But aren’t you the writer?

CW: Amanuensis. I receive and write down. Like Paul.

EC: (giggles) That’s funny. Because I do believe in visions and dreams. In a sense, you might say I’m something of a charismatic Methodist. Part of the Third Wave.

CW: And your bishop is okay with that?

EC: Probably not. But what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Or me.

CW: Oh, clever you!

EC: In spite of what Harry thinks, I’m not completely naïve when it comes to politics. (smiles)

CW: And everything is politics.

EC: That it is.

CW: And speaking of politics, is Mary Lou Fight still after you?

EC: Yes. She’d like to come back to Saint Luke’s, but won’t as long as I’m there. So she’s still exploring ways to get me out.

CW: Does that bother you?

EC: Not really. I mean, yes, it’s frustrating. And it annoys the hell out of me at times.

CW: Wait. Did you just say hell?

EC: I did. You’ve never heard a minister ever say hell before?

CW: I was Baptist, so yes I have. Sorry. You were saying?

EC: Mary Lou is my cross to bear, so to speak.

CW: Even though you don’t believe there was a literal cross.

EC: (smiles) Yeah. Funny how the historicist and literalist views have influenced out language.

CW: Yes, it is.

EC: I very much feel sorry for Mary Lou. She is a miserable person at heart. If any one needs the love of Jesus, it is that woman. And I hope she finds it.

CW: Do you have a motto or mantra that keeps you going throughout the day?

EC: I do. Paul’s words in Romans chapter eight, verse twenty-eight: “…all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

CW: That’s a very good verse. Very positive. Optimistic.

EC: It is.

CW: I know this last question might sound morbid, but I always tell myself momento mori, remember you will die. It’s a great guiding principle to help keep things in perspective.

EC: It is.

CW: So, how would you like to die?

EC: Oh, that’s easy. In the arms of my lover.

CW: Harry?

EC: Well, that would be nice. But I was actually referring to Jesus.

CW: Oh, wow. Yeah, okay. I can see that.

EC: (singing)

Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let me to thy bosom fly
While the nearer waters roll,
While the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Saviour, hide,
Till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide,
O receive my soul at last.

CW: That’s a great hymn.

EC: It is. I also love the lines in the third stanza: “Thou, O Christ, art all I want; more than all in Thee I find.”

CW: Yeah. You, Ember Cole, are a woman of tremendous faith. Magnolia Bluff is fortunate to have you. Thanks for being on the blog.

EC: Thanks for having me. And may Christ be with you.

CW: And also with you. And if you have any questions for Rev Em, drop them in the comments below.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes

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Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles Update, Part 2

In my previous post, I talked about the first 3 books in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series.

In this post, I want to continue from where I left off and present to you Books 4 through 6 in this amazing series. And here they are!

You Won’t Know How… Or When

I love the clerical sleuth genre. There’s something about a man or woman of faith matching wits with a murderer. That combination elevates the moral nature of the detective story.

James Callan’s Father Frank has never been to the Texas Hill Country and hasn’t had a vacation in 4 years. When he decides to visit his friend, Father Lee, in Magnolia Bluff, that’s when the fun begins.

Here’s what one reader thought:

…an exciting, well plotted mystery. Father Frank takes a vacation to Magnolia Bluff and finds himself hearing confessions for his friend.

Bound not to reveal anything he has learned in the confessional, Father Frank has to find a way to stop the potential killer and save his friend’s life – some vacation!

I was fascinated, as well as intrigued and engaged, watching Father Frank stay true to his vows while being determined to save both his friend and the potential killer.

The Flower Enigma

A techno-thriller in Magnolia Bluff? Well, why not? Our favorite town is connected to the internet. And is not immune to other upsets to rural tranquility. Breakfield and Burkey take those two facts and spin us a suspense-filled yarn.

A review from Amazon that captures what this installment in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles is all about:

JJ and Jo are finally taking a much-needed vacation and choose a small Texas town to decompress and enjoy stepping back from their fast-paced lives.

Jo is a celebrated fashion model, and JJ spends his days bringing down cybercriminals. No chance of having to deal with publicity or technology hacks at the quaint bed and breakfast in Magnolia Bluff.

And yet, when they arrive, JJ is immediately sucked into helping a group of ladies who are under a cyber attack meant to prevent their daily podcasts from being streamed.

From that starting point, the plot thickens and gets more and more complex. The young lovers willingly sacrifice their vacation not only to save the ladies’ podcasts but also to help break up a human trafficking ring.

The mystery surrounding the newest resident of Magnolia Bluff, who erected an eight-foot wall around his ranch, deepens with each page of the book.

The characters in this story are believable. Lily, the owner of the B&B, became one of my favorites. She caters to her customers but stands her ground when threatened.

I love the small-town setting where everyone knows everyone. Having lived in a small town for many years, I related to the setting. I enjoyed how the authors added a unique Texas flair to the story through the cuisine and descriptive settings.

The Shine From A Girl In The Lake

Richard Schwindt is one of my favorite authors. In fact, I think he is one of the finest storytellers spinning yarns today.

His books are highly imaginative. Poignant. Often hilariously funny. His prose is imbued with a sense of place. He makes you feel you are there.

And all those elements come together to make The Shine from a Girl in the Lake one heck of a mystery-thriller.

Dr. Michael Kurelek teaches psychology at Burnet College in Magnolia Bluff. He also has his own private practice. He’s a man with a past looking for a new start in the small Texas town. Then one of his patients is found dead. In Burnet Reservoir.

When another patient ends up in the lake, Kurelek is driven to find the real killer before the police decide they are convinced he did it. The game is afoot. And it is a suspense-filled game of hunter and hunted. The ending had me biting my nails. Seriously.

The Shine from a Girl in the Lake is the perfect blending of classic whodunit and serial killer thriller. A fabulous book from the pen of one of the most imaginative writers working today.

There you have it: three more fabulous books set in beautiful Magnolia Bluff. You can get them and the rest of the series on Amazon.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

CW Hawes is a playwright, award-winning poet, and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes

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The Detective Takes a Vacay

The mystery genre (I’m talking about the whodunit, not the thriller) is full of marvelous tropes.

The eccentric, and perhaps flawed, detective. The bumbling Watson, the detective’s assistant. The victim, about whom we often know little or nothing. The odd array of suspects. All of which, in the right hand, make for a delightful, often humorous, suspense-filled, literary puzzle. A game of page turning Clue.

One trope that is used quite often actually is that of the detective on vacation.

The sleuth taking up a case while not in his normal environment.

Poirot in Death on the Nile comes to mind. And Rex Stout, in Some Buried Caesar, had his agoraphobic detective, Nero Wolfe, at a rural county fair.

The detective on vacation, or sick leave, or a honeymoon, is like syncopation in music: it shakes things up for both writer and reader.

We get to see our favorite detectives at work not in the environment they are used to, but in a place unfamiliar and often out of the ordinary.

The sleuth is out of his natural element, as it were, which allows us to see a different side of his, or her, personality.

Justinia Wright is something of a homebody. Yet in the short story “Sauerkraut Days”, we see her at a sauerkraut festival in small town Henderson, Minnesota, where the local sheriff asks her help in solving a murder.

Which Tina does in record time so she can participate in the sauerkraut eating contest.

Justinia Wright eating pounds of sauerkraut, who would have ever thought that?

In the newest addition to the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles, You Won’t Know How… Or When by James R. Callan, Father Frank decides to take a vacation, the first in 4 years, and visit the Texas Hill Country and his friend, Father Lee, who is the priest at the Catholic Church in Magnolia Bluff.

All is well, for a few hours, at least, until Father Frank hears a man’s confession — a confession to commit murder. And the seal of the confessional pretty much prevents Father Frank from saying anything to anyone — including warning the intended victim.

Certainly no way to start a relaxing vacation sightseeing in the Texas Hill Country, is it?

I found the seal of the confessional a clever way to hamstring the amateur sleuth. To force him to use all of his wits to not only ferret out the wannabe killer, but also to protect the intended victim, while maintaining the sanctity of the sacrament and his vows.

Summer is vacation time. What better way to spend your vacation than to take a suspense-filled vicarious side trip and trip up a murderer? Come on. You know you want to.

You Won’t Know How… Or When is on pre-order right now for only 99¢. Don’t wait. The price goes up after the book launches on Friday, July 22nd. Get it now on Amazon.

And while you’re in Magnolia Bluff, take a side trip to Henderson, Minnesota and eat sauerkraut with Justinia Wright. Sauerkraut Days — only 99¢ on Amazon.

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes

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Father Frank to the Rescue

I love the clerical sleuth genre, which is actually a sub-genre of the amateur detective genre.

There’s something about a man or woman of faith matching wits with a murderer. That combination elevates the moral nature of the story.

Philip Grosset of the Clerical Detective website has identified 376 clerical detectives. That’s an awful lot of men and women of the cloth bringing criminals to justice. A clear case of faith in action.

Father Frank first appeared in the book Cleansed by Fire, published in 2012.

You Won’t Know How… Or When, Book 4 in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles, is also the latest Father Frank mystery. And it’s a good one.

Father Frank has never been to the Texas Hill Country and hasn’t had a vacation in 4 years. His friend from seminary, Father Lee, is the priest at Christ the King Catholic Church in Magnolia Bluff, that idyllic little town on the shore of Burnet Reservoir. So Father Frank decides to pay his friend a visit and do a little sight seeing.

When Father Frank arrives, Father Lee has to attend to an emergency and Father Frank volunteers to do confession for him. And that’s when the fun begins.

Confessions are sacred. Their content cannot be divulged. So what do you do when someone tells you they’re going to kill you? You won’t know how, or when. But they are going to get you.

Then it hits you — the “confession” wasn’t meant for you, but for your friend. And you can’t tell him he’s a marked man. You can’t break the seal of the confessional.

That is Father Frank’s dilemma. And it’s a very difficult one. It turns his holiday into a hunt for a man determined to kill his friend.

In the course of his investigation, he befriends Rev. Ember Cole, the pastor of the Methodist Church, and Harry Thurgood, owner of the Really Good Wood-Fired Coffee Shop, and takes a special interest in their relationship, offering Ember some “fatherly” advice. That gave the story a tender and personal touch.

The book’s storyline is fairly straight-forward. What I enjoyed most was seeing Father Frank working out his faith to achieve tangible and rewarding good works.

Callan doesn’t wield a heavy club when it comes to his faith. His approach is rather matter of fact. An approach that works well for me. An approach that makes the Christian faith accessible and desirable.

You Won’t Know How… Or When is another fabulous entry in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series, as well as a worthy addition to the Father Frank series. Two birds with one stone.

Do you like puzzles? Or Wordle? Or just figuring out the instructions on how to put together the table you just bought?

If you do, pick up a copy of this suspense-filled whodunit and see if you can figure out how it will all end. It’s on pre-order at Amazon.

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes

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Grantchester

I’m fussy when it comes to mysteries. I don’t like them told in the 3rd person. Although I’m okay with limited 3rd person, as in The Maltese Falcon where we basically have Spade’s point of view. I don’t like cozies. They’re unrealistic. Police procedurals aren’t my cup of tea either. Basically I like private eye novels told in the 1st person, preferably by the “Watson”, and where the PI is somewhat quirky or idiosyncratic. The oddest thing, perhaps, about my fussiness with mysteries is I’m not at all interested in the puzzle. I don’t really care if the writer played “fair” or not. I’m interested in the characters. How they interact with the suspects, law enforcement, their partners, and life.

Public television’s Masterpiece Mystery recently concluded a six-part series entitled Grantchester, based on novels by James Runcie. They involve an Anglican priest working with a local police detective to solve murders. That’s the old stuff. What makes Grantchester a success for me are the characters and the time period.

The 1950s (when I was a wee lad) was a complex decade. The Cold War and the fear of nuclear devastation. A time where television began pushing aside radio and movie theaters and sounded the death knell of pulp magazines. A time of the proliferation of labor saving devices in the home, which gave women more time and eventually led to them being able to work outside the home. The ‘50s saw a revival of Victorian prudery which set the stage for the sexual revolution of the ‘60s. Rock and roll began in the ‘50s. There was also a curious mix of optimism and pessimism, not unlike in the ‘30s. I am still waiting for my flying car. It was a complex time and is a great setting for a mystery series.

The characters are well-drawn and interesting people. Even the minor characters are delightful and full of quirks. Canon Sidney Chambers and Inspector Geordie Keating, the main characters, have both served in World War 2. The series addresses coping with the horror of war in a time when PTSD was unheard of and former soldiers were expected to just get on with their lives. Drinking to excess, overwork, nightmares, relationship problems plague our heroes. One gets the impression they are coping, but not necessarily in an overall positive manner.

The mix of setting and characters is so good I don’t really care “whodunit”. I’m satisfied to find out when Sidney and Geordie do. The puzzle doesn’t matter. For me, that is okay. And because the series is so good, I now want to buy the novels. Apparently, others have been taken with the show because it looks as though it will get a second season.

If you’ve seen Grantchester or read the books, chime in and let us know what you think. Also welcome are your thoughts on the mystery genre: is there room for mysteries where the puzzle isn’t important.

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