What do nuns and Harley girls have in common? Nothing, right? Well, not in the case of Evangeline Divine (pronounced Diveen). Just because Eve has been a nun at the Benedictine monastery in Pecos, New Mexico, for about 20 years doesn’t mean she has given up her love of motorcycles. Or quenched her appetite for a good mystery.

When a police officer shows up at the monastery informing Eve that her father, a retired police detective-turned-private eye, is in the hospital having his foot amputated due to diabetes, Eve asks for a leave to look after him. Not that she’s ecstatic about spending time around the clock with the cantankerous father she calls “Captain,” but it’s the least she can do since her sister, Dorisanne, took a turn being caregiver for her mother during Mom’s illness and subsequent death a couple of years earlier.

Little does Eve know that this leave of absence from the monastery will reignite the passion she has for playing detective. It isn’t long before she is quickly thrown into the middle of one of her dad’s cases involving Hollywood movie star Megan Flint and her married lover, a script writer and director. The Captain was hired to find Megan’s boyfriend, who has now turned up dead. Megan is at the top of the suspect list, but Eve has developed a fondness for her and doesn’t believe she could have killed her lover. The police are investigating, of course, but Eve can’t resist doing a little digging of her own to prove Megan’s innocence.

"[C]ozy mysteries are not about thrills and suspense, but more about following clues to solve the crime. In that respect, Hinton hits the mark."

The investigation takes Eve to California and back, all the while making sure her dad is recovering, and doing her best to be a dutiful and loving daughter when it’s all she can do to resist the urge to smack her father upside his stubborn and often brash head. She longs to reconnect with the man who raised her and has passed on to her his love for crime solving, but he’s certainly not making it easy. Regardless, Eve is a woman of God and is determined to maintain her virtuous heart, no matter how difficult that may be.

The closer she gets to the truth and the deeper she dives into the case, the less Eve can deny the thrill she feels as she’s sleuthing. In spite of her strong faith and the joy she has felt in doing God’s work for the past two decades, she can’t help questioning her true calling.

There have been many novels written with a religious protagonist --- rabbis, priests, reverends, nuns --- and SISTER EVE, PRIVATE EYE is on par with the best of them. In one word, main character Eve feels “real.” Despite Eve’s admirable spiritual vocation and calling, she struggles with the same issues we all do. Years spent in a religious convent do not eliminate the battles she encounters simply by living in a sinful world.

Eve is funny, smart, intuitive and quirky. The Harley angle, complete with wearing boots under her habit, is entertaining and, again, makes her feel “genuine” to the reader who may not be able to relate to a nun. Eve’s desire for a better bond with her dad and sister is endearing, and her family also comes across as authentic --- as dysfunctional as most, instead of picture perfect. Author Lynne Hinton does a great job exploring relationships and subtly evoking the message of the importance of family.

Regarding the plot, the mystery was laid out pretty well, although it might have been a little more exciting. That said, cozy mysteries are not about thrills and suspense, but more about following clues to solve the crime. In that respect, Hinton hits the mark. There were several red herrings in place to clue the reader without giving anything away. In the end, everything comes together and is wrapped up nicely.

Overall, SISTER EVE, PRIVATE EYE is a great start to what promises to be a fun and entertaining series. THE CASE OF THE SIN CITY SISTER, the second in the Divine Private Detective Agency series, is scheduled to be released in May. After reading the first, you may find that “nun too soon.”