Harley-riding Sister Eve is back, better (and “badder”) than ever, in THE CASE OF THE SIN CITY SISTER, the second book in Lynne Hinton’s Divine Private Detective Agency series.

If you’ve read the first book, SISTER EVE, PRIVATE EYE, you know that Eve Divine (pronounced Diveen) is no ordinary nun. One thing is certain: she loves God and wants to be faithful to His calling --- even if she isn’t sure whether that calling is to remain in the convent or to solve crimes. That is, indeed, Eve’s current life struggle. She loves being a nun and feels certain this is the path God called her to follow many years ago, but she can’t deny the passion she has for mysteries --- the thrill she gets when assisting her father in his private detective agency. But is it just a fleshly desire, or one that God Himself placed within her?

After a six-week reprieve to take care of her dad (The Captain) after he had his foot amputated, she has returned to the convent and is more confused than ever. The monk in charge of her monastery encourages Eve to take another leave of absence and really search her heart. Eve agrees and heads home again. Not long after Eve arrives, a man hires her dad to find out what happened to his great-grandfather, a miner who went missing after leaving his family for New Mexico in search of gemstones. The cold case intrigues Eve, and she finds herself drawn in.

"If you love mysteries that entertain, pack a bit of an edgy punch, and feature lovable and interesting characters that stick with you after the final page, you’ll want to add THE CASE OF THE SIN CITY SISTER to your personal library."

But a bigger and more demanding mystery involves her own sister, who has also gone missing. Dorisanne, who lives in Las Vegas with her not-so-law-abiding husband, has always seemed to live on the edge of trouble but consistently keeps in touch with her family. When Dorisanne doesn’t return their phone calls for several weeks, Eve’s gut tells her something is wrong. She heads to Vegas with her father’s longtime law enforcement partner, Daniel, to find her sister.

Once in Sin City, Eve is exposed to more than she bargained for, and makes more late-night visits to the casino than she ever imagined. But this determined Sister is going to do whatever it takes to find Dorisanne.

While I enjoyed SISTER EVE, PRIVATE EYE, the sophomore novel in this series is even better. The mystery is intriguing, the clues more clever, and the setting more exciting. Eve is a refreshing character and extremely “normal,” for lack of a better word. While “people of the cloth” are often stereotyped, Eve is anything but stereotypical. She doesn’t judge, isn’t offended by people who don’t believe as she does, but rather lives her life in “the real world” in a way that reflects her faith. She is kind, compassionate and intuitive, but is also one tough cookie when push comes to shove.

Eve’s uncertainty about her purpose and hearing God’s voice is one many of us face, and readers will sympathize with her emotional and mental struggle. It’s clear that solving mysteries is a gift Eve possesses, and her passion for it only sends a message that sometimes our calling comes in an unconventional form. But then, unconventional is a word that describes Sister Eve perfectly.

Although the story starts with the missing miner and is wrapped up in the end, that mystery takes a backseat to Eve’s search for Dorisanne, and for good reason. The importance of family has been a recurring theme in this series so far.

If you love mysteries that entertain, pack a bit of an edgy punch, and feature lovable and interesting characters that stick with you after the final page, you’ll want to add THE CASE OF THE SIN CITY SISTER to your personal library. One word to sum up this series and its author: Divine (pronounced Divine).