Aunt Bess is recuperating from surgery on her ankle, an ankle she fractured while breaking into the Reverend Reginald Humphrey’s rectory. Bess is a church board member and recent events have her convinced the new Pastor of the First Church of the New Millennium is a con artist. She decides the best way to prove it is to do a bit of snooping while the Reverend is out leading the men’s Bible study group.

Unfortunately, things don’t quite go as planned. The Pastor returns early, a Molotov cocktail sails through a window setting the Rectory on fire and Aunt Bess falls downstairs while trying to escape - landing right in the Reverend Humphrey’s arms.

The Pastor never once questions why Aunt Bess is in the Rectory while he’s away, instead he tells the entire congregation Bess is responsible for saving his life. Now the Reverend Humphrey has gone missing and Bess needs Leigh’s help to track him down and prove he’s out to swindle the congregation.

Leigh reluctantly agrees to help, since it might keep her mind off of her handsome neighbor Warren Harmon. Leigh has finally realized how much Warren means to her, but it’s probably too late. Warren seems serious about his relationship with Katharine Bower and there’s no way Leigh can compete with the gorgeous attorney. Trying to snare a Pastor out to fleece his flock sounds like a benign exercise to keep her mind off her troubles. But the more she investigates, the more apparent it becomes that the Reverend may indeed be the victim of foul play.

The action in Never Preach Past Noon proceeds at a snail’s pace and consequently I zoned out repeatedly as I was reading. It seemed the same information was reiterated as each new character became involved in the mystery and things become a bit monotonous. A snappier pace with a bit more action would have made the book a lot more appealing, although it is difficult to set a fast pace when one of the main protagonists is hobbled by a broken ankle.

I had difficulty engaging with the heroine, Leigh Koslow. I haven’t read the previous books in the series, so I don’t know why she originally passed on her hunky neighbor Warren. But now that she’s discovered she wants him and can’t have him, she comes across as a bit whiny and selfish. She also seems a reluctant sleuth, drawn in only because her aunt was unable do the job. Most amateur sleuths have a natural inquisitiveness, something that appears to be lacking in Leigh.

Aunt Bess, on the other hand, would make a cracking good sleuth. A series featuring this feisty sixty-something whose closet contains a biker’s wardrobe of black boots, black leggings and a black leather jacket could be a lot of fun. Bess is sharp as a tack and, unfortunately, Leigh pales in comparison.

As far as the mystery is concerned, the author points the finger of suspicion at nearly everyone and the beautifully written epilogue ties up one important loose end that had me completely fooled.

If you’ve enjoyed the previous Leigh Koslow mysteries, you’ll probably be able to jump right in and join the fun. But if you’re new to the series like me, I think starting with the first book might be a big help in warming up to the heroine and subsequently improve your enjoyment of each book of the series.

--Karen Lynch