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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2664 KP) rated Old Habits Die Hard in Books

Sep 25, 2026 (Updated Sep 25, 2026)  
Old Habits Die Hard
Old Habits Die Hard
Melissa Westemeier | 2025 | Mystery
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Sadly, I Don’t Think This Series Will Become a Habit
Sister Bernadette retired from teaching and her life as a nun, but she’s found herself living in The Abbey: Senior Living, the sight of the school where she taught for years now renovated into senior apartments. The residents are becoming a close-knit community, which is why, when the body of one of the residents is found, it upsets everyone. Especially since it doesn’t appear to be the obvious natural causes. The detective assigned to the case is AJ Lewis, one of Bernadette’s former students. Can the pair crack the case and figure out what really happened?

This series sounded promising, and the book started well. But then it stalled. The revelations and twists were few and far between. Part of that is that Sister Bernadette, while a viewpoint character, doesn’t add much to the story. Some, but not enough. Detective AJ is better at advancing the story, but even then, it’s slow. Which is a shame because they were both good characters. Also be away there is some foul language, something I wasn’t expecting for a series featuring a retired nun. This debut just didn’t work for me.