Advent of Dying

The flavor of San Francisco adds to O'Marie's witty sequel to A Novena For Murder, which marked the debut of Sr. Mary Helen. In her 70s, Mary Helen is supposedly retired at Mount St. Mary College. When her timid secretary Suzanne Barnes is murdered, however, the grieving nun determines to see justice done. Her friends in the police have no leads; very little is known about the victim, who had appeared out of nowhere, seemingly, to work at the school. Taking her equally daring religious companions on visits to people in Suzanne's apartment building, Mary Helen questions the residents but gets no solid clues. It's a conference with the chaplain at Vacaville prison that confirms the sleuth's suspicions and, unluckily, puts her at the mercy of the killer later. But Mary Helen wins again and fans can look forward to continuing tales of the wily, humane, ageless ""retiree.'' (October 17)