The Earth Weighs Heavy

‘Sister Agnes is a fascinating and complicated woman.’ Val McDermidMeet Sister Agnes. She’s not your typical nun. She loves killer shoes, sipping prosecco – and solving baffling mysteries . . .

Now an acclaimed BBC Radio Crime drama, starring Anne-Marie Duff.Hackney convent – home to Agnes and her sisters – may be a house of God. But what’s buried beneath is anything but saintly.

After days of brutal storms and lashing rains, the convent’s crumbling cellar gives up a terrible secret. The skeleton of a woman.

Her identity is a puzzle the police can’t solve. Not without a helping hand from sleuthing Sister Agnes.But her search for answers, deep in the convent’s chequered past, only leads to more questions.Late one night, Agnes is woken by a gunshot – and the fear that history is about to repeat itself.Someone under this roof knows more than they’re saying. And they’ll stop at nothing to keep their secrets.A gripping, sophisticated crime mystery that will have you intrigued from the first page. Steeped in the intoxicating atmosphere of Central London, from the twisty alleys of Soho to the grimy towpaths of Kings Cross.This masterfully crafted, character-driven mystery is perfect for fans of Joy Ellis, Robert Galbraith, Val McDermid, L.J. Ross and P.D. James.WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING ABOUT SISTER AGNES: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A first-class read with plenty of twists and turns . . . from start to finish.’ Brian P.‘One helluva nun.’ Hampstead and Highgate Express’Confounding stereotypes, Sister Agnes is a complex and feisty woman . . . who leads us on an enjoyable journey through her world of murder and mystery.’ Lizzie, Mystery People’Enjoyable . . . with a satisfyingly believable conclusion.’ Glasgow Herald’Refreshingly different.’ Bolton Evening New⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Sister Agnes has . . . enchanted me!’ SandysBookADaySister Agnes Bourdillon is a survivor. She was raised in Provence and married young. When her gas-lighting husband turned violent, she fled to become a nun. Twenty years on, she belongs to an open Order in gritty Central London. She doesn’t need a wimple to prove her devotion. But she still feels torn between her instincts and her faith. Obedience to her Order is what she signed up for. But it doesn’t come easy. Especially when there’s a twisty mystery to be solved. Thankfully, there’s always a glass of prosecco or a new pair of shoes to lift her mood.

Author Biography

Alison Joseph is a London-based crime writer and radio dramatist, author of the Sister Agnes series of detective novels, and of Dying to Know, a crime novel based around particle physics, and also three novellas featuring a fictional Agatha Christie. Sister Agnes was dramatized for BBC Radio 4, starring Anne Marie Duff as Sister Agnes. She has written extensively for BBC Radio. Her dramatisations of Simenon’s Maigret novels have aired on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. Alison has served on the management committee of the Society of Authors, and was Chair of the British Crime Writers’ Association 2013-2015.