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Nifty Novellas – To Murder A Saint

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Nifty Novellas – To Murder A SaintTo Murder a Saint by Nicole Loughan
Series: Saints Mystery #1
Published by Little Spot for Stories on May 8, 2013
Genres/Lists: Fiction, Mystery/Thriller
Pages: 78
Read synopsis on Goodreads
Buy the book: Amazon/Audible (this post includes affiliate links) four-stars


When it comes to novellas, I’m pretty inexperienced. They are such an odd length – not a book but not a short story – and I usually find them lacking. But when Rebecca at Love at First Book (her review is here) recommended this one, I was intrigued. Then it was free on Amazon, so I figured I’d give it a go.

To Murder a Saint (a Louisiana saint, that is) by Nicole Loughan follows young twenty-something Fanchon after the murder of her childhood friend, Josephine. Hailing from the backwater bayou of Louisiana, the two beautiful and inexperienced girls moved to the big apple to pursue their dreams. Unfortunately, Josephine’s murder comes shortly after their relocation and sets in motion a quest to find the killer.

Photo Credit: Ride Hamilton (click for website)

Set in both the city and the deep bayou the girls group up on (requiring airboats), Fanchon helps a big city detective while facing her past and her uncertain future. The first in a series, To Murder a Saint is a quick read that can easily be finished in one sitting. It has some hiccups and a few pieces that didn’t connect, but the overall story is interesting and worth an hour of your time.

What’s the best novella you’ve read?

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  • I’ve never really read novellas. What’s it like? Like a book, but then shorter? Or more like a short story? I can’t really imagine there can be a good story in such few pages

    • The Book Wheel

      They are longer than short stories and shorter than novels. Usually about 75-150 pages. I never really read them but with school coming I’m going to start 😉

      • Nick

        I think novellas are great! I’m in school for creative writing and am doing an independent study with a fiction prof writing a novella. Didn’t have much experience before a few months ago. I really didn’t think that they were much different from short stories or novels… until I began to write mine. “Comparison and Fate in the Short Novel” by Howard Nemerov gives some interesting points.

  • I also bought this one when it was free! I haven’t read it yet, but I will soon! 🙂

  • kimbacaffeinate

    I love the setting and this sounds quite good, thank you for sharing it!

    • The Book Wheel

      I hope you enjoy it!

  • Not too shabby for a quick hour of reading huh? I love these kinds of books for readathons 😉

    • The Book Wheel

      Exactly! I just found out what my assigned reading is for school and am going to be devoting a LOT of time to it over the next two weeks, which means that I’ll be reading a few novellas to keep me sane.

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