Emerald Springs, Ohio, is an idyllic small town with conservative values and a strong sense of family. Aggie Sloan-Wilcox, wife of the town's minister, while very much committed to her husband, her family and most of the time her husband's parish, is not exactly the cookie-cutter model minister's wife content to solely stand by her man and attend the Women's Society meetings. Aggie is a woman with an innate curiosity about people and her surroundings. Ed Wilcox became minister at the Consolidated Community Church over a year ago and is held in high regard by his congregation. Everything is picture perfect until Aggie suddenly finds a naked dead woman on her doorstep moments before the Women's Society of the church descend on her home.

Aggie is horrified, perplexed and more than a little curious about who the woman is and how she ended up dead on the Wilcox's doorstep. Aggie begins her own sleuthing when local police find few clues that lead anywhere except to her husband Ed's door. Aggie soon discovers that the dead woman, Jennifer Marina, does know Ed and has been seen arguing with him. In addition, she was a new resident of Emerald Springs and worked at the Don't Go There bar, a seedy joint on the outskirts of town. Aggie continues investigating Jennifer's life and discovers connections with a prominent and snotty member of the Consolidated Community Church congregation, Gelsey Falowell. Gelsey has had a sincere dislike of Aggie and her family almost from the moment they joined the congregation and has made no qualms about letting everyone know how she feels.

Equipped with the knowledge of Gelsey's clandestine connection with Jennifer Marina, Aggie ponders exactly how to use the information. She begins to explore Gelsey's past and quickly discovers she's in over her head. Aggie learns that people aren't always who they appear to be, and the small conservative town is simply not as idyllic as it appears.

In BLESSED IS THE BUSYBODY, the first book in her new Ministry is Murder series, Emilie Richards has written a fun and suspenseful novel about what happens in small towns. Using Aggie Sloan-Wilcox as a would-be sleuth, who seems to have it all but is just a little bored with her life, it's interesting to see what occurs when life happens on her doorstep. Readers who enjoy cozy mysteries will enjoy their visit to Emerald Springs and enjoy watching Aggie be a little too curious for her own good.

Book Summary

Meet the unconventional Aggie Sloan-Wilcox, a minister's wife with her own calling: helping troubled souls in need of justice.

When the naked body of a murdered woman turns up on Aggie's front porch--and suspicion falls on Aggie's husband--she doesn't have a prayer of clearing his name unless she can uncover the truth in a town not known for confessing its sins.