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Author Alice Loweecey, a former nun herself, has created a new series debuting the unlikely team of Giulia Falcone, the former Sister Mary Regina Coelis, and Frank Driscoll, an Irish Catholic ex-cop and the owner of Driscoll Investigations. The beauty of the first book in the series, FORCE OF HABIT, is just how interesting the team dynamic is, as Falcone becomes a PI-in-training. She seems tailor-made for the first case, an investigation into an ex-girlfriend of Blake Parker, who is stalking Parker and his fiancée while using quotations from the Bible. The problem is that Parker, whose ego is as big as his black book, has a lot of potential stalkers, and to make certain his imminent wedding continues, he needs the woman stopped now. Meanwhile Giulia is as green as they come, both to PI work and to the outside world, having only recently left the convent. When she is tasked with interviewing a long list of Parker's girlfriends, she unintentionally becomes one of the stalker's targets. There is also a problem in that she is attracted to her boss, but things go terribly awry when some (altered) photos of Giulia and Parker in a compromising position show up at the investigative office . Until this point in the storyline, FORCE OF HABIT is a dream of a first book in the series. However, when Giulia gets involved with a video gamer, the story loses some of its appeal and, frankly, believability. The dynamic between Falcone and Driscoll gets rocky, although the author goes on to save the relationship for another day (and book?) by the end of the novel. Unfortunately, this is when most of the action sequences occur, but instead of being captivated, readers will find themselves fighting the urge to skip ahead in the story. In all, the office dynamic of Falcone, Driscoll, and a new female assistant (brought in to answer phones while Falcone learns to be a real PI) is a good one. The personalities work well, and readers care about their developing relationship. However, it's where the case leads that is ultimately less interesting. The next book in the series will need to do better to keep this team on pace. It's a rocky beginning, but one that holds out the promise of better days ahead for Falcone and Driscoll. § Christine Zibas is a freelance writer and former director of publications for a Chicago nonprofit.
Reviewed by Christine Zibas, January 2011
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