A cloud of fear hovers over the village of Kalini. A beloved member of the small island community has been viciously murdered. Suspicion travels quickly from sea-side cafes to white-washed houses clustered on the hillsides.

Detective Aliki Notis returns to Kalini and a challenging case. Who wanted to kill Maria Lakos, a middle-aged spinster, pious, generous and widely admired?

Probing into Maria's life, Aliki uncovers secrets and sexual scandals reaching beyond the island to the shores of the U.S. She confronts the power of tradition and religion among the Greek villagers. Psychology and science help pursue the killer, but perseverance and curiosity are Aliki's best allies. To trap an unlikely murderer, Aliki will have to sacrifice a treasured friendship, outfox an old opponent, and avoid the distractions of a new love affair.

J. Papachristou's long acquaintance with Greece and its islands inspired Murder in the Chapel and its predecessor, The Halcyon Murder. Papachristou, an emerita professor of American History, is also the author of Women Together.