Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Vow of Silence | 1990 | Maureen Peters | Buy |
| 2 | A Vow of Chastity | 1991 | Maureen Peters | Buy |
| 3 | A Vow of Sanctity | 1993 | Maureen Peters | Buy |
| 4 | A Vow of Obedience | 1994 | Maureen Peters | Buy |
| 5 | A Vow of Devotion | 1994 | Maureen Peters | Buy |
| 6 | A Vow of Penance | 1994 | Maureen Peters | Buy |
| 7 | A Vow of Fidelity | 1995 | Maureen Peters | Buy |
| 8 | A Vow of Adoration | 1996 | Maureen Peters | Buy |
| 9 | A Vow of Poverty | 1996 | Maureen Peters | Buy |
| 10 | A Vow Of Compassion | 1998 | Maureen Peters | Buy |
| 11 | Vow Of Evil | 2004 | Maureen Peters | Buy |
The Sister Joan Mystery series was written by Maureen Peters under her pen name Veronica Black. Sister Joan is a nun living in a convent who becomes involved in solving crimes that touch her community. The series began with A Vow of Silence in 1990 and ran for eleven books, ending with Vow of Evil in 2004. Each title follows a naming pattern built around religious vows: Silence, Chastity, Sanctity, Obedience, Devotion, Penance, Fidelity, Adoration, Poverty, Compassion, and finally Evil.
Peters, born in Caernarvon, Wales, in 1935, was one of the most prolific British novelists of her generation. She published over a hundred books under her own name and at least seven pen names. While her historical novels under her own name focused on Tudor queens and the Wars of the Roses, the Sister Joan books showed her skill with cozy mystery plotting. The convent setting gives the series a distinctive atmosphere, and Sister Joan’s dual role as a woman of faith and an amateur detective creates an interesting tension throughout.