Habits are so deeply engrained in my life that I never set an alarm to wake up. Following a morning devotion, tea, and a bagel, I change into sweatpants and a jacket and lace up my sneakers for my daily walk around the neighborhood. I use a pedometer to count my steps (my goal is 7,000) and try to get my heart rate to 107 because aging is no joke. I take a different route every day, too, to keep my mind sharp. Along the way I pop into the Pharmers Market to buy a packet of antacids before returning home for a shower.

Even though I read, write letters, volunteer at St. Mary’s Parish, and work on jigsaw puzzles—this new one of the Vatican is a doozy—I’ve felt restless lately. I lack a sense of purpose. Many of my neighbors at The Abbey have side hustles, usually related to their old jobs. Aside from substitute teaching, how can I transfer my experience as a former middle school teacher? This question plagues me.

After lunch I find my friends in the common area beside the lobby. While they work on knitting and mosaics and sewing projects, I do a crossword puzzle because I’m not crafty. Everyone’s still talking about the other night when Bruiser Wocjik accused Toni Travi of cheating at cards. I was in bed and missed it, but people always have their little spats and quarrels. Cliff hogs the TV remote, Rin pokes at Toni over stupid things. It’s like when I taught middle school, the girls spread petty gossip, and the boys pull mean pranks. Someone always stirs up drama out of boredom, wounded pride, or jealousy. After a while Jan and I head outside where I help her practice stepping off the curb because her hip surgery wrecked her confidence. I like helping people, maybe that’s my purpose.

Tonight, Meadow, the building manager, got us free admission to the community theater’s dress rehearsal of State Fair. She drives the bus while I make sure everyone’s on time and in the right spot. The show’s great fun, only a few missed cues and a tiny technical issue when the spotlight hit the empty part of the stage instead of Margy and Pat kissing. When we return home a few people get impatient with Jan who freezes stepping down from the bus, but I’m right there to give her a hand before herding everyone inside.

Once the first-floor residents are on their way to their apartments, I lead the others upstairs while anticipating the glass of bourbon I’ll enjoy once everyone’s sorted. The hallway’s dark and I reach over to turn on the lights. Immediately I see a body sprawled on the floor between 210 and 212. I gasp. Did they faint? I hurry down the hall and kneel beside them. Oh no! They’re dead!

Old Habits Die Hard: A Nun The Wiser Mystery, Book 1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: April 2025
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

Meddling and murder can both be deadly sins

When retired nun and teacher Sister Bernadette returns with her fellow residents to The Abbey: Senior Living, she is the first to discover the body sprawled in the hallway of the converted school where she once taught English and now lives. Instead of freezing with horror, Sister Bernie has questions. Lots of them. Why does Toni Travi, the bedazzled and bejeweled resident from apartment 218, have so much chest hair? Did anyone at The Abbey know Toni was a man? Was Toni’s death related to allegations that she cheated at cards? Where’s the murder weapon? Who had motive? And did someone kill Toni, or the man hiding beneath the Revlon foundation and blonde wig?

Detective AJ Lewis is in charge of the investigation though Sister Bernie acts as if he is still her student. With unholy stubbornness, she dogs his every step, eavesdrops, sneaks beyond the police tape and offers unsolicited conjecture and clues. He wants to keep her safe, but she’s determined to lend a helping hand—it’s her habit, after all!

Meet the author
Melissa Westemeier is a Sister in Crime and teacher from Wisconsin. She uses humor to explore serious subjects, and her published books include murder mysteries, rom-coms, and a trilogy loosely based on her years tending bar on the Wolf River. She likes her coffee and protagonists strong and prefers to work barefoot with natural lighting.