Praise for I Was a Stranger
Now the rest of the world can discover what we Quakers have known for some time—Patricia Thomas is a gem of a writer. 5 out of 5 stars.
---Philip H. Gulley, Quaker pastor and best selling author.
Patricia Thomas’ stories intrigue and inspire, all the while enticing readers to consider mysteries both large and small. I wish I could meet the Pastor and the Professor for tea at the Leaky Cup!
---Amy Lyles Wilson, writer and spiritual director; Former writer-in- residence and adjunct professor at The Earlham School of Religion
I Was a Stranger is the first in Patricia Thomas’ Quaker mystery series “The Pastor and Professor Quaker Mystery”. In it, she has created a wonderfully engaging murder mystery without killing off anyone! From the outset of this intriguing story, I got caught up by the campus fire and then couldn’t put the book down because I had to find out “what’s going on here”? It has a very satisfying resolution which I won’t reveal!
---Susan Weiss
Synopsis
‘The whole is greater than the sum of its parts’ becomes tragically real on the campus of Emerick College. The innocent acts of three people ignite the Pennington Place fire with its life-changing consequences for everyone involved. The situation is further complicated when a young Somali refugee, driven out of hiding by the flames, seeks sanctuary in the home of a professor ill-prepared for the results of providing hospitality. By offering pastoral care to victim and perpetrator alike, the campus minister is quickly drawn into the investigation. Far more difficult is discerning what to do with the frightened illegal alien whose presence ‘above ground’ puts his life in danger.
The recently married duo, Ruthalice Michels and Clifford Mowry, campus minister and professor of biology, are caught between their longing to respond from the heart and the requirements of the INS.