Murder Before Evensong: The instant no. 1 Sunday Times bestseller (Canon Clement Mystery)

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Set in the late 1980s, the book introduces us to a cast of characters including: flower arrangers Stella Harper and Anne Dollinger; an aristocratic landowner, Bernard de Floures; a retired headmaster Ned Thwaite; and Daniel’s no-nonsense mother, Audrey, who “sometimes reminded [Daniel] of Pope Pius IX, who responded to the loss of sovereign powers over the papal states by making himself infallible”. And the style suits the content perfectly: wonderfully feline when it comes to jokes, but moving easily to unselfconscious wisdom when required. Daniel joins forces with the local detective sergeant, Neil Vanloo, to solve the mystery and flush out the culprit. I didn't understand why; I can't imagine the cast of characters would really have used that language, so maybe it was just the author showing off. A super-mix of characters, and a beautifully written plot that kept me guessing right to the very end.

It could be anyone from this cast of indistinguishable characters, or no one, because there doesn’t seem to be any discernible motive.Cosy and charming, Murder Before Evensong is less about the shock and gore of murder than its ripple effect on a small, close-knit community. There was just too much incidental information that did nothing to give us extra information about the characters or the plot. I felt descriptions of characters were lacking and that made it harder for me to remember who they were. There is no indication (that I can see) as to when it is set, which is hugely discombobulating to the reader who imagines it must be present day. Murder Before Evensong, the first book in the Canon Clement Mystery series, was an instant number 1 Sunday Times bestseller.

Britain's favourite vicar might be hanging up the dog collar, but in Murder Before Evensong he proves to be the unlikely heir to Barbara Pym.beyond the fascinating story with its rich characters, the real discovery here is the sniffing out of the author's formidable talent for writing about English life with English humour. But talk soon focuses on the murder of Anthony Bowness when he is discovered dead at the back of the church, stabbed in the neck with a pair of secateurs, This is the start of further deaths in the community as the police race to catch the killer.

The story was set in the late eighties and this was primarily established by many updates about what Daniel and his mother were watching on TV. Richard is Patron of Greatwell Homes, a Housing Association providing social and affordable housing in east Northants, and is Chancellor of the University of Northampton.I really wanted to love this book but sadly I found my mind went for a little walk about often while reading it.

Sure, murders do happen, but, contrary to what I thought, this is not a story where the vicar, rectory, or whatever, investigates them. We get a good insight into the characters and the novel was well written making it an entertaining read.This is very much a cosy mystery, with the central character, Canon Daniel Clement, Rector of Champton St Mary, with echoes of St Mary Mead, and a cast of characters which includes the Big House and Lord de Floures, as well as Daniel’s widowed mother and his actor brother. When Daniel announces a plan to install a lavatory in church, the parish is suddenly (and unexpectedly) divided: as lines are drawn, long-buried secrets come dangerously close to destroying the apparent calm of the village. Murder Before Evensong was written by the Reverend Richard Coles and it is a slow burner of a cozy mystery.