Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
Secondly, a nagging feeling I had had with the first book - that the setting of the books in the late 80s didn’t serve much purpose beyond allowing characters to be horrifyingly non-PC (or, to call it what it is: allowing characters to be racist, misogynistic and homophobic) - was exacerbated further in this second volume. As an aside to this; what editor allowed the consistent capitalisation of Goth - to refer in all instances but one to the subculture not the ancient tribe - but not the capitalisation of Gypsy, a distinct ethnicity recognised by the Equality Act and, not incidentally, one of the groups (alongside Travellers) that, per recent research, suffer the most racism and prejudice in the U.K.. Finally (and with a mild spoiler warning) the frankly weird friendship between Daniel and the police detective made for strange enough reading, without the queer-baiting about-turn at the end. A Death in the Parish' is the second book in the Canon Clement Mystery series by Richard Coles, a Church of England clergyman.
It's an absolute joy for those of us familiar with a bit of theology and Church dogma, but still very readable as a cosy murder mystery for those that aren't. Set in the 1980s, before the ordination of women in the Church of England, it projects an aura of rural conservatism onto a very disturbing and bizarre sequence of events, and the effect is both credible and captivating. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume that a story written by a Reverent and featuring a Canon as the main character might be a cozy mystery. Which just goes to show how dangerous it is to assume anything. The End of the Game (Raven, ★★★★★), the fourth entry in the series, finds Benedict out of her comfort zone, going undercover as a “Wag” – orange make-up is not her usual style – to probe a football match-fixing scandal. As Benedict’s investigation sees her hopping ever more frenetically around Europe, her musings on the dubious ethics of her profession give the story an edge of moral ambiguity, helping to make this the thinking person’s action-thriller of the season.
Church Times Bookshop
Sadly, the amalgamation of several parishes and the trials of a new job administering the new "super-parish" has given him a lot of work. Add in his interfering mother, his burgeoning friendship with the local Det Sgt and some mysterious new inhabitants in town and, well Daniel may have to more than a few words with his "Boss".
It was compelling, actually had the murder at the forefront, the side-mystery (Miss March) was intriguing too and there was some semblance of detective work and intuition going on here. Not simply 'Aha, the murderer! Since the events of the previous novel, Canon Daniel Clement has acquired an assistant vicar (not a curate, but a fully trained and ordained fellow clergyman), who has taken over responsibility for some of Daniel’s parish, which had recently expanded to take in nearby villages. The assistant is Chris Biddle, who is accompanied by his wife Sally and twin children Joshua and Lydia, who mare both aspiring Goths. However, the arrival of Chris Biddle, his wife Sally, and their two teenage children proves to be far from what Daniel had anticipated. From the outset, it becomes evident that Daniel and Chris hold contrasting views on how their faith should be shared among their parishioners. A clash of ideologies appears inevitable, however when a lifeless body is discovered on a nearby deserted airfield, Daniel must set aside his personal reservations and engage in the quest for truth.
At the same time Neil, fifteen years younger, had discovered in Daniel a guide to the mysteries of worlds he wanted to know but could not yet enter – music, art, architecture – and, even more important, someone who could open up the half-forgotten landscape of his childhood. He had grown up in the Moravian Brethren, a church of exiled Protestants from Bohemia, some exiled as far from home as Oldham, where the Vanloos had settled, part of a community still shaped by the belief that it existed on earth to live the life of heaven [...] Their friendship surprised them also, for their affinity was not at first clear, but it was profound, and as each became more sharply focused to the other, so they grew more sharply focused to themselves. What I did not like were the random stationery and biscuit descriptions thrown in. But I understand the need. Richard Coles is really getting into his stride with this second in the series featuring loveable cleric Canon Daniel Clement, his feisty mother Audrey, and the good (and not so good) people of the parish of Champton - now joined with neighbouring Upper and Lower Badsaddle and throwing High Church Daniel into conflict with evangelical new priest, Rev Chris Biddle. I liked the murder, the motive, the whole Muriel mystery and Tailbys subplot. I liked the unconventional marriage happening, the occasional glimpses of parish life (which is how it should be).
Great Deal 
New Comment