I had enjoyed his first novel (last year’s Murder before Evensong) although I found it a bit of a slow burner, with the opening chapters setting the scene occasionally veering off towards the ponderous, but once the murder had occurred, it all fizzed along very merrily. This time around it all flows much more easily. As before, there are lots of references to Church of England hierarchy, politics, ritual, administration, dogma, and hymns, along with lots of Biblical scripture. Coles also includes a great deal of information about what seem to be very arcane aspects of CofE belief, liturgy, and feast days: it's the kind of Christianity I like best. He makes it all sound incredibly mystical and ritualistic, with talk of titles that could have come straight out of a fantasy novel: The Covenant Code, The Book of The Covenant, and so on. 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. Two books in, and the Reverend Richard Coles' Champton is now firmly on my list of literary places where I enjoy spending time.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, ‘A Murder Before Evensong,’ and I am pleased to say that this was just as good – if not better – than the first mystery featuring Daniel Clement, Rector of Champton, who lives with his mother, Audrey. The book opens with a Sunday lunch at Campton House, where Lord de Floures of the ‘Big House,’ is welcoming the new associate vicar, Chris Biddle, his wife, Sally, and their teenage twins, Joshua and Lydia. Things do not get off to a good start, with the twins being fairly badly behaved and Daniel and Chris not seeing eye to eye about matters in the parish.

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Although Goths may look scary, their subculture is marked by its emphasis on individualism, tolerance of sexual diversity, encouragement of creativity, a dislike of social conservatism, and a tendency towards cynicism. The Associate Vicar is not the only new arrival. The cast of familiar characters is augmented by others, filling the gaps left by those unfortunate enough to have been killed off in the first book of the series. A Death in the Parish' is the second book in the Canon Clement Mystery series by Richard Coles, a Church of England clergyman. What I did not like were the random stationery and biscuit descriptions thrown in. But I understand the need.

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. Clyde Morton, anti-hero of Viper’s Dream by Jake Lamar (No Exit, ★★★★★), has faith in little except the power of jazz. Sadly, when he leaves his one-horse hometown in Alabama to make it as a musician in Harlem, he proves to be so terrible that his auditioner thinks he’s been sent as a practical joke. So, instead, he ploughs his energies into becoming one of the most successful drug-dealers of the 1930s. Not to be too mysterious about it, the murder victim in this book is a teenage boy, killed on an altar in what appears to be a ritualistic manner. He is the son of Richard’s new colleague after the parish boundaries have been altered. From the moment they first meet it is clear that Daniel, our Canon, and Chris, the new arrival don’t see eye to eye when it comes to theological matters. Why anybody would want to kill his teenage son though, is a complete mystery.If the crime and detection were better, the minor irritations would be less important. But nothing much happens till a third of the way in, detection is lightweight, and the final resolution is completely unbelievable, as is the first clue to the killer. (The dogs again. Please.) There is a side issue of who will inherit the local big house, and will his wife be suitable, some discussion of local retail establishments, and a visit to a football match which seems to have no relevance at all. These strands are not connected to the crime, or to each other.

The text draws on Coles's theological education and experience of the church, plus he has researched the historical time period. Consequently, there is a focus on the Champton congregation, and it is highly informative, through the characters, on religious pastoral care, parish life, loss, mortality, spirituality, theological disagreements, church services, festivals, rituals and traditions. Daniel finds the responsibilities conferred on him difficult when the parish is combined with Upper and Lower Badsaddle, the new member of the clergy is far from easy to deal with. The stage is set from the start with an uncomfortable introductory lunch with the local member of the aristocracy. Chris Biddle, his wife Sally, are not happy, and the atmosphere worsens with the poor rebellious behaviour of their children, 16 year old twins Joshua and Lydia. A horrific ritualistic murder at an abandoned airfield ensures that Daniel and his now close friend, DS Neil Vinloo, once again investigate. 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". PDF / EPUB File Name: A_Death_in_the_Parish_-_Richard_Coles.pdf, A_Death_in_the_Parish_-_Richard_Coles.epubFirst off, I grew up in a very involved C of E family in exactly the time period these books are set, and so the internecine conflicts that ravaged the church then - Anglican tradition vs Christian evangelism, the ‘problem’ of female priests - are familiar to me and felt quite cosy and comforting in a way that childhood memories do. However, for those readers not as well versed in scripture and church politics, I can well imagine the detail to which Coles goes into could be dull and alienating. How these conflicts eventually play out in the mystery is also a bit much: while I am absolutely no fan of evangelical Christianity, the way it’s presented here is somewhat beyond belief (trying not to give spoilers….!) The Reverend Richard Coles, has certainly had a portfolio career so far, encompassing roles as a member of a successful band in the 1980s, a long spell as an ordained vicar in the Church of England, and latterly as a reality television star, participating in MasterChef and Strictly Come Dancing among others. I suppose, therefore, that it was inevitable that he might try his hand at writing a novel, and he has also come close to nailing it. 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). There are quite a few moments to make you smile too. Daniel attending a football match with Neil Vanloo, the local detective sergeant, and the uproar Daniel causes. There's an unexpected pregnancy, Or Daniel’s visit to a record store. On the heavier side, the book is also rather heavy on religious thought, theory, and philosophy. Maybe that’s just what a reader should expect from a book written by and featuring a priest. And I have to admit that at least some of it was very relevant to the mystery. But I can’t deny that on one or two occasions my eyes glazed over and my mind wandered.

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. First off, the pacing was definitely better. And not to forget, I really liked the tone here, far more humour, in line with the' cosy mystery' genre. As journalist James Morrow arrives to write a story on the Children of the Sun (with an ulterior motive in his luggage), Lewis does an excellent job of ratcheting up the tension: her portrayal of the cult gradually evolves from comic to sinister. The book’s ironic twists serve to demonstrate how so many faith systems are doomed to destruction by their own logic. Steady paced, plenty of twists and turns and I kept myself firmly planted in the world. I always feel that every book I read should impart knowledge of some sort, in this case it was small town English life and the life and politics of a Canon! The 1980s setting — Mrs Thatcher is Prime Minister, the M25 has just been opened, Howard’s Way is the favoured Sunday-night television viewing — reminds us of how much less complicated life was in the era before social media and universal My-Truth-Trumps-Your-Truth syndrome. But the seeds have already been sown: “There is a peculiar forgetfulness of our age, thought Daniel, so enchanted with novelty and the extraordinary success of science and technology, that the longer story of the evolution of the values and institutions and virtues that have long shaped our lives gets lost.”

If there were any criticisms to be made, it would be that some readers may find the novel's resolution a tad predictable. However, this does not detract from the overall enjoyment of the story.