Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
W&N (2022), 368 pages
Description
Fiction. Mystery. HTML:"I've been waiting for a novel with vicars, rude old ladies, murder and sausage dogs... et voila!" Dawn French This first in a new series is a charming, warm and witty tale of secrets and murder set among the parishioners of a quaint English village. The No.1 Sunday Times bestselling crime novel, perfect for fans of Richard Osman�??s The Thursday Murder Club series. 'Whodunnit fans can give praise and rejoice' IAN RANKIN Canon Daniel Clement is Rector of Champton. He has been there for eight years, living at the Rectory alongside his widowed mother�??opinionated, fearless, ever-so-slightly annoying Audrey�??and his two dachshunds, Cosmo and Hilda. 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. And then Anthony Bowness�??cousin to Bernard de Floures, patron of Champton�??is found dead at the back of the church, stabbed in the neck with a pair of pruning shears. As the police moves in and the bodies start piling up, Daniel is the only one who can try and keep his fractured community together... and catch a killer. A delightful, cosy murder mystery with a sharp edge from the best… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
There has been a flurry of celebrities entering the murder mystery genre in recent years, with mixed degrees of success. Richard Osman certainly nailed it with his two novels (The Thursday Murder Club and The Man Who Died Twice) which have been runaway best sellers combining viable plots and
I suppose, therefore, that it was inevitable that he might try his hand at writing a novel, and he has also come close to mailing it. I found it a bit of a slow burner, with athe opening chapters setting the scene occasionally veering off towards the ponderous, but once the murder had occurred, it all fizzed along very merrily.
He is very good at characters, and I particularly enjoyed the slightly strained relationship between the protagonist, Canon Daniel Clement, rector of the local church in Champton, and his brother, a famous actor who is on his way to becoming a ‘national treasure’ as a consequence of his role in a popular soap opera. I also enjoyed Coles’s portrayal of village life with its priorities that might seem wholly alien to city dwellers. There are shades of Gabriel Chevalier’s Clochemerle in the opening chapters when Daniel suggests that the Parish Church Committee might consider the installation of a lavatory inside the church. It seems that such a scandalous suggestion had never previous been uttered, and the Committee is riven.
The murder, when it is discovered, is handled artfully, and further divisions within the village, even deeper than those threatened by ‘Toiletgate’ emerge. Taken all together, this is a very accomplished and enjoyable book, and I am hopeful that it might turn out merely to be the first in a series.
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charming characters, set against a ‘cosy’ background reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s works. The Reverend Richard Coles, who 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 mailing it. I found it a bit of a slow burner, with athe opening chapters setting the scene occasionally veering off towards the ponderous, but once the murder had occurred, it all fizzed along very merrily.
He is very good at characters, and I particularly enjoyed the slightly strained relationship between the protagonist, Canon Daniel Clement, rector of the local church in Champton, and his brother, a famous actor who is on his way to becoming a ‘national treasure’ as a consequence of his role in a popular soap opera. I also enjoyed Coles’s portrayal of village life with its priorities that might seem wholly alien to city dwellers. There are shades of Gabriel Chevalier’s Clochemerle in the opening chapters when Daniel suggests that the Parish Church Committee might consider the installation of a lavatory inside the church. It seems that such a scandalous suggestion had never previous been uttered, and the Committee is riven.
The murder, when it is discovered, is handled artfully, and further divisions within the village, even deeper than those threatened by ‘Toiletgate’ emerge. Taken all together, this is a very accomplished and enjoyable book, and I am hopeful that it might turn out merely to be the first in a series.
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LibraryThing member lostinalibrary
Murder Before Evensong was written by the Reverend Richard Coles and it is a slow burner of a cozy mystery. Not to say it isn’t good but it is definitely no page turner. It is, as many other reviewers have said, very English and a large chunk of the book is taken up with church matters and the
But despite all this, I enjoyed the book quite a bit. It is well-written and smart with a touch of humour and 19th c literature about it if that makes any sense - perhaps it was all the descriptions of day-to-day life of the church. Overall, a pretty good debut and, if it evolves into a series, I would happily read more of Canon Daniel Clement’s crime-solving adventures in future books.
I received an arc of this book from Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review
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first murder doesn’t occur until approximately 30% of the way through. The story is set in a small village and there are a lot of characters, so many that I sometimes lost track of who they were and a lot of them served no real purpose which, in fairness I guess, would be true in any small village where everyone knows everyone else. Allso it is never said what time period it is set in but I’d guess late ‘80s or early ‘90s based on clues peppered throughout (am I the only person who didn’t know Celine Dion won Eurovision in 1988. I looked it up)But despite all this, I enjoyed the book quite a bit. It is well-written and smart with a touch of humour and 19th c literature about it if that makes any sense - perhaps it was all the descriptions of day-to-day life of the church. Overall, a pretty good debut and, if it evolves into a series, I would happily read more of Canon Daniel Clement’s crime-solving adventures in future books.
I received an arc of this book from Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review
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LibraryThing member ladycato
I received an advance copy via NetGalley.
Set in 1980s rural England, this mystery stays fairly cozy with little profanity and no focus on gore as it primarily follows Reverend Daniel as he investigates a murder within his flock. The book very much has the vibe and pace of a TV murder mystery.
Set in 1980s rural England, this mystery stays fairly cozy with little profanity and no focus on gore as it primarily follows Reverend Daniel as he investigates a murder within his flock. The book very much has the vibe and pace of a TV murder mystery.
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Everything begins with the smash-bang drama of Daniel proposing the old church be renovated to include a loo. The fact that he mentions such crude bodily needs offends many, but more than that there is the terrible suggestion of change. In a village where the losses of two world wars are still fresh and long-dead residents are regarded as familiar, such a thing is intolerable. Then when one person is killed, soon followed by another, the mystery slowly escalates with several red herrings, deep confessions, and unearthed old secrets. I was left uncertain of how I liked it through the middle because the pace was terribly slow, but the big reveals at the end heightened my overall opinion. Throughout, I was impressed by the authentic feel to life in a rectory, and I was delighted to find the author is himself a rector! No wonder it felt genuine. Show Less
LibraryThing member infjsarah
Rather to my surprise this was a lot of fun. It won't win any prizes for literary merit or for its crime plotline. But it made me smile and the nostalgia for the 1980s was so enjoyable. The plot is vague and I sometimes got lost in who was who but I enjoyed it enough to read any more if I see them.
Awards
British Book Award (Shortlist — 2023)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2022-06-09
Physical description
368 p.
ISBN
1474612636 / 9781474612630
Local notes
Canon Daniel Clement is Rector of Champton. He has been there for eight years, living at the Rectory alongside his widowed mother - opinionated, fearless, ever-so-slightly annoying Audrey - and his two dachshunds, Cosmo and Hilda. 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. And then Anthony Bowness - cousin to Bernard de Floures, patron of Champton - is found dead at the back of the church, stabbed in the neck with a pair of secateurs.
Waterstones exclusive with red sprayed page edges.
Waterstones exclusive with red sprayed page edges.