| Publisher | W&N |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 06 June 2024 |
| ISBN-10 | 1474612717 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1474612715 |
| Format | hardcover |
| Pages | 416 |
| Price | £ 22.00 |
Murder at the Monastery
by
After suffering a heartbreaking setback in his private life, Canon Daniel Clement returns to the monastery where he was once a novice, but the murder of one of the monks heralds a new case for Daniel and DS Neil Vanloo.
Review
The Reverend Richard Coles series featuring Canon Daniel Clement and DS Neil Vanloo are perfect for readers who like the cosy crime of a slightly old-fashioned village (these are set in the 1990s) with a heavy dash of middle class religion thrown in. This one is very heavy on the bells and smells as it is set in a monastery, but by the end of the book Canon Daniel has returned to the home ground of his parish of Champton where more local puzzle-solving is promised.
In Canon Daniel’s third outing, he is in something a dither about his sexuality. Having lived a celibate life for most of his 40 or so years, he has now fallen heavily for local police sergeant Neil Vanloo, but when his love is not reciprocated, the heart-broken rector takes himself off to the Yorkshire monastery where he once studied as a novice. There is much soul-searching, wailing and gnashing of teeth which I found all a bit tedious, and had to keep reminding myself that this is the 1990’s and Canon Daniel is very keen to do the Right Thing.
Meanwhile there is a conflict simmering between the monks and while some of the resulting words and deeds are petty, there’s a serious divide over the church’s proposed ordination of women priests. Sides are taken and predictably, one outspoken monk (against) ends up murdered. Canon Daniel sets out to unrobe the culprit, aided as always by Sergeant Neil Vanloo, who has gone hot-foot up to the monastery to try to make things right between him and the pining rector.
The action ping-pongs between the goings-on at the monastery and life back at Champton where Daniel is the village rector. There the action centres on Champton Hall, where Daniel’s mother, Audrey, is a temporary resident as the rectory was deliberately burnt down in his previous mystery. Audrey is a great character who’s always up to no good. She has now found herself a job in the local posh dress shop, Elite Fashions and while her ulterior motive is as yet unclear, this storyline is bound to run into the next book.
Back at the monastery, the murder is satisfyingly gruesome and the solution is neat, tidy and believable, although the plot is in danger of becoming bogged down in excessive liturgical detail. A murder in a monastery is a difficult scenario to pull off. Richard Coles does his best to give each monk his own distinct personality, but at the end of the day they are all celibate men in brown robes. I found it difficult to distinguish between them and hard to engage with them as individuals.
Many of the themes are left hanging at the end – a sure sign that more is planned for Canon Daniel. I hope the next outing for the rector of Champton and Sergeant Neil Vanloo is firmly rooted back on home turf.
In Canon Daniel’s third outing, he is in something a dither about his sexuality. Having lived a celibate life for most of his 40 or so years, he has now fallen heavily for local police sergeant Neil Vanloo, but when his love is not reciprocated, the heart-broken rector takes himself off to the Yorkshire monastery where he once studied as a novice. There is much soul-searching, wailing and gnashing of teeth which I found all a bit tedious, and had to keep reminding myself that this is the 1990’s and Canon Daniel is very keen to do the Right Thing.
Meanwhile there is a conflict simmering between the monks and while some of the resulting words and deeds are petty, there’s a serious divide over the church’s proposed ordination of women priests. Sides are taken and predictably, one outspoken monk (against) ends up murdered. Canon Daniel sets out to unrobe the culprit, aided as always by Sergeant Neil Vanloo, who has gone hot-foot up to the monastery to try to make things right between him and the pining rector.
The action ping-pongs between the goings-on at the monastery and life back at Champton where Daniel is the village rector. There the action centres on Champton Hall, where Daniel’s mother, Audrey, is a temporary resident as the rectory was deliberately burnt down in his previous mystery. Audrey is a great character who’s always up to no good. She has now found herself a job in the local posh dress shop, Elite Fashions and while her ulterior motive is as yet unclear, this storyline is bound to run into the next book.
Back at the monastery, the murder is satisfyingly gruesome and the solution is neat, tidy and believable, although the plot is in danger of becoming bogged down in excessive liturgical detail. A murder in a monastery is a difficult scenario to pull off. Richard Coles does his best to give each monk his own distinct personality, but at the end of the day they are all celibate men in brown robes. I found it difficult to distinguish between them and hard to engage with them as individuals.
Many of the themes are left hanging at the end – a sure sign that more is planned for Canon Daniel. I hope the next outing for the rector of Champton and Sergeant Neil Vanloo is firmly rooted back on home turf.
Reviewed 09 September 2024 by Viv Beeby
