Review: A DEATH IN THE PARISH, Richard Coles

ISBN 978-1-4746-1-269-2 published in UK by Weidenfeld & Nicolson 2023 this edition made available by my local library 414 pages #2 Canon Clement Mystery series Synopsis (publisher)  It’s been a few months since murder tore apart the community of Champton apart. As Canon Daniel Clement tries to steady his flock, the parish is joined with Upper and Lower Badsaddle, bringing a new tide of unwanted change. But church politics soon become the least of Daniel’s problems. His mother – headstrong, fearless Audrey – is obviously up to something, something she is determined to keep from him. And she is not the only one. And then all hell breaks loose when murder returns to Champton in the form of a shocking ritualistic killing…

My Take

There is more than one death in the parish in this book. An elderly parishioner is dying of cancer, and there is a couple who seem to keep turning up at death beds, and more than one case of an altered will. But Daniel and his mother Audrey become executors of her will, and when Audrey is going through the papers she has left, she finds out how the old lady made her money.

There is also a pretty horrific murder in this story. The perpetrator and his reasons comes as a shock.

There are a number of very interesting characters and I think this is one of those series where you need read the series in order so you understand relationships and character development. On the other hand I became annoyed at times with how "guff" in the form of ecclesiastical details slowed the story down.

My rating: 4.4

I've also read

4.5, MURDER BEFORE EVENSONG - Canon Clement Mystery #1