Charming, atmospheric, and compellingly crafted, The Grantchester Mysteries are the very epitome of cosy crime, with a quintessential English detective for a hero. No wonder, then, that this is the sleuthing Archdeacon’s sixth literary outing, and that the TV adaptation is such an enormous hit. It’s 1971 and Sidney Chambers is enjoying a walk in a chocolate-box beautiful bluebell wood when he and his young daughter happen upon the body of Lenny Goddard, a local “folk-singer and a bit of hippy”, and a basket of poisonous wild flowers. While Lenny’s widow explains that they used such plants as recreational stimulants, the post-mortem reveals that he was killed by a strong dose of a neurotoxin found in monkshood. So, was it an accidental overdose, suicide, or murder? But this isn’t the only mystery that needs solving in Sidney’s apparently idyllic diocese. There’s also the matter of an invaluable text going missing from a Cambridge college, the disappearance of his nephew, and much more besides.
As always, this is highly readable stuff and makes an entertaining accompaniment to an afternoon in the garden. Alongside the finely plotted drama and sense of social change, the descriptions of landscape are a joy to read, as are Sidney’s musings. ~ Joanne Owen
Sidney Chambers and the Persistence of Love Synopsis
'There is no reason at all why this series should not run and run and why Sidney Chambers should not occupy the same place in the pantheon as Miss Marple or Poirot' - Catholic Herald
'Perfect reading for a sunny English garden' - Kate Saunders, The Times
'There is no denying the winning charm of these artfully fashioned mysteries' - Barry Forshaw, Independent _______________
The sixth book in James Runcie's much-loved series, adapted for ITV's Grantchester which stars James Norton as Sidney Chambers. Perfect for fans of M. C. Beaton.
Life is never straightforward when you're a full-time priest and part-time detective. So when a walk in a bluebell wood takes an unexpected turn, Archdeacon Sidney Chambers finds himself plunged into another murder investigation: who would want to kill a harmless old hippy - and why was the man foraging for poisonous plants?
Sidney's findings soon lead him into sunny Granchester's dark underworld, where love is free and motives are shady. But his investigation, together with his continual inquiry into the divine mysteries of life, love and family, is blown apart by a devastating loss that will change his world forever.
