Murder Before Evensong

This is the first book in the Canon Clement mystery series written by Richard Coles. It's set in the late 1980's in the village of Champton St Mary.

Canon Daniel Clement is the rector of Champton. He lives there with his two boisterous dogs and his widowed mother, Audrey, who moved in with him a few years ago.  Audrey is strong-willed and opinionated, and inclined to say what she thinks, which Daniel sometimes wishes she wouldn't.

His brother Theo is an actor who lives in London, but comes to see them every now and then.

Theo is outgoing and curious, so people tell him things.  People tell Daniel things as well, but unlike his high-spirited brother, Daniel is mild-mannered and inclined to keep to himself, though he's friendly in his own way, and ready to help anyone who comes to his door.

The book begins with a church service at the end of which Daniel announces a plan to install a lavatory in the church. This leads to a divide in the parish and all manner of politics follow, with each faction trying to get their way. It's church and village politics of the sort that everyone's used to, until one of the villagers is murdered.

Everyone in the village is shaken and Daniel Clement finds himself in the middle of events as the person that many in the parish are turning to, for comfort and counsel. The police are investigating, asking questions, and inevitably, things long buried start coming to the surface. Another murder follows, as these things usually do, and Daniel finds himself working with Detective Sergent Neil Vanloo to try to find the person responsible before they kill again.

This is a wonderfully crafted mystery, and it's written very well. The book starts slow, as the author takes his time to set the scene and introduce the characters. I found it a bit difficult to get into, but I stayed with the book and I'm so glad I did. Once you get into the story, the characters are the setting are the best things about it. This is an excellent read.