A Death in the Parish: The sequel to Murder Before Evensong (Canon Clement Mystery)

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It's an absolute joy for those of us familiar with a bit of theology and Church dogma, but still very readable as a cosy murder mystery for those that aren't. Set in the 1980s, before the ordination of women in the Church of England, it projects an aura of rural conservatism onto a very disturbing and bizarre sequence of events, and the effect is both credible and captivating. This is my first taste of but the 2nd in the series written by the well known Richard Coles, once a member of the Communards who went on to become a member of the C of E clergy, it features his detective Canon Daniel Clement. It is set in the 1980s with its culture, the change and turbulence of Britain under Maggie Thatcher, with its class divisions. This works perfectly fine as a standalone, there are many references of what happpened previously and the characters that have become established, all of which made me feel as if I knew them well. This is a thoroughly engaging and enjoyable mystery with its echoes of the golden age of crime, the protagonist ensures it immerses the reader in the church, parish life, and the differences that are accommodated within the C of E, from Daniel's compassionate approach to the more rigid, judgemental, evangelical approach that he is forced to confront. As if that wasn’t enough, the parish has been joined with Upper and Lower Badsaddle; so our hero finds himself uncomfortably in harness with an Evangelical colleague who “would insist on [Bible stories] being true in a way that Daniel did not, could not — and anyway he thought we owed the Bible more than the literal truth that those who thought themselves its defenders allowed”. Detective Sergeant Neil Vanloo and Daniel Clement, rector of Champton parish in England, work together to discover who has committed the latest murder. As one local remarked, Champton and district will soon outdo [Agatha Christies’] village of St Mary Mead for the number of deaths. Analyses and tables of cause of death data are published in the annual reports of the Registrar General for Scotland. The Registrars General have also compiled lists of cause of death and assisted with the classification drawn up by the Royal College of Physicians of London in the early 20th century. Today deaths are coded according to international schemes. Use of the Term Illegitimate

In 2018, St. James Parish Council approved the industrialization of toxic chemical development through the “Sunshine Project” – a subsidiary company of Formosa Plastics Group that would create one of the world’s largest plastics facilities – and the building of two methanol complexes by other manufacturers. The text draws on Coles's theological education and experience of the church, plus he has researched the historical time period. Consequently, there is a focus on the Champton congregation, and it is highly informative, through the characters, on religious pastoral care, parish life, loss, mortality, spirituality, theological disagreements, church services, festivals, rituals and traditions. Daniel finds the responsibilities conferred on him difficult when the parish is combined with Upper and Lower Badsaddle, the new member of the clergy is far from easy to deal with. The stage is set from the start with an uncomfortable introductory lunch with the local member of the aristocracy. Chris Biddle, his wife Sally, are not happy, and the atmosphere worsens with the poor rebellious behaviour of their children, 16 year old twins Joshua and Lydia. A horrific ritualistic murder at an abandoned airfield ensures that Daniel and his now close friend, DS Neil Vinloo, once again investigate.

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And then it ends on a surprising and possibly a little disappointing (at least for me, and I assume the character involved) note. I wouldn’t call it a cliff-hanger by any stretch of the imagination, but it does make me curious about book 3. The Reverend Richard Coles, 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 nailing it. Richard Coles is really getting into his stride with this second in the series featuring loveable cleric Canon Daniel Clement, his feisty mother Audrey, and the good (and not so good) people of the parish of Champton - now joined with neighbouring Upper and Lower Badsaddle and throwing High Church Daniel into conflict with evangelical new priest, Rev Chris Biddle. First off, I grew up in a very involved C of E family in exactly the time period these books are set, and so the internecine conflicts that ravaged the church then - Anglican tradition vs Christian evangelism, the ‘problem’ of female priests - are familiar to me and felt quite cosy and comforting in a way that childhood memories do. However, for those readers not as well versed in scripture and church politics, I can well imagine the detail to which Coles goes into could be dull and alienating. How these conflicts eventually play out in the mystery is also a bit much: while I am absolutely no fan of evangelical Christianity, the way it’s presented here is somewhat beyond belief (trying not to give spoilers….!)

Couples were usually married in the bride’s parish. Marriage records typically include the bride and groom’s names, residence, date and location of the marriage, names of witnesses, condition (bachelor, spinster, widow, or widower), and the name of the officiant. Some records may also include the father’s name and occupation. Early records may contain less detail. Daniel finds himself entangled in the investigation, uncovering hidden motives, strained relationships, and dark secrets as he seeks to bring the perpetrator to justice.I had enjoyed his first novel (last year’s Murder before Evensong) although I found it a bit of a slow burner, with the opening chapters setting the scene occasionally veering off towards the ponderous, but once the murder had occurred, it all fizzed along very merrily. This time around it all flows much more easily. The local bishop has decreed that Clement, in addition to his current duties, would henceforth supervise the neighbouring parish of Badsaddles. An associate vicar, Reverend Chris Biddle, would be appointed to assist.