Parson's Pleasure

Doran Fairweather #2

by Mollie Hardwick

When Doran Fairweather's feckless partner shows up out of nowhere with a rare clock, Doran doesn't trust the explanation and travels to return it. With her gentleman friend, the vicar, traveling with her, they mix business with pleasure until a gypsy's mysterious warning becomes clear--and dangerous....

Genres: Mystery

10 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Mollie Greenhalgh Hardwick was an English author who was best known for writing books that accompanied the TV series Upstairs, Downstairs.

As well as writing many Upstairs, Downstairs, Thomas & Sarah and The Duchess of Duke Street novels, she was also the creator of the Doran Fairweather novels and wrote three Juliet Bravo books. Hardwick also wrote many books and plays based around the Sherlock Holmes novels. She married fellow author Michael Hardwick in 1961.

Series:
* Upstairs Downstairs
* The Duchess of Duke Street
* Thomas and Sarah
* Juliet Bravo
* Doran Fairweather

Reviews

[Eugene · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just cannot get interested in this series, this 2nd entry just as bad as the first. Technically well written, good plotting, and a reasonable denouement. The protagonists, the atmosphere, the arch story-telling, the incredible profusion of literary allusions, the numbing detailing of all things British (art, architecture, arts & crafts, social mores, et al and all of a certain era - Victorian, I think?) make the reading a slog to get through.
Written in the 1980’s but so soaked in that previous time and milieu that when someone arrived in a car, it jolted me. “Wait, they had cars back then?! Oh, it’s not then, it’s now pretending to be then!” I really wanted to like these, but they’re not for me.

[Mgb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Half the time Rodney is quoting things that mean nothing to me. The other half of the time Doran is referencing people and places I have never heard of. There is a mystery, sort of. I guess there is that.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just wasn’t for me. Obviously many people loved it and I can understand why, but it did not work for me.

[Helen Geng · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slightly enjoyable if you can get past the casual racism.

Read Dec 2021

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doran Fairweather's life is antiques, detection, and love of a certain vicar. Author Hardwick combines 1980s' style cozy mystery with a darker edge, where Doran is a fairy-tale maiden imperiled by ogres, witches, madness, and evil. Even the occasional sweet love subplot with its stolen moments has hard edges. Still mostly a cozy, I guess I would say unusual.

[Cathy Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was absolutely charmed by the first book in this series, Malice Domestic, and I wasn't surprised-- Mollie Hardwick wrote the novels accompanying such PBS hits as Upstairs, Downstairs and The Duchess of Duke Street.

Unfortunately, I wasn't as charmed by this second book. Oh, there are still literary references that remind me of Dorothy Sayers and descriptions of antiques that put me in mind of Jonathan Gash's Lovejoy-- I just can't turn my nose up at wit and wisdom-- but the sparkle is definitely missing in this outing. Everything in Parson's Pleasure feels vaguely familiar, and Doran commits two sins that are high up on my Say It Ain't So list. (1) She withholds information from the police, and (2) she knew there was a murderer on the loose yet still sneaked off by herself to check a hunch.

Even though I am a bit disappointed with Parson's Pleasure, I'm going to read on in the series. Chelmarsh has an absolutely hideous daughter who is quite capable of creating spectacular trouble for Doran and Rodney. I want to see how Hardwick deals with her-- especially since the author planted such strong foreboding in this book!

[Wendroz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yuck

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is NOT 10 pages! 178 pages