Murder in the Parish

DI Hillary Greene #20

by Faith Martin

Former Detective Hillary Greene and her cold case team are handed an impossible case.
Thirty years ago, two days before Christmas, the much-loved Reverend Keith Coltrane was hit over the head and left to die inside his own church. The killer was never caught.
This shocking crime took place in the pretty Oxfordshire village of Lower Barton. Everyone knows everyone else in this peaceful little community. Who would have wanted to harm the young Reverend, who was handsome and popular - especially with the ladies of the village? No one has a bad word to say about him - apart from his younger sister.
Now, Hillary and her team of misfits are ready to find out the truth. They uncover old secrets, jealousies and long-standing feuds in the village. Secrets someone will kill to keep hidden.
Hillary is also hiding something - but she's finding it harder and harder to keep her own secret.
It's up to Hillary to uncover the shocking truth in this coldest of cold cases - before old crimes turn to new murder.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, British Literature, Contemporary, Detective, Procedural

218 pages, Paperback

First published April 6, 2023

About the author

Faith Martin is a pen name of English author Jacquie Walton, who is best known for her popular detective series, starring Detective Inspector Hillary Greene.

As Joyce Cato, she writes more classically-inspired 'cosy' murder mysteries, such as the Monica Noble mystery series.

As Maxine Barry, her latest romance novels are now available from Corazon Books.

As Jessie Daniels, her 'spooky' crime novel, The Lavender Lady Casefile came out in November 2017.

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

When head of the Cold Case unit, former detective Hillary Greene, was given the thirty year old murder of a vicar, Reverend Keith Coltrane, which had never been solved, she knew it was a long shot. But along with Gareth and Claire, they headed into the countryside to the detective who was originally on the case. Sharp and with his wits about him, Hillary felt he'd done all he could at the time. Now it was up to her to find the answers.

Along with her investigation, Hillary was having health problems which she didn't tell her team about. Would their deep dive into the past find the answers to the vicar's murder? And what would be Hillary's health outcome?

Murder in the Parish is the 20th in the DI Hillary Greene series by Faith Martin and it was another excellent addition to the series. Living on the narrowboat, The Molern, Hillary is a down to earth person, strong, always determined and doesn't take nonsense from anyone! I'm loving this series and sorry I'm coming to the end. Highly recommended.

[BonnieM☂️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder in the Parish is the 20th book in the series. It was a fun read. Ex-DI Hillary Greene is the main character. She is now a civil consultant in the Crime Review Team at the Thames Police Headquarters in the town of Kidlington. She worked under Superintendent Roland Sale. along with the crime team Claire Woolley, retired from the police force and Gareth Procter retired military. They have been given a new case of Reverend Keith Coltrane who was killed when he was hit over the head by a shovel 30 years ago.

Hillary goes to the town where the reverend was killed and sees his tombstone in the cemetery. She speaks to an old lady who is in the cemetery and is told that the reverend was well liked by all. Hillary and Claire go to speak to his sister. Moira Coltrane, who was and still is an alcoholic. She does not have anything nice to say about her brother who she blames for everything.

Hillary and Gareth go to see Ben Keating, who is retired policeman who was the head of the case. He tells them that it was a hard case to solve as there were several people who were in conflict with the reverend. All were cleared. Anthea Greyling was in love with the Keith but he wasn't with her. and her husband divorced her because of it. She left the town in disgrace and remarried. Her last name is Roland. She is now a widow as her 2nd husband died leaving her very comfortable. Peter and Dorothy Cornwallis and their son Trever were also mentioned as well as Max Walker who owned the land next to the church. He and the Keith had a disagreement about the land next to his land that Keith wanted for a cemetery and Max wanted it for buildings.

This is where the story takes off on an adventure along with the crime team of who killed Keith and why. There is blackmail, etc. of the above people who were questioned to laying a trap to find the blackmailer. There is a surprised ending.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for this ARC.

[Alan Cotterell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank NetGalley & Joffe Books for my ARC of Murder Now And Then in exchange for an honest review.

Book 20 In the Hilliary Greene Series, no longer a DI. Now working cold cases as a civilian. It has the usual format we have come to expect. Investigate the murder of a vicar 30myears ago. Might just me me but this one felt a bit half- hearted, with an ending that was a bit rushed. Another quick and easy book to read.

I would like to thank NetGalley & Joffe Books for my ARC of Murder Now And Then in exchange for an honest review.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable book featuring DI Hillary Greene, another cold case solved brilliantly as Hillary follows the clues despite concerns over her health.
If the author keep writing beyond this 20th installment, I shall keep reading.

Kindle Unlimited

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Long Time For A Killer To Be Revealed

This is a 4.5 🌟 read rounded ⬆️ to 5 🌟.

A stunning return to form for Faith Martin as our intrepid Hillary Greene is given a 30 year old murder cold case to investigate. With few leads and a perplexing victim to get their heads around, the cold case team certainly have their work cut out trying to get to the bottom of just who killed the Reverend.
Will Hillary be able to pull the proverbial rabbit from the hat and close the case? And why is her team worried about Hillary but keeping schtum. You'll just have to read the book to find out!

[BJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again the h is at her best, despite being older, unwell and not quite retired. Her calm and clever demeanor helped suspects to share their memories years after a tragic murder of a beloved vicar. These murder mysteries are very well written.

[Linden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hillary's cold case team has been given a 30 year old murder of a vicar. He was young and handsome, apparently popular with the local women, though he tried to ignore them. Could one of them murdered him? Or maybe a local businessman who was arguing about some property adjacent to the church? She and her team also come across a related blackmail scheme, and Hillary is also dealing with some health problems.

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilary was given an old case file to work on, didn’t matter that it was thirty years ago. It gave her and her team something to sink their teeth in.
A young priest was murdered and the village people were willing to talk about him, all of them saying he was nice. Probably would have been happier in
a bigger church than this one in the village.
Secrets between two men that destroyed a family, not wanting to lose that, a murder happened. Readers will find the plot with this case interesting to the end
Given ARC by. Net Galley and Joffe for my voluntary review

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Former Detective Inspector Hillary Greene and her cold case team are handed an impossible case.
Thirty years ago, two days before Christmas, the much-loved Reverend Keith Coltrane was hit over the head and left to die inside his own church in the pretty Oxfordshire village of Lower Barton. The killer was never caught. Everyone knows everyone else in this peaceful little community. The thirty five year old reverend was handsome and popular, especially with the ladies of the village. Even thirty years later, no one has a bad word to say about him — apart from his younger sister.
The twentieth book in this great series & another well written mystery that I devoured in an afternoon. I really like Hillary who is also concealing something & finding it harder and harder to keep her own secret! Hillary & her team are set quite a task as many people have died in the intervening years but they uncover old secrets, jealousies and long-standing feuds in the village. There are twists & turns as well as, of course, red herrings. A good mix of strong characters & a well paced story had the pages flying by. Now looking forward to book twenty one
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

[Marymetobooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hillary’s back! This is the 20th book in Faith Martin’s series featuring DI Hillary Greene. After what I thought were a few unimpressive additions to the series, the author seems to be back in stride. And I hope this series will continue for another twenty books, Hillary’s health allowing (more about that later).

Hillary had a distinguished career in the police department. Her solve rate is still unbeaten and she earned a medal for bravery. She is now retired, but is still working as a consultant in the division that investigates cold cases.

In this book, the case her team is charged to solve is the murder of a village vicar that occurred thirty years ago. This vicar was young (35), handsome, well liked, kind, and devoted to his calling. So who could have wished him dead?

There were three suspects in the original investigation: the victim’s jealous, drug-addicted younger sister, a man who was trying to buy a plot of land next to the church that the vicar had earmarked as additional cemetery space for his congregation, and a woman who was so blatantly besotted with the vicar that her husband divorced her.

News that the case is being looked at again is somehow leaked to the press, and soon Hillary has to deal with an anonymous tip, a visit from a bishop, and suspects who are now forewarned and thus better prepared for her questions. A couple of the suspects receive threats of blackmail.

The case is old and difficult, but Hillary takes it on with her usual diligence, her excellent intuition, and her valuable experience. Despite the fact that she has not been feeling well lately, she doggedly pushes through.

Yes, Hillary consults a doctor because she has been experiencing unusual fatigue and a lingering, wracking cough. An X-ray reveals an anomaly on her lung and a biopsy is taken.

Wishing Hillary good health, with ⭐️⭐️⭐️ and my thanks to the author, Faith Martin, to the publisher, Joffe Books, and to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book. Available now. #MurderInTheParish #JoffeBooks #netgalley

[vince weldon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Faith Martin's style of writing (normally), l like the Hillary Greene series (usually).

This was a decent enough latter day, cold case investigation...the final exposé was a decent enough surprise, the back story inserts were ok ( though as an Oxfordshire resident I didn't recognise the speed and efficiency of the health services Hillary experiences) but what lost points for me was some of the "lazy" writing I came across - multiple instances of the same words occurring in the same, or consecutive, sentences (I used a similar style in this review to show we can all do similar, but I think mines justified as a one off)...so many they grated enough that I docked a point from my review.

I think that, in the final interview with the killer, there is also a contextual error in respect of Hillary's knowledge of a letter, no more detail here to avoid spoilers... But I did read back and think I'm right - that grates too...

End of term report - good effort, could do better 🙂

[David Stimpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

No.20 and still Great

I have been a fan of the DI Hullary Green series since Book 1 . Once again Faith Martin gives us a Great Story with Good Honest ,real characters .. I cannot wait for No.21

[June · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, these books are most enjoyable, and although part of a series can be read as a standalone .Be prepared, to be hooked, and want to read the rest.
The gripping storyline and plot, along with the descriptive and strong characters, have you captured and guessing from beginning to end.
It is a most wonderful and thoroughly enjoyable book.
My thanks to Joffe books for the advanced copy. This is my honest, unbiased review

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cold case for ex-DI Hillary Greene and her team. Thirty years ago the Reverend Keith Coltrane, 35, of Lower Barton, was murdered. The weapon, suspected to be a spade was never recovered. With many of the possible suspects dead how will the team uncover the guilty party.
An entertaining and well-written modern mystery with its likeable main character. Another good addition to this enjoyable series
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Thansohocvietnam88]

Coi nhân số học có phải là mê tín không?

Hiện nay, rất nhiều người lựa chọn coi nhân số học để khám phá về cuộc sống của chính mình. Trong số đó có nhiều người còn băn khoăn về lĩnh vực này cho rằng thần học không khác gì với mê tín. Liệu rằng suy luận này có đúng  hay không? Hãy cùng chúng tôi tìm hiểu qua bài chia sẻ sau đây.

▶️▶️▶️ Tìm hiểu thêm thông tin chi tiết tại:  https://www.facebook.com/tracuuthansohocpitagoonline

Thần số học là gì?

Thần số học là một môn khoa học nghiên cứu từ lâu đời

Thần số học đã rất quen thuộc với nhiều người Việt Nam trong những năm trở lại đây. Thần học chính là một bộ môn khoa học giúp nghiên cứu tìm hiểu sâu về mỗi con người. Xem Thần Số Học khi được đưa vào Việt Nam thì nhà thần số học Lê Đỗ Quỳnh Hương đã đổi tên thành nhân số học sao cho gần gũi hơn với người Việt Nam. 

Nguồn gốc thần số học

Thần số học là một môn khoa  học có mặt từ hàng ngàn  năm  trước đây và được nhiều tài liệu ghi lại. Thần học có mặt ở các  nền văn minh lớn từ lâu như Atlantis,  Ấn Độ,  Ai Cập,  Trung Quốc, Hy Lạp cổ đại. Như vậy, có thể thấy từ thời xa xưa con người đã nghiên cứu về lĩnh vực thần số học.

Cho đến hiện nay bộ môn Thần số học đã có nhiều thay đổi đáng kể và được phân chia thành các dạng chính như: Chaldean, Kabbalah, Pythagoras và I Ching. Bởi vì có nguồn gốc khác nhau nên mỗi phương pháp cũng có những cách tính riêng biệt.

Hệ thống Chaldean: Đây là hệ thống thần học có nguồn gốc từ thời Babylon cổ đại thực hiện luận giải  thông qua các con số từ 1-8 trong đó con số 9 được xem là con số linh thiêng nhất.

Hệ thống Kabbalah: Đây chính là một trường phái nổi tiếng được  thành lập bởi người theo Do Thái. Hệ  thống thần học này sẽ khám phá những góc  khuất của con người về mặt tâm hồn và tinh thần. Hệ thống  này tập trung khai thác giải nghĩa thông qua tên gọi.

Hệ thống thần học Pitago:  Đây chính là hệ thống được phát minh bởi nhà toán  học Pitago và lĩnh vực này được áp dụng cho đến hiện nay.

Hệ thống I Ching:   Hệ thống này có nguồn gốc từ  Trung Hoa và tập trung vào việc luận giải  các suy đoán vận mệnh của con người.

Coi thần số học có phải là mê tín hay không?

Coi thần số học không phải là mê tín

Thông qua những phân tích nêu trên thì có thể thấy thần số học không phải là mê tín. Đây chính là một trong những môn khoa học có cơ sở lý luận kết hợp với  rất nhiều những nghiên cứu của các nhà thần học nên đảm bảo nhân số học không phải mê tín.

Sở dĩ nhân học được nhiều người hiểu lầm là mê tín là do thần số học xuất phát từ phương Tây. Kết hợp với nhiều nguồn thông tin không chính xác nên nhiều người cho rằng thần học chính là mê tín. Nhưng thực tế thì không phải mà thần học là một bộ môn khoa học khám phá về cuộc đời của mỗi con người.

Tóm lại, coi Thần Số Học Việt Nam  không phải mê tín mà có cơ sở khoa học rõ ràng. Vì vậy để khám phá về bản thân mình bạn có thể xem thần học qua hình thức online hay offline. Nhờ vậy bạn hiểu hơn về bản thân mình và có được cho mình những hướng đi đúng đắn hơn.

[BoredBrunetteBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited when I saw there were new Hillary Greene books. Back in my KU addicted days, I read the whole series in under three months, I was so obsessed.

It's been a few years since that flurry of activity and I don't know if it's rose-tinged nostalgia glasses but this was so disappointing? She's gone from being a compelling character to a bit of a know-it-all, holier than thou, who always knows the perfect thing to say and mysteriously knows everything, and has infinite resources of experiences/hobbies. In one of the books, she randomly has the power of recognising a rare, random bird from a good distance away, noting how tiny it is... but she is also continuously lamenting her fading eyesight due to age and not being able to see that far and resenting the need for glasses. She alone seems to notice VERY BLATANT or EXTREMELY SUBTLE clues, and the rest of her team remain clueless and trust her blindly, noting that she is an omnipresent deity in the criminal world.

Further, I have found that in three of the four new books, I picked up on the clue that denoted the killer and the reason the second it was dropped, very early on in the book. I'm not sure if that's because I'm a bit of an omnipresent deity myself, or the writing has become quite heavy handed, but unfortunately I think this series or this author is no longer for me. The repeated info-dumping (which always praised Hillary Greene's past, multiple times per book, with each character having to individually realise that she was a quite good looking, ridiculously intelligent, well-respected professional), the repeated jokes about Puff the Crap Wagon, and the random head-hopping, sometimes multiple times on a page, frustrated me enough to pull me out of the story.

I'm sure it didn't help that I read all four of the new books within 3 days, which no doubt compounded the above frustrations.

It's sad, because I really loved this series and was so happy when I saw they were back, and part of me wants to read some of the original series to see if I'm misremembering how good they were... but I truly LOVED Hillary Greene's character originally, and much like my old college boyfriend, we have clearly grown up and apart, and it's time to move on. I would still recommend these books to other, less critical and voracious readers of crime. I'm sure my mother would be awed by the criminal each time, but I personally need something different from my mysteries, moving forward.

[Lizzie Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ex-DI Hilary Greene is now back at Thames Valley Police HQ in the heart of Kidlington in Oxfordshire, working as a consultant, heading up the CRT (Crime Review Team) clearing up cold cases. Her boss is Superintendent Sale aka Rollo to Hillary. Consigned to the basement area, her office is a former stationery cupboard, and she has two assistants Claire Woolley, who worked for 25 years in the domestic violence and rape unit, and a new recruit, former soldier, Garath Proctor.

On this morning Puff the Tragic Wagon, her ancient Volkswagen Golf known to splutter and make alarming noises started Ok. In fact, the only noise in the car was down to Hilary coughing. Arriving at the station Rollo presents her with a new case. One that took place 30 years ago just two days before Christmas in the village of Lower Barton. The victim the much-loved Reverend Keith Coltrane was hit over the head and left to die inside his own church. The killer was never caught.

The original SIO was DI Ben Keating, now long retired. With all cold cases the place to start was to re interview the people involved at the time. Sometimes with the passage of time things surface that were not uncovered at the time. The only problem with this approach with this case is that many of the people around at the time will have died.

So, Hilary starts with Ben Keating, now in his 80’s but still sharp. When told of the case, his comment was ‘odd’. He elaborated further that with some cases you never seem to get hold of the meat and gravy of it. He did have a couple of suspects, Anthea Greyling, and the vicar’s sister Moira, but no evidence against them came to light. So, who would want to harm a young man, who was handsome, charismatic, and well liked?

As the investigation proceeds, and news gets out that the thirty-year-old case is being re-investigated, several people are alarmed. What do they have to hide? What old secrets will Hilary unearth?

And what is Hilary hiding?

I am always delighted to have a new Hillary Greene mystery, and as always, I read it in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down. Most highly recommended.
----
Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crime fiction superstar Faith Martin thrills with her latest novel featuring former Detective Hillary Greene: Murder in the Parish.

Hillary and her team have been handed a complex case which has them all baffled. Thirty years ago in the picturesque Oxfordshire village of Lower Barton, much-loved Reverend Keith Coltrane had been hit over the head and left to die in his own church. The community of Lower Barton was a tight-knit one where everybody knew everybody else and where nobody had a bad word to say about anyone. Keith had been very popular with the villagers – and he was a firm favourite with the ladies. But who could have possibly committed such an atrocious act of violence? Was Keith the victim of a random attack? Or could it have been something much more sinister?

Three decades later and people still have fond memories of Keith. Nobody in Lower Barton has anything negative to say about the much-missed reverend – except for his younger sister. As Hillary and her team dust off the case’s cobwebs and begin to investigate, they untangle a complex web of lies, deceptions and secrets. It turns out that Lower Barton isn’t as idyllic as its initially appears. However, this investigation could end up being thrown in jeopardy by Hillary and a secret she is desperate to keep close to her chest.

Can Hillary and her team get to the bottom of this case? Or will old crimes end up leading to a new murder?

Faith Martin has done it again! Murder in the Parish is a brilliantly plotted mystery full of twists and turns and red herrings that kept me glued to its pages. Packed with tension, twists and turns and shocks and revelations that left me with my jaw on the floor, Murder in the Parish is a superb British mystery with a fabulous detective that I couldn’t bear to put down.

A first-rate crime novel readers will devour in a single sitting, Faith Martin’s Murder in the Parish is another superb page-turner from this million-selling author.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Porscha · Rating 5 out of 5]

as you can see from my december reading profile, i fell swiftly and headlong in love with this series and the DI at the heart of it. i appreciate that she’s written with understanding, imperfectly, never the almost-robotic “genius” who can preternaturally solve every crime she opens a folder on. while she does have an abnormally high solve rate, specifically on murder cases (something referred to frequently, in a successful dual bid to remind the reader that it is both unusual enough to strain credulity, but still seemingly not requiring much of us in the realm of disbelief suspension), Faith Martin’s plain spoken deftness with this main character as well as the cast that supports her helps a reader to not just believe (more hesitantly, sometimes), but shrug and go along with it, just to see how it twists and turns THIS time.

i love almost every single one of these admittedly formulaic but somehow still powerfully compelling stories, and this is the one i think i’ve loved most of all.

the basics: former DI hillary is experiencing a prolonged and bothersome health complication, leading her to ponder her life thus far and what she has left of it, while re-investigating the 30-year-old cold case murder of a village vicar who seemed to arouse strong feelings in everyone who crossed his path. faith martin knows what she’s doing, so unsurprisingly there are a couple of early more obvious twists that lull the reader into comfort before taking on a far less predictable narrative, and most of the characters are written so to be interesting and engaging, even when they’re not necessarily good. they’re fully realized, and that’s enough to feel real.

without spoilers, i’ll say the wrap up to this case was so uniquely satisfying, in that it gave the reader just enough to feel as if the most major questions were answered, but lacked enough true answers to relate to the modern crime reader that sometimes, despite our superhuman solve rates and third person omniscience, we won’t get all the answers we set off after, and that that will nonetheless have to be enough.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of Murder in the Parish, the twentieth novel to feature former DI Hillary Greene, now working as a consultant on cold cases for Thames Valley Police.

Thirty years ago the Reverend Keith Coltrane was murdered in his own church. Now Hillary and her team are taking another look at the unsolved case and uncover all sorts of secrets and feuds in the village of Lower Barton.

I enjoyed Murder in the Parish, which is a pleasant read with a few twists to keep it interesting. As ever with cold cases it is character driven, mostly due to a lack of forensics, and in this case it starts with victimology. The Reverend Keith Coltrane is a difficult man to pin down, in my opinion, as it is never overtly stated, because he is so charismatic, handsome and attractive to others that they tend to project what they want from him onto his character. This lack of clarity about his character makes it difficult for the team to identify suspects and motives. Still, it makes for good reading as Hillary and her team mull over all sorts of possibilities and throw in a goof few red herrings along the way.

The novel is mostly told from Hillary’s point of view with contributions from various villagers and one in particular with secrets to hide. This is cleverly done, putting the reader on high alert for a potential murderer, but it’s perhaps not what it seems. In fact the whole novel is full of not what it seems moments. It is a rather subdued Hillary in this novel. She has her own problems, so her mind isn’t fully on her work.

Murder in the Parish is a good read that I can recommend.

[Misfits farm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so very happy- Hillary is back! (One of a series but happily stands alone). How do I explain? Hillary was a DI who is now retired but working on cold cases with a small team reporting to serving officers. She is a wonderful character that shines through the pages- a testament to Faith’s writing. I love “ Puff the tragic wagon” and the reminder of POETS day (if you know, you know) and although a serious subject this is written in a light hearted style which puts the reader both at ease and very quickly into the frame of things, making it a relaxing, highly entertaining read.

This time the case is of a young Reverend who was killed possibly with a spade in the doorway of his church thirty years ago. It appears he was popular- rather too popular in some quarters but kept himself aloof to this. There was some controversy over land which the church wanted to buy but seemingly nothing worth killing over. Who would want him dead and why? There are threatening letters and blackmail going on and Hillary has her own health to consider in the midst of all this.

Another cracker of a read from an author I would happily give 10 stars to if I could. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every one of the books in this series and each time I really don’t want to finish the book- I wish it would keep going. A treasure of a read and I can’t wait for the next.

For more reviews please follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog
_____________________

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

232 pages

5 stars

Thirty years ago the Reverend Keith Coltrane was bludgeoned to death with a shovel in the entrance to his church. Reverend Coltrane was a young man who was very attractive to the women in his parish. He was known to do his best to remain aloof to the gaggle of women who followed him around.

Now in charge of the cold case squad of three people, former detective Hillary Greene takes on the re-investigation of the Reverend’s murder. There are a plethora of suspects: from the woman who was - and still is - infatuated with Vicar, to the neighbor with whom the Reverend had a land dispute, to a blackmailer who intends to profit and a younger sister who hated him.

Meanwhile, Hillary is dealing with a health problem, but she hasn’t told anyone else.

This is perhaps my favorite novel of Ms. Martin’s Hillary Greene series. Hillary may be now older, but she’s still got it. The characters in this book are well fleshed out. I enjoy reading about the lives of the police officers and the suspects. It makes me feel more connected to the characters. I felt like I was in the car driving along and a witness to the interviews she and her teammates conducted. I truly enjoyed reading this book and will continue to read Ms. Martin’s work.

I want to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for forwarding to me a copy of this book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

[Alyson Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Putting her current health worries aside, ex-DI Hillary Greene and her small team of Claire Woolley, an ex-DS with many years’ experience in rape and domestic violence cases and Gareth Proctor, a former soldier invalided out of the army, in the CRT (Crime Review Team) based in Kidlington, receive a new cold case from Supt Roland (Rollo) Sale. Young vicar Reverend Keith Coltrane was brutally murdered with a spade in the doorway of his own church in the village of Lower Barton thirty years ago and the culprit was never found, although there were three suspects at the time, the man’s drug addicted sister, a besotted female parishioner and a neighbour with whom he was feuding over a piece of land. As they start their case review, the press gets hold of news of the investigation and certain people from thirty years ago are becoming very worried. Then the blackmail letters start to arrive. Could the letter writer hold the key to the murder?
This is a great cosy murder mystery story with some nice humour and I for one am happy to see this very enjoyable series being extended. The small team work well together and with less action in this book, the reliance is more on Hillary’s very obvious vast experience to sift through the lies and get to the truth. Finally Hillary is back and it’s been worth the wait!

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two days before Christmas, a young handsome Reverend Keith Coltrane is murdered in his church in the small village of Lower Barton. DI Hillary Greene (retired) and her cold case team investigate the thirty-year-old shocking murder in the sleepy little village. Was the Reverend really well-liked by everyone in the community or did someone love him too much?

Struggling to identify who had the motive to kill the Reverend, DI Greene also deals with health issues during this case. The Thames Valley Police Crime Review Team digs hard into the relationships in the village to come up with the murderer. This cozy police procedural is the 20th entry in the Detective Hillary Greene series. Although I have yet to read the others, I enjoyed this outing. The author plays with the humour of an aging detective, her aging car and her long-dead cold case. This is an easy read with a likeable mature main character.

Thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley for access to the digital ARC Murder in the Parish by Faith Martin.

[Books 'n' All Promotions · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems to have been a long wait but Hillary Greene is back in this new addition to a brilliant series.

Hillary is currently working as a civilian consultant with the cold case team, trying to solve cases that were not solved first time around. Up to now Hillary's solve rate has been the envy of everyone in the department but this is a hard one and to make it harder she has a personal problem to deal with.

A vicar who was loved by everyone was murdered thirty years ago. But neither the murderer nor the murder weapon was ever found. As the team begin to investigate they realise that they have their work cut out. Villagers with secrets, dysfunctional families, women who had a crush on the likeable vicar, teenagers playing tricks all play a part in this book.

It was an entertaining read and an easy one. Nothing to keep you awake at nights apart from the need to keep reading.

I was a bit annoyed that the book ended with a cliff-hanger, that always annoys me, but still a good read that I recommend.

[Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

This time round Hilary and her team Clair and Gareth find themselves looking into a 30 year old murder of Reverend Keith Coltrane, found dead in his church yard in the village of Lower Barton.
The original investigation had thrown up two suspects one a business man who was trying to buy a plot of land for a glamping site, the Reverend however wanted it as an extension to his cemetery.
The Reverend being handsome and well liked by the ladies of the parish had gathered quite a few admirers amongst the females of the parish. one in particular had been chasing him so determinedly that her husband had been flagged as a suspect.
Hilary and the team uncover a host of petty jealousies, feuds and village secrets.
The question is will they be able to sort through all the red herrings and finally discover just who killed Reverend Keith Coltrane. No easy task especially whilst Hilary is waiting the results of a current health scare.

As usual an entertaining read and a good addition to one of my favourite series.
Already looking forward to the next one.

[Nancy]

Former Detective Hillary Greene and her cold case team are handed an impossible case.

Thirty years ago, two days before Christmas, the much-loved Reverend Keith Coltrane was hit over the head and left to die inside his own church. The killer was never caught.

This shocking crime took place in the pretty Oxfordshire village of Lower Barton. Everyone knows everyone else in this peaceful little community. Who would have wanted to harm the young Reverend, who was handsome and popular — especially with the ladies of the village? No one has a bad word to say about him — apart from his younger sister.

Now, Hillary and her team of misfits are ready to find out the truth. They uncover old secrets, jealousies and long-standing feuds in the village. Secrets someone will kill to keep hidden.

Hillary is also hiding something — but she’s finding it harder and harder to keep her own secret.

It’s up to Hillary to uncover the shocking truth in this coldest of cold cases — before old crimes turn to new murder.

Good.

[Martina Kovaříková · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars from me, mainly because of the ending. It just did not feel.. right. Maybe slightly anticlimacted? In some ways. At least for me.
Apart from that, I found it also a weird one, because for me there were not that many hints by which I could have guessed and I am not sure if the person really came into spotlight that much. So there were few reasons I had more mixed feelings. But it was interesting one because the murder happened such a long time ago that even getting living witnesses was tricky. And back then the methods and science available to police was also very different. So evidence was bit limited and I would say it took a bit of luck to solve this one. But this also meant less hints about the murderer.
What I found bit annoying was the time spent on Hillary's health issues. I guess it is to make the book bit more realistic, but to me it just felt a bit a way to make it longer? Potentially? I did still enjoy it, but I was bit going over those passages faster. And not reading them fully.

[SusanH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder in the Parish, by Faith Martin, is a clever and well-written mystery. Hillary Greene is a former Detective Inspector now working cold cases as a consultant. She and her small team are faced with re-examining the 30 year old murder of a popular, good looking vicar in the beautiful village of Lower Barton. The brutal murder occurred right before Christmas and was never solved. Two suspects are currently being blackmailed. To add to the complexity, Greene has a persistent cough, fears she could have a serious illness and insists that her boss be kept in the dark. Greene is a clearly drawn character. Enough is written about her backstory to make this acceptable as a stand-alone book. Overall this is a delightful read, with colorful characters including a quirky Greene who has named her car Puff! I was unaware it was the 20th in a series or I would have read the earlier books. Highly recommended.

With thanks to Netgalley and Joffe Books for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

[Robert Crouch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hillary Greene returns to investigate another cold case murder, involving Rev Keith Coltrane thirty years ago. Popular with his parish and many of the women in the village, there were several key suspects in the original investigation, but a lack of evidence.

Hillary sets out with her team to uncover new details that may shed light on the killing and the killer. Progress is slow, people have secrets to hide, and Hillary’s struggling with a chest complaint that’s more than a simple infection.

But her determination is legendary, and despite the lack of evidence and the time lag, she starts to piece it all together.

Like the previous titles in the series, it’s an enjoyable and entertaining mystery with some great characters and relationships, and enough plot questions to keep you turning the pages. There’s plenty of observational humour sprinkled throughout and another lovely village location to enjoy.