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Theodora Braithwaite #7
Heavenly Vices
Please note this is a completely revised edition with corrected formatting.
Nestled deep in the Chiltern Hills, Gracemount College has one purpose: to prepare students for ordination into the Anglican church. Its hallowed grounds are steeped in history and bishops rest easy knowing their young men are in safe hands here.
That is until Conrad Duff, the warden of the college, is found dead in his bed.
The folded piece of A4 paper lying on his dresser suggests it was suicide, but his widow’s not so sure . . .
She enlists the help of Theodora Braithwaite to find out who is responsible for the murder of her husband. But Duff was an odious man, and the list of suspects are plenty.
The truth could finish the college. Is that a risk Theodora is prepared to take?
Nestled deep in the Chiltern Hills, Gracemount College has one purpose: to prepare students for ordination into the Anglican church. Its hallowed grounds are steeped in history and bishops rest easy knowing their young men are in safe hands here.
That is until Conrad Duff, the warden of the college, is found dead in his bed.
The folded piece of A4 paper lying on his dresser suggests it was suicide, but his widow’s not so sure . . .
She enlists the help of Theodora Braithwaite to find out who is responsible for the murder of her husband. But Duff was an odious man, and the list of suspects are plenty.
The truth could finish the college. Is that a risk Theodora is prepared to take?
- GenresMystery
207 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 18, 1997
74 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
D.M. Greenwood
14 books14 followersDr D(iane) M Greenwood described herself as "a low level ecclesiastical civil servant". Coming originally from Norfolk in England, she took a first degree in classics at Oxford, then, as a mature student, a second degree in theology at London University. She taught at various schools before working for the diocese of Rochester. She was described by an ex-pupil as "a classics teacher of terrifying erudition and eccentricity". She retired as diocesan director of education for the diocese of Rochester in 2004. She published nine Theodora Braithwaite novels between 1991 and 1999. She was last heard of living in Greenwich with her lurcher bitch.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 28, 2015
Theodora Braithwaite is visiting Gracemount theological college, founded by Thomas Henry Newcome in the nineteenth century because she is writing a biography of him and wishes to consult his archive which is held at the college. She hopes for a week of peace and quiet but she finds everyone wants her to do something for them and she despairs of ever getting her hands on her subject's diaries.
The Warden of the college - Conrad Duff - has recently died in somewhat dubious circumstances and his widow wants Theodora to find out who was responsible. I love Theodora as a character - she is not always in the best of moods and she loves being on her own and reading - a lady after my own heart!
The portrait painted by this author of the machinations of the Church of England isn't always pleasant but it is often witty and never less than entertaining. I enjoy the way Theodora sets about her investigations and I thought the mystery was well plotted. This book is number seven in the series but the books can be read in any order.
The Warden of the college - Conrad Duff - has recently died in somewhat dubious circumstances and his widow wants Theodora to find out who was responsible. I love Theodora as a character - she is not always in the best of moods and she loves being on her own and reading - a lady after my own heart!
The portrait painted by this author of the machinations of the Church of England isn't always pleasant but it is often witty and never less than entertaining. I enjoy the way Theodora sets about her investigations and I thought the mystery was well plotted. This book is number seven in the series but the books can be read in any order.
June 2, 2023
I initially found this series by D.M. Greenwood to be fascinating. The author has an extensive knowledge of Anglican traditions and ethical and theological issues. With this particular offering, my interest flagged and I doubt that I will pick up another in the series. The characters in this novel did not have sufficient redeeming qualities to keep me engaged.
The Church of England might well represent any hierarchical social structure, where, predictably, the most aggressively self-promoting and often the least capable rise to the top (remember The Peter Principle?) In this novel, the ambitious head of a theological college is killed in a most ingenious way. His wife hates him. His son hates him. There are rivalries amongst staff. For me, it is difficult when a victim is so thoroughly unlikeable that I cannot care sufficiently who killed him.
Written just as the church was beginning to accept women priests, Theodora Braithwaite, our deaconess and sleuth, clings resolutely to her determination not to be 'priested,' a notion which seems outmoded in this day and age. Towards the end of the novel, there was a suggestion that the church's financial woes could be solved by women priests, who will work for less pay, and non-stipendiary workers (volunteer priests). This rang true for the period in question, certainly, but having suffered myself from being an unpaid slave of the church, this was too close to home. This novel ceased to be a 'cozy.' For me, at any rate.
Additionally, the treatment of homosexuality and the aids crisis, by illusion rather than clear wording, seemed outdated, This book was of its time and that time is past.
The Church of England might well represent any hierarchical social structure, where, predictably, the most aggressively self-promoting and often the least capable rise to the top (remember The Peter Principle?) In this novel, the ambitious head of a theological college is killed in a most ingenious way. His wife hates him. His son hates him. There are rivalries amongst staff. For me, it is difficult when a victim is so thoroughly unlikeable that I cannot care sufficiently who killed him.
Written just as the church was beginning to accept women priests, Theodora Braithwaite, our deaconess and sleuth, clings resolutely to her determination not to be 'priested,' a notion which seems outmoded in this day and age. Towards the end of the novel, there was a suggestion that the church's financial woes could be solved by women priests, who will work for less pay, and non-stipendiary workers (volunteer priests). This rang true for the period in question, certainly, but having suffered myself from being an unpaid slave of the church, this was too close to home. This novel ceased to be a 'cozy.' For me, at any rate.
Additionally, the treatment of homosexuality and the aids crisis, by illusion rather than clear wording, seemed outdated, This book was of its time and that time is past.
July 22, 2023
While I enjoyed the quick read and the theological institution setting, this series is becoming a bit formulaic. Rather than dealing seriously with the real issues of institutional Christianity in this century, this relied on stereotypes and cliches. It’s coy treatment of AIDS is redolent of all it criticises in the church. And the ending is a cop out. 2.6 stars
August 29, 2012
Originally published on my blog here in September 2000.
Claremont is one of the colleges which prepare students for ordination into the Anglican church, and it is suffering a crisis like that faced by that church in the UK. It is staffed by a group of stereotypes, mainly there for secular purposes rather than as a result of religious conviction; this is in contrast to the equally stereotyped group of students, whose shared characteristic could be described as simple faith. (They include a patronising portrait of an African cleric overwhelmed by the cultural differences between his homeland and a college in the Chilterns.)
This rather lazy background is the setting for a tepid murder mystery, for Claremont is currently suffering from a particular as well as a general crisis. Its head, political schemer Conrad Duff, has died, Although the doctor has certified that the cause was a heart attack, his unpleasant wife Richeldis (whose dislike of her husband is just about the only facet of her character Greenwood allows to exist) is convinced that it was murder. She (bizarrely) chooses outsider Theodora Braithwaite, who has just arrived at the college to work on the private papers of its founder for a biography, to investigate. She forces her to do this by refusing to allow her access to Henry Newcome's diaries for the crucial years in the 1870s when he was working on one of the most important books of nineteenth century Anglican theology unless she unmasks the murderer. Even more bizarrely, Theodora does so, rather than getting someone with authority to force Richeldis to turn the papers (which belong to the college) over to her.
Overall, Heavenly Vices is a lazy and poorly written detective novel, which seems to serve no other purpose than to perpetuate the stereotypical view that the Church of England is run by political schemers bent on confusing those with a naive and simple faith who form their congregations. Greenwood's lack of real interest in what she is writing is exemplified by shoddy detail such has misdating the premiere of Weber's opera Der Freischutz.
Claremont is one of the colleges which prepare students for ordination into the Anglican church, and it is suffering a crisis like that faced by that church in the UK. It is staffed by a group of stereotypes, mainly there for secular purposes rather than as a result of religious conviction; this is in contrast to the equally stereotyped group of students, whose shared characteristic could be described as simple faith. (They include a patronising portrait of an African cleric overwhelmed by the cultural differences between his homeland and a college in the Chilterns.)
This rather lazy background is the setting for a tepid murder mystery, for Claremont is currently suffering from a particular as well as a general crisis. Its head, political schemer Conrad Duff, has died, Although the doctor has certified that the cause was a heart attack, his unpleasant wife Richeldis (whose dislike of her husband is just about the only facet of her character Greenwood allows to exist) is convinced that it was murder. She (bizarrely) chooses outsider Theodora Braithwaite, who has just arrived at the college to work on the private papers of its founder for a biography, to investigate. She forces her to do this by refusing to allow her access to Henry Newcome's diaries for the crucial years in the 1870s when he was working on one of the most important books of nineteenth century Anglican theology unless she unmasks the murderer. Even more bizarrely, Theodora does so, rather than getting someone with authority to force Richeldis to turn the papers (which belong to the college) over to her.
Overall, Heavenly Vices is a lazy and poorly written detective novel, which seems to serve no other purpose than to perpetuate the stereotypical view that the Church of England is run by political schemers bent on confusing those with a naive and simple faith who form their congregations. Greenwood's lack of real interest in what she is writing is exemplified by shoddy detail such has misdating the premiere of Weber's opera Der Freischutz.
January 20, 2008
I generally like "clergy mysteries," but this was not one of my favorites. I will probably read at least one more in the series to see if my suspicions about the author's point of view are correct. A female deacon in the Church of England, who has elected not to pursue ordination, apparently to ease the way for reunion with Rome, ends up at a theological college where the head has died or been killed - no one is quite sure which. Some of the motivations imputed to various characters set off a few alarm bells with me. I won't say any more for fear of spoilers.
July 13, 2009
Excellent English mystery set in a school for Episcopalian priests. I really enjoyed it. (Loaned me by MY Episcopal priest here in Cedar City)
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews