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Callie Anson #4
False Tongues
Callie Anson should have learned her lesson by revisiting the past is seldom a good idea. But she succumbs to peer pressure and attends a reunion at her theological college in Cambridge, where she is forced to confront painful memories – and the presence of her clueless ex, Adam.
Margaret Phillips, the Principal of the college, has a chance for happiness but before she can grasp it she has to deal with her own ghosts – as well as corrosive, intrusive gossip. Both women learn something about themselves, and about forgiveness, from the wise John Kingsley.
Meanwhile, in London, police officers Neville Stewart and Mark Lombardi are involved with the latest fatal stabbing of a teenager. Was gifted, popular Sebastian Frost all he seemed to be, or was there something in his life that led inevitably to his death? They’re plunged into the queasy world of cyber-bullying, where nothing may be as it seems.
While they’re apart, Callie and Mark’s relationship is on hold, and his Italian family continues to be an issue. Will Marco realise, before it’s too late, that while his family will always be important to him, he is entitled to something for himself? Kate Charles is an established novelist whose books have received glowing reviews.
Margaret Phillips, the Principal of the college, has a chance for happiness but before she can grasp it she has to deal with her own ghosts – as well as corrosive, intrusive gossip. Both women learn something about themselves, and about forgiveness, from the wise John Kingsley.
Meanwhile, in London, police officers Neville Stewart and Mark Lombardi are involved with the latest fatal stabbing of a teenager. Was gifted, popular Sebastian Frost all he seemed to be, or was there something in his life that led inevitably to his death? They’re plunged into the queasy world of cyber-bullying, where nothing may be as it seems.
While they’re apart, Callie and Mark’s relationship is on hold, and his Italian family continues to be an issue. Will Marco realise, before it’s too late, that while his family will always be important to him, he is entitled to something for himself? Kate Charles is an established novelist whose books have received glowing reviews.
288 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2015
20 people are currently reading
413 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
October 2, 2016
There are so many things wrong with this book...starting with the boring characters. None of these people had any life, not even Callie, who I have liked in previous books. There just wasn't anything there to like. Callie was attending a class reunion at Cambridge, while the actual crime took place in London. About all she did was worry about Marco,while Marco worried about Adam, Janet worried about Brian, Margaret worried about Keith, Keith worried about...and on and on and on.
Callie, et al. were not involved in the actual crime - they just agonized about each other around the edges of it. The only connections between the two stories was that Marco was the Family Liaison Officer to the victim's family, and Callie's boss's wife knew the mother of one of the suspects. Okay, then.
There was a definite lack of knowledge of correct police procedure in that investigation. The lead detective interviewed several underage teens without their parents being present. Apparently this was okay because at the time they were not suspects. Maybe British law is different, but I don't think it's that different. Furthermore, he interviewed a 15-year-old girl alone in the girl's own bedroom, while her mother was out. Twice. The second time he had a passing worry that she possibly could accuse him of "something" if he was alone with her. As she had already confessed to earning extra money by finding older men on the internet who paid her for dancing nude in front of her computer, - hello? He also talked several times with that girl's younger sister, also without parental presence.
An unsatisfactory read, on all levels.
Callie, et al. were not involved in the actual crime - they just agonized about each other around the edges of it. The only connections between the two stories was that Marco was the Family Liaison Officer to the victim's family, and Callie's boss's wife knew the mother of one of the suspects. Okay, then.
There was a definite lack of knowledge of correct police procedure in that investigation. The lead detective interviewed several underage teens without their parents being present. Apparently this was okay because at the time they were not suspects. Maybe British law is different, but I don't think it's that different. Furthermore, he interviewed a 15-year-old girl alone in the girl's own bedroom, while her mother was out. Twice. The second time he had a passing worry that she possibly could accuse him of "something" if he was alone with her. As she had already confessed to earning extra money by finding older men on the internet who paid her for dancing nude in front of her computer, - hello? He also talked several times with that girl's younger sister, also without parental presence.
An unsatisfactory read, on all levels.
Want to read
February 11, 2019Synopsis: Reverend Anson attends a reunion at her Cambridge theological college while her friend, police officer Lombardi handles a stabbing.
June 26, 2015
Callie Anson decides to go back to her old theological college for a week long course. Brian - the vicar in her parish - isn't keen on her going because it means he can't get away for a few days but he reluctantly agrees in the end. Then Callie wishes she hadn't decided to go when she learns that her ex-fiancé - Adam - will be there.
Her current boyfriend - Marco - decides not to announce their engagement at his family Easter get together and Callie is feeling just a little insecure. In the meantime Marco Lombardi and Neville Stewart have the murder of a teenage boy to investigate. This is no young tearaway gone off the rails but the only son of two hospital consultants. But was he as well behaved as his parents think he was?
There is plenty going on in this book and each chapter includes most strands of the story which make it seem to rush along at a great rate but it does hold your interest. Has the author tried to pack too much into one book? I did wonder when I realised there were a couple of other sub plots going on too. However I did enjoy it and managed to keep everything straight in my head while I was reading.
If you like your crime stories with a combination of church and police then this series might be a good one to try. This is the fourth book in the Callie Anson series and I think you really need to read them in the order in which they were published to understand the relationships between the series characters.
Her current boyfriend - Marco - decides not to announce their engagement at his family Easter get together and Callie is feeling just a little insecure. In the meantime Marco Lombardi and Neville Stewart have the murder of a teenage boy to investigate. This is no young tearaway gone off the rails but the only son of two hospital consultants. But was he as well behaved as his parents think he was?
There is plenty going on in this book and each chapter includes most strands of the story which make it seem to rush along at a great rate but it does hold your interest. Has the author tried to pack too much into one book? I did wonder when I realised there were a couple of other sub plots going on too. However I did enjoy it and managed to keep everything straight in my head while I was reading.
If you like your crime stories with a combination of church and police then this series might be a good one to try. This is the fourth book in the Callie Anson series and I think you really need to read them in the order in which they were published to understand the relationships between the series characters.
October 12, 2024
I had read other books in this series but didn't remember much about them, so I can't say whether the set-up was similar.
February 25, 2018
I waited a long time for the next installment in the Callie Anson series. The only characters I liked was Neville Stewart, and the older priests. I found myself SO annoyed with Callie for not keeping her own counsel with her stupid friends who give new meaning to gossips. Seemed this book was about learning to stand up for oneself.
August 21, 2018
Good story overall
This book shifted points of view a lot. Too much for my tastes. The mystery of who killed Seb was good and Callie's story was good but they didn't fit together smoothly.
This book shifted points of view a lot. Too much for my tastes. The mystery of who killed Seb was good and Callie's story was good but they didn't fit together smoothly.
May 24, 2017
Liked the setting but found it quite clichéd.
June 9, 2017
A satisfying ending to the series. Dated in quite an interesting way as the police try to come to terms with the concept of cyber bullying.
November 5, 2017
A Cozy little whodunnit revolving around the lives of C of E curates and their complicated lives!!!
November 10, 2017
If you like Barbara Pym give Kate Charles' Callie Anson series a go.
November 11, 2018
A quick satisfying read with interesting characters. The characters aren't deeply drawn, but you get a good sense of each in short bits. This is one in a series, I would read another.
March 15, 2021
Easy read and enjoyable
October 2, 2021
I finished it in one day. I couldn't put it down.
December 15, 2015
"Revisiting the past was a bad idea. Callie Anson knew that..." With an opening like this we know already that Callie will indeed revisit her past, and that we are ready to go along for the ride. It is an opening that does not disappoint.
Callie is just one week back at her old theological college at Cambridge. How much can happen in a week filled with sessions designed to help the newly turned-out ministers, like Callie, navigate the rough waters of the real world? As it turns out, a great deal.
At times it's almost as if this novel is two different books combined into one—yet by the end, author Kate Charles ties up everything in both storylines. While Callie visits her old school, her somewhat ambivalent fiancé, Detective Marco Lombardi, remains in London investigating the murder of fifteen-year-old Sebastian Frost. The two major storylines are so distinct that it was hard for me to define the connections that pulled them into a cohesive whole, since the only thing tying them to each other is the relationship between Marco and Callie. Without giving anything away, I will say that it is through a brief conversation with Callie that Marco is able to uncover a key piece of evidence in his murder case.
Major themes of the story are cyber bullying, the complications modern families face on a daily basis, and the wide range of issues facing twenty-first century couples. Charles hits on other themes too, including alienation, misunderstandings, teen angst, the effects of bullying, an inability to make commitments, and the exacting results of malicious gossip.
One of the greatest strengths of False Tongues is the development of the many disparate characters, while a major weakness is the sheer size of that cast of characters. In the first twenty pages, we meet no fewer than nine characters, plus the murder victim and an emotional Italian family of six. Twenty more pages give us eight additional characters. At some point I began to wonder: "Which of these people will be hanging around to play major roles, and which will quietly fade away? Surely all of them can't remain..." Surprisingly, most of them do.
And what a cast of characters! From London to Cambridge, Callie and Marco find themselves dealing with old friends and lovers—and a brand new murder. False Tongues is the fourth book in Kate Charles's Callie Anson Mystery Series. It was only after I finished the book that I realized that Callie, the main character, never deals directly with the murder case. She spends the week at that reunion of old classmates in Cambridge, where a few mysteries do rear their heads, but it is Marco who must help solve the murder of nerdy teenager Sebastian back in London.
The size of the cast nearly did me in as a reader. I wanted to keep reading this book, because the characters were interesting, the stories were engaging, and the writing was excellent. But it was almost too much work to keep everybody straight. I'm glad I persevered. False Tongues is a worthwhile read, both for fans of mysteries and of stories of interpersonal relationships. It was fun to watch Callie loosen up a bit as her week at Cambridge progressed. She probably grew up more in that week than in the previous year.
by Janet Brantley
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
Callie is just one week back at her old theological college at Cambridge. How much can happen in a week filled with sessions designed to help the newly turned-out ministers, like Callie, navigate the rough waters of the real world? As it turns out, a great deal.
At times it's almost as if this novel is two different books combined into one—yet by the end, author Kate Charles ties up everything in both storylines. While Callie visits her old school, her somewhat ambivalent fiancé, Detective Marco Lombardi, remains in London investigating the murder of fifteen-year-old Sebastian Frost. The two major storylines are so distinct that it was hard for me to define the connections that pulled them into a cohesive whole, since the only thing tying them to each other is the relationship between Marco and Callie. Without giving anything away, I will say that it is through a brief conversation with Callie that Marco is able to uncover a key piece of evidence in his murder case.
Major themes of the story are cyber bullying, the complications modern families face on a daily basis, and the wide range of issues facing twenty-first century couples. Charles hits on other themes too, including alienation, misunderstandings, teen angst, the effects of bullying, an inability to make commitments, and the exacting results of malicious gossip.
One of the greatest strengths of False Tongues is the development of the many disparate characters, while a major weakness is the sheer size of that cast of characters. In the first twenty pages, we meet no fewer than nine characters, plus the murder victim and an emotional Italian family of six. Twenty more pages give us eight additional characters. At some point I began to wonder: "Which of these people will be hanging around to play major roles, and which will quietly fade away? Surely all of them can't remain..." Surprisingly, most of them do.
And what a cast of characters! From London to Cambridge, Callie and Marco find themselves dealing with old friends and lovers—and a brand new murder. False Tongues is the fourth book in Kate Charles's Callie Anson Mystery Series. It was only after I finished the book that I realized that Callie, the main character, never deals directly with the murder case. She spends the week at that reunion of old classmates in Cambridge, where a few mysteries do rear their heads, but it is Marco who must help solve the murder of nerdy teenager Sebastian back in London.
The size of the cast nearly did me in as a reader. I wanted to keep reading this book, because the characters were interesting, the stories were engaging, and the writing was excellent. But it was almost too much work to keep everybody straight. I'm glad I persevered. False Tongues is a worthwhile read, both for fans of mysteries and of stories of interpersonal relationships. It was fun to watch Callie loosen up a bit as her week at Cambridge progressed. She probably grew up more in that week than in the previous year.
by Janet Brantley
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
March 10, 2015
I am a new reader of Kate Charles and unfamiliar with the Callie Anson character and her mysteries. Having been a literacy instructor with elementary school aged children, one of the concepts we try to teach young readers is that the title is the author's promise to readers regarding what the book is about. Imagine my surprise to discover that a book subtitled "A Callie Anson Mystery" had a character so named, but wholly uninvolved in the murder mystery which takes place in the text!
Sebastian Frost (a teen-aged boy) is killed, as it turns out, as a result of cyber bullying. His body is found near a church, however it is not the church which Callie Anson serves as curate. Furthermore, Callie embarks on a week-long conference back at her theological alma mater, Cambridge, just as the murder is discovered. She spends the entire time span of the novel nowhere near the crime scene and seemingly oblivious to the fact the crime has even taken place. Her fiance, Marco, is the family liason officer with the police department assigned to solve the crime and cuff the culprit--however, his main task is to babysit the family during the initial days of shock and grief, get them to inquests on time, steer them clear of paparazzi, and maintain communication between them and the official channels of the investigation.
Marco and Callie, for the most part, spend any conversational moments talking about their relationship angst, family drama and jealousies regarding past lovers (with whom Callie is at the conference for the week.) In the course of that conversation, Callie tells Marco about a packet of photos, notes and journal entries she recovered from the inside of the chimney in her room [conveniently, the same dorm room she lived in as a student]. This gives Marco the idea to look inside the chimney in the dead boy's room where he discovers the evidence that finally pieces the puzzle together for the inspector handling the case.
That is ALL the involvement Callie Anson has with the mystery. Period.
In the meantime, the novel includes lots of interludes about the conference Callie is attending, with a variety of characters that don't impact the mystery in any way. The interludes about the vicar with whom Callie works (Brian) and the vicar's family also have virtually nothing to do with the mystery. (One family in the parish have a son who was friends with the deceased and the vicar's wife ends up offering solace to the boy's mother.) All of these parts of the book were superfluous in my opinion. They did not even offer readers a red herring to follow. I eventually started skipping them all as I did not have the background to care what happened to the characters therein.
I wanted to like this book, however it was in the end a disappointment. I found the promise of "A Callie Anson Mystery" to be a serious misnomer, unless the mystery is in what way the character is connected to the crime. And then it is still unsatisfying because the connection is so remotely minute. I doubt I will read any other offerings by this author based on my experience with this book.
I received an Advance Reader Copy of False Tongues from Shelf Awareness in exchange for this review.
Sebastian Frost (a teen-aged boy) is killed, as it turns out, as a result of cyber bullying. His body is found near a church, however it is not the church which Callie Anson serves as curate. Furthermore, Callie embarks on a week-long conference back at her theological alma mater, Cambridge, just as the murder is discovered. She spends the entire time span of the novel nowhere near the crime scene and seemingly oblivious to the fact the crime has even taken place. Her fiance, Marco, is the family liason officer with the police department assigned to solve the crime and cuff the culprit--however, his main task is to babysit the family during the initial days of shock and grief, get them to inquests on time, steer them clear of paparazzi, and maintain communication between them and the official channels of the investigation.
Marco and Callie, for the most part, spend any conversational moments talking about their relationship angst, family drama and jealousies regarding past lovers (with whom Callie is at the conference for the week.) In the course of that conversation, Callie tells Marco about a packet of photos, notes and journal entries she recovered from the inside of the chimney in her room [conveniently, the same dorm room she lived in as a student]. This gives Marco the idea to look inside the chimney in the dead boy's room where he discovers the evidence that finally pieces the puzzle together for the inspector handling the case.
That is ALL the involvement Callie Anson has with the mystery. Period.
In the meantime, the novel includes lots of interludes about the conference Callie is attending, with a variety of characters that don't impact the mystery in any way. The interludes about the vicar with whom Callie works (Brian) and the vicar's family also have virtually nothing to do with the mystery. (One family in the parish have a son who was friends with the deceased and the vicar's wife ends up offering solace to the boy's mother.) All of these parts of the book were superfluous in my opinion. They did not even offer readers a red herring to follow. I eventually started skipping them all as I did not have the background to care what happened to the characters therein.
I wanted to like this book, however it was in the end a disappointment. I found the promise of "A Callie Anson Mystery" to be a serious misnomer, unless the mystery is in what way the character is connected to the crime. And then it is still unsatisfying because the connection is so remotely minute. I doubt I will read any other offerings by this author based on my experience with this book.
I received an Advance Reader Copy of False Tongues from Shelf Awareness in exchange for this review.
June 23, 2015
Callie Anson is a believer in the “big three” of religion: faith, hope, and charity. She also happens to be a reverend with a past that has recently come back to haunt her in the form of her ignorant ex, Adam Masters. But Callie is not the only one with demons in this novel of love, betrayal, and lies.
This fourth installment of the “Callie Anson Mysteries” will exceed all of the readers’ expectations. If you thought the previous adventures were good, wait until you read “False Tongues”!
We begin meeting Callie and her friends Deacon Val Carver, Priest Nicky Lamb, and Priest Tamsin Howells. From there, readers will experience the story through multiple points of view – nine in fact – that are intricately woven; each piece revealing an important clue as to who murdered Sebastian Frost.
Stabbed, tongue split, and left in the middle of Paddington Green, Frost’s death is a reflection of an exhausting war: living with religious pressures and being gay. Parallel to this struggle is the love triangle of Callie Anson, her ex Adam Masters, and her Italian fiancé Mark “Marco” Lambardi. Marco is the partner of Irish Detective Inspector Neville Stewart, both of whom work on the Frost case. In between are the stories of Miranda Frost (Sebastian’s mother), Lilith Noone (reporter from the Daily Globe), and Margaret Phillips (Principal of Archbishop Temple House).
At first glance, none of the stories appear to be connected in any way, they all seem like separate entities that have been placed together for no apparent reason. But then, as the plot thickens and readers fall deeper into the trappings of the characters’ complex lives, we begin to realize that the novel has been set up from the beginning to slowly reveal the connections that each character has to each other; and although some never meet, they nevertheless are linked via another character.
Such a technique can be seen with Josh Bradley, for even though he and Callie do not meet he is arrested by Stewart and Lambardi, the latter being the lover of Callie, and therefore the two become connected. Josh, a gay teenager and classmate of Sebastian Frost, falls victim to a cyber bully gang on Facebook – a gang which Sebastian was part of. He inevitably becomes tied up in the murder, but was he the one who executed the tragic deed?
Intense, secretive, and chock full of modern day complications, “False Tongues” is a well-thought-out novel. Written by the past Chairman of the Crime Writers’ Association and the Barbara Pym society, this novel in no way falls short of the readers’ expectations. Regardless of being a fourth installment, anyone can pick up this story and follow along – you won’t be able to put it down!
Reviewer: Briana Goodchild is on the verge of becoming a bibliophile. Like any book reader she enjoys a strong cup of tea and an enticing story to match. Occasionally, when diving into the page-turning mystery genre, more caffeine is required.
Killer Nashville's Review of False Tongues
Killer Nashville's Past Book Reviews
This fourth installment of the “Callie Anson Mysteries” will exceed all of the readers’ expectations. If you thought the previous adventures were good, wait until you read “False Tongues”!
We begin meeting Callie and her friends Deacon Val Carver, Priest Nicky Lamb, and Priest Tamsin Howells. From there, readers will experience the story through multiple points of view – nine in fact – that are intricately woven; each piece revealing an important clue as to who murdered Sebastian Frost.
Stabbed, tongue split, and left in the middle of Paddington Green, Frost’s death is a reflection of an exhausting war: living with religious pressures and being gay. Parallel to this struggle is the love triangle of Callie Anson, her ex Adam Masters, and her Italian fiancé Mark “Marco” Lambardi. Marco is the partner of Irish Detective Inspector Neville Stewart, both of whom work on the Frost case. In between are the stories of Miranda Frost (Sebastian’s mother), Lilith Noone (reporter from the Daily Globe), and Margaret Phillips (Principal of Archbishop Temple House).
At first glance, none of the stories appear to be connected in any way, they all seem like separate entities that have been placed together for no apparent reason. But then, as the plot thickens and readers fall deeper into the trappings of the characters’ complex lives, we begin to realize that the novel has been set up from the beginning to slowly reveal the connections that each character has to each other; and although some never meet, they nevertheless are linked via another character.
Such a technique can be seen with Josh Bradley, for even though he and Callie do not meet he is arrested by Stewart and Lambardi, the latter being the lover of Callie, and therefore the two become connected. Josh, a gay teenager and classmate of Sebastian Frost, falls victim to a cyber bully gang on Facebook – a gang which Sebastian was part of. He inevitably becomes tied up in the murder, but was he the one who executed the tragic deed?
Intense, secretive, and chock full of modern day complications, “False Tongues” is a well-thought-out novel. Written by the past Chairman of the Crime Writers’ Association and the Barbara Pym society, this novel in no way falls short of the readers’ expectations. Regardless of being a fourth installment, anyone can pick up this story and follow along – you won’t be able to put it down!
Reviewer: Briana Goodchild is on the verge of becoming a bibliophile. Like any book reader she enjoys a strong cup of tea and an enticing story to match. Occasionally, when diving into the page-turning mystery genre, more caffeine is required.
Killer Nashville's Review of False Tongues
Killer Nashville's Past Book Reviews
March 15, 2016
Filled with thrills and chills and things that go bump in the night, Charles brings Callie Anson back to the stage with this smart mystery of lost loves, family sagas, friendships, secrets, and enough mistruths to blur the edges and thwart finding whodunit. While most of Callie’s friends live and breathe Facebook, she chooses to live the quiet life as a deacon in the clergy, ignoring social media. But the frenzy of life has a way of finding her. Running parallel to Callie’s foray into the past at a conference at Archbishop Temple House in Cambridge is the discovery of a murdered boy and the investigation by Detective Inspector Neville Stewart. Cyber-bullying, a horrendous trend, is growing is exposed by Charles, revealing its sad outcomes in this well-written book. She is an expert at traversing multiple storylines, moving gracefully from one to another and back again quickly, keeping the reader on point and not thumbing ahead to see what happens next in one of the storylines. What happens next is only a few pages away, a style I particularly like.
November 30, 2015
Kate Charles does a well developed plot with sympathetic and fully realized characters. The story line in this book had several threads, with Reverend Callie Anson, who is the focus of the series, away for a Cambridge retreat. The murder of a fifteen year old is investigated by the police headed by Neville Stewart. The teen agers who surrounded the victim made the police work most frustrating as the teens involved hid their secrets well.
I found the change from one plot line to another sometimes annoying as the interludes were so short. One of the redeeming features of the book was the theme of forgiveness which made the several relationships turn out well. The Cambridge setting made one want to travel there.
I recommend this author as she produces consistently well researched and written books.
I found the change from one plot line to another sometimes annoying as the interludes were so short. One of the redeeming features of the book was the theme of forgiveness which made the several relationships turn out well. The Cambridge setting made one want to travel there.
I recommend this author as she produces consistently well researched and written books.
April 9, 2015
**I received an ARC of this story in exchange for an honest review
Callie Anson was a clergy person who felt revisiting the past was a bad idea. Tamsin Howells was one of her friends at Archbishop Temple House. Marco was a big part of Callie's world. Callie decides to go to the Archbishop Temple House for a reunion. A cop gets called in the middle of the night with murder of a young man. He was found on the other side of the wall from the churchyard.
I tried getting into this book, but I found it just too busy. I'm sure it may be tied in together, but was it so slow-going that it just couldn't keep my attention. I was unable to even form much of an opinion on the main character because of it.
Callie Anson was a clergy person who felt revisiting the past was a bad idea. Tamsin Howells was one of her friends at Archbishop Temple House. Marco was a big part of Callie's world. Callie decides to go to the Archbishop Temple House for a reunion. A cop gets called in the middle of the night with murder of a young man. He was found on the other side of the wall from the churchyard.
I tried getting into this book, but I found it just too busy. I'm sure it may be tied in together, but was it so slow-going that it just couldn't keep my attention. I was unable to even form much of an opinion on the main character because of it.
June 21, 2015
It's seemed far too long since the last Callie Anson novel from Kate Charles, so when I got my hands on this one I read it in one day and was not disappointed. Callie, a Church of England deacon/curate in a London parish, and her boyfriend Mark Lombardi, a Family Liaison Officer with the London police, are the main characters, but friends, family and colleagues enter the story, each with his/her own point of view and dilemmas, and add much to the tale. As one might expect in a series where the protagonist is a clergywoman, moral problems are often the focus of the Anson series, and in this one, the moral questions have to do with gossip and cyber-bullying, with a side of forgiveness. Highly recommended.
June 23, 2015
This is the second book I have read where the title character is not involved in solving the mystery. At least Callie Anson appears in this book. She is back at Cambridge for a reunion/training week. She has some things in her past to deal with. She ends up learning about the nature of forgiveness. I wish the author had given her a chance to use her new knowledge with the characters involved with the other storyline. The police were investigating the stabbing of a teen who turned out to be a cyper-bully. Everyone involved in that could have used a bit of the curate's counseling.
I received a free copy of this book as part of the GoodReads FirstReads program.
I received a free copy of this book as part of the GoodReads FirstReads program.
June 24, 2015
Book Review & Giveaway: We’ve reviewed several clerical mysteries in the past. I knew Kate Charles’ Callie Anson mysteries series was quite popular in the UK and it’s more of a 21st century series than some. When I learned False Tongues, the new novel in that series, was going to be published in the U.S., I jumped on it. The whole novel takes place in one week of Callie’s life. Cyber-bullying, love and loss, peer pressure, and family expectations all play a role in this very personal mystery. It’s not quite like any mystery I’ve ever read so I’m happy to host a pay-it-forward giveaway for the copy I received that someone of you will win at http://popcornreads.com/?p=8479.
January 1, 2016
Kate Charles' earlier series, Book of Psalms, got me hooked on her ecclesiastic mysteries. This series is good, but for some reason doesn't quite rise to the other levels. In this outing, one of the biggest problems is that Callie is part of what feels like the B story (off on a "reunion" of her seminary class) while the real mystery is the A story. That felt like a weird choice, even if the author is trying to give us more about Marco and his world so as to blend the two in later works. I also wanted more of a sense of Cambridge than was provided.
Copy provided by publisher.
Copy provided by publisher.
April 29, 2019
I liked the investigation into Seb’s murder. I’ll need to read the first 3 in the series to get the connection to Callie (who is named in the secondary title as this being her mystery) and the actual investigation (other than her fiancé being a victim’s family liaison).
The narration really distracted me! She narrates and voices characters’ thoughts in English, yet her accents for female/male/adult/teen/child seemed similar to each other. She also spoke in continuous clipped tones that were jolting to hear.
The actual print/ebook version would probably be a more seamless read.
The narration really distracted me! She narrates and voices characters’ thoughts in English, yet her accents for female/male/adult/teen/child seemed similar to each other. She also spoke in continuous clipped tones that were jolting to hear.
The actual print/ebook version would probably be a more seamless read.
June 21, 2016
I am happy that Kate Charles has written another Callie Anson book. In this mystery in which a teen-age boy is violently murdered. His parents insist that he was the perfect son and could never be involved with anything violent. Of course, the parents are proved wrong. The recurring theme was the danger of gossip.
Callie and her fiancé Marco are mostly peripheral to the solution in this case, it was still enjoyable.
Callie and her fiancé Marco are mostly peripheral to the solution in this case, it was still enjoyable.
June 10, 2015
A received an ARC of this book. I enjoyed this mystery - somewhat in the vein of Elizabeth George. Having not read the previous three in the series, parts seemed extraneous to me (much of the book involves a college reunion and has nothing at all to do with the central mystery). But I am looking forward to reading the first books in the series.
January 3, 2017
The 4th in the series of mysteries involving The Reverend Callie Anson was a hit with me. I didn't realize that this was part of a series so the book is definitely a stand alone read. I liked the book enough to move forward with any additions to the series but it is unlikely I will read the preceding books.
July 27, 2015
Callie has nothing to do with the mystery, so it becomes a character study instead . I'm committed to Callie and Marco so that's fine by me, but I can see it would be disconcerting.
June 29, 2015
The parallel plot lines really didn't need one another at all, the connecting link being extremely weak.
September 2, 2023
Just read this again, I still really like it!
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