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All Is Well
Christine Wright is having a bad day. She’s an ex-special forces soldier and a recovering alcoholic, and now her new career as an Anglican Minister has started off with the worst kind of bang. Could it be her reflexes are a little too twitchy for this job? From the opening page, this fast-paced tale is all about a cover up: the burying of a body, while fending off an angry widow, and a very suspicious parishioner appalled by the loss of a precious church artifact. And then there’s the vengeful plot of a terminally ill military-cop-turned-stalker who plans to get Christine locked up if it’s the last thing he does. Among the many revelations and surprises we experience is the fact that we’re instantly on the side of the unfailingly flawed and irreverent Christine—who cannot imitate a perfectly pious priest even though her life so clearly depends on it. Mystic Julian Norwich, she of the famous “all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well,” is the patron saint of this wickedly funny novel. All Is Well for Katherine Walker’s readers despite, or because of, Reverend Wright’s many wrongs.
192 pages, Paperback
Published September 30, 2021
About the author
Katherine Walker
17 books2 followersKatherine grew up near the rockies in Calgary and once lived off-grid in the Yukon's wild expanse before enlisting in the Royal Canadian Navy in 2005. As an above-water warfare specialist and ship's team diver, she navigated intense missions and witnessed the world's darker undercurrents. Sent by the Canadian Armed Forces to seminary, she became an ordained priest and now serves as a Chaplain in Ottawa, bridging faith and service.
Drawing from her extraordinary experiences, Katherine crafts literary satire infused with sharp humour, transforming raw intensity into stories that race at the pace of action thrillers.
Her writing is bold, cheeky, and darkly funny—her fiction probes systems of power and control with danger, bite, and zero reverence for the status quo. And now, on the eve of World War III, she has chosen this moment to begin writing her non-fiction treatise on darkness. Because, when else?
Drawing from her extraordinary experiences, Katherine crafts literary satire infused with sharp humour, transforming raw intensity into stories that race at the pace of action thrillers.
Her writing is bold, cheeky, and darkly funny—her fiction probes systems of power and control with danger, bite, and zero reverence for the status quo. And now, on the eve of World War III, she has chosen this moment to begin writing her non-fiction treatise on darkness. Because, when else?
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 28, 2022
Christine Wright, an ex-Special Forces soldier, Victoria Cross recipient, and recovering alcoholic, is now an Anglican minister in Victoria, B.C. The novel begins with her killing a man in self-defense. Rather than call the police, she buries the body. Besides trying to avoid criminal charges, Christine has other problems. Shawna, the widow of Christine’s victim, is angry and suspicious; Mrs. Dee, one of the church ladies, dislikes their new minister and is upset about a missing rug and damaged candlestick; and Seth Kassman, a retired military police officer, has a vendetta against Christine.
This book reads like two books. There’s a serious element in that Christine has been scarred by life and her military experiences and is deeply troubled. She suffers with survivor guilt and feels alienated from God, believing that He has not forgiven her for past actions. She is lonely, having no friends except for Joey. Then there’s the comic element with totally implausible events, especially at the end. This incongruity jars; I found it difficult to reconcile the serious theme with the light-hearted tone.
There is a suggestion that in the end Christine does find inner peace and a sense of belonging, but she has her epiphany only after some of her parishioners behave in a totally unbelievable way. I kept hoping that indeed all would be well for Christine, but her happiness because her parishioners imitate her behaviour does not bode well. How can all be well if she continues in the same behaviour as at the beginning?
There are several problematic characters. I don’t expect ministers and priests to be totally prim, proper, and pious, but would one actually think, “God damn that Mrs. Dee”? Then there’s Joey, Christine’s bishop-appointed “spiritual director” who once served in a cathedral, “before he got as far away as possible from religion, a challenge for a Catholic priest.” At one point he tries to join a group of faux-Benedictines who “are just run-of-the-mill do-gooders playing dress-up.” Joey gives Christine absolution even though she makes no attempt to right her wrong but also dispenses wisdom like “’We are made from love to love and be loved’”?
Mrs. Dee is another character who behaves inconsistently. In the beginning, she resents Christine, thinking of her as arrogant and tiresome and an idiot. She is aghast at a man’s erection and very bothered by Biblical references to circumcision. Yet this same woman doesn’t flinch at people modeling in the nude, and gives her husband a special visit? And all of this change takes place in about 6 ½ months, between Easter and All Souls Day?
The novel is described as “wickedly funny,” but I found the humour uneven. I did like some of the more subtle humour like Christine’s describing Mrs. Dee as “a face shifter. Like a chameleon. Like that Michael Jackson video, but not with the upbeat tune” and a bar owner ejecting the fake Benedictines by proclaiming, “’Brothers and Sisters: there’s no room at the inn.’” The description of the missionary window with its jagged hole is wonderful commentary. But then there’s the slapstick comedy: the events at the wedding ceremony, at Christine’s aikido class, and during Christine’s visit to the RCMP depot are replete with cheap humour. We even have Christine managing “to get the straw into her mouth after poking herself in the face a few times”?
I wish the proofreading had been more assiduous. Reading "alter" when altar is needed is irritating. Raphael, the French martial arts teacher, would know that “’mon cherie’”should be ma chérie because he is speaking to a woman. And Christine says, “’I really wish they hadn’t of printed that’”??!! These types of errors do not leave a positive impression.
It has been said that writing humour is the most challenging of writing, so I applaud the author on her efforts. However, I was left confused and dissatisfied. Was the book’s purpose to be funny or to convey a serious theme? In the midst of tragedy, people will joke and find humour, but the book’s comic antics overshadow the book’s serious purpose. If the book’s main goal was humour, it didn’t work for me because it too often relies on physical comedy which I don’t find funny. This novel might appeal to other readers, but it just wasn’t the book for me.
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
This book reads like two books. There’s a serious element in that Christine has been scarred by life and her military experiences and is deeply troubled. She suffers with survivor guilt and feels alienated from God, believing that He has not forgiven her for past actions. She is lonely, having no friends except for Joey. Then there’s the comic element with totally implausible events, especially at the end. This incongruity jars; I found it difficult to reconcile the serious theme with the light-hearted tone.
There is a suggestion that in the end Christine does find inner peace and a sense of belonging, but she has her epiphany only after some of her parishioners behave in a totally unbelievable way. I kept hoping that indeed all would be well for Christine, but her happiness because her parishioners imitate her behaviour does not bode well. How can all be well if she continues in the same behaviour as at the beginning?
There are several problematic characters. I don’t expect ministers and priests to be totally prim, proper, and pious, but would one actually think, “God damn that Mrs. Dee”? Then there’s Joey, Christine’s bishop-appointed “spiritual director” who once served in a cathedral, “before he got as far away as possible from religion, a challenge for a Catholic priest.” At one point he tries to join a group of faux-Benedictines who “are just run-of-the-mill do-gooders playing dress-up.” Joey gives Christine absolution even though she makes no attempt to right her wrong but also dispenses wisdom like “’We are made from love to love and be loved’”?
Mrs. Dee is another character who behaves inconsistently. In the beginning, she resents Christine, thinking of her as arrogant and tiresome and an idiot. She is aghast at a man’s erection and very bothered by Biblical references to circumcision. Yet this same woman doesn’t flinch at people modeling in the nude, and gives her husband a special visit? And all of this change takes place in about 6 ½ months, between Easter and All Souls Day?
The novel is described as “wickedly funny,” but I found the humour uneven. I did like some of the more subtle humour like Christine’s describing Mrs. Dee as “a face shifter. Like a chameleon. Like that Michael Jackson video, but not with the upbeat tune” and a bar owner ejecting the fake Benedictines by proclaiming, “’Brothers and Sisters: there’s no room at the inn.’” The description of the missionary window with its jagged hole is wonderful commentary. But then there’s the slapstick comedy: the events at the wedding ceremony, at Christine’s aikido class, and during Christine’s visit to the RCMP depot are replete with cheap humour. We even have Christine managing “to get the straw into her mouth after poking herself in the face a few times”?
I wish the proofreading had been more assiduous. Reading "alter" when altar is needed is irritating. Raphael, the French martial arts teacher, would know that “’mon cherie’”should be ma chérie because he is speaking to a woman. And Christine says, “’I really wish they hadn’t of printed that’”??!! These types of errors do not leave a positive impression.
It has been said that writing humour is the most challenging of writing, so I applaud the author on her efforts. However, I was left confused and dissatisfied. Was the book’s purpose to be funny or to convey a serious theme? In the midst of tragedy, people will joke and find humour, but the book’s comic antics overshadow the book’s serious purpose. If the book’s main goal was humour, it didn’t work for me because it too often relies on physical comedy which I don’t find funny. This novel might appeal to other readers, but it just wasn’t the book for me.
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
February 8, 2022
What happens when an elite, special forces veteran suffering from PTSD becomes an Anglican priest? This question is at the heart of Katherine Walker’s novel, All is Well. The answer may surprise you – use your military training to take out a parishioner and hide the body. As a recovering alcoholic with unresolved trauma issues who is friendless and believes that God hates her, Rev. Christine Wright is both deeply damaged and also fascinating. Yet despite the baggage, she is surprisingly effective in parish ministry, increasing church attendance and revenues, and building a community. All is Well is a fun romp of a book with delightfully drawn characters, including Mrs. Dee, the church secretary with her secret life. Although the story is fantastical bordering on the ludicrous, it touches upon the more serious issues of trauma, healing and absolution. Well written and very clever, this would be an interesting book club read. Highly recommended.
June 17, 2023
Christine Wright is an ex-special ops officer and recovered alcoholic who finds a second career as an Anglican minister. What could possibly go wrong?
On page 1, she accidentally kills a drug dealer who had come for counselling, whacking him with an ancient candlestick in her office. She could have called 911, since he had tried to strangle her, but instead she chooses to roll him in the carpet and bury him in the handy church graveyard.
Short-listed for the Best Crime First Novel by Crime Writers Canada, this brilliant story is told from five perspectives: Christine, Mrs. Dee and Tom (two of her church volunteers), Seth (a retiring military cop with a grudge against Christine), and the candlestick itself. The novel’s magic realism makes for some wild coincidences and plot twists, but the story is ultimately about some of life’s big questions: belief, belonging, and justice.
On page 1, she accidentally kills a drug dealer who had come for counselling, whacking him with an ancient candlestick in her office. She could have called 911, since he had tried to strangle her, but instead she chooses to roll him in the carpet and bury him in the handy church graveyard.
Short-listed for the Best Crime First Novel by Crime Writers Canada, this brilliant story is told from five perspectives: Christine, Mrs. Dee and Tom (two of her church volunteers), Seth (a retiring military cop with a grudge against Christine), and the candlestick itself. The novel’s magic realism makes for some wild coincidences and plot twists, but the story is ultimately about some of life’s big questions: belief, belonging, and justice.
July 4, 2022
I really enjoyed this novel. The murder, committed by the former special forces soldier, who has become an Anglican Minister since leaving the military, occurs quickly in the story. In fact, it happens on the first page. The rest of the story is Christine doing her best to keep the murder covered up.
Christine Wright is a flawed character, and is one I was constantly rooting for. It's a well laid out story and a fun one to read. I can see why it made the short list for the 2022 Crime Writers of Canada, Awards of Excellence, for Best Crime First Novel.
Christine Wright is a flawed character, and is one I was constantly rooting for. It's a well laid out story and a fun one to read. I can see why it made the short list for the 2022 Crime Writers of Canada, Awards of Excellence, for Best Crime First Novel.
November 10, 2024
This book is completely out of my wheel house for books that I read. However, I saw it in the thriller section of a used book store and something drew me to it. I was raised in the Anglican Church and have since left due to trauma and I was surprised at how comforting hearing about the church and the liturgy was for me. It kept my attention start to finish with every unexpected turn in events and I was sad when it ended.
December 2, 2021
Excellent book. Many laughs
May 9, 2022
Wow! This novel knocked me on my backside. I could barely bring myself to put it down. I highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews