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Canon Clement #1
Murder Before Evensong
Canon Daniel Clement is Rector of Champton. He has been there for eight years, living at the Rectory alongside his widowed mother - opinionated, fearless, ever-so-slightly annoying Audrey - and his two dachshunds, Cosmo and Hilda.
When Daniel announces a plan to install a lavatory in church, the parish is suddenly (and unexpectedly) divided: as lines are drawn, long-buried secrets come dangerously close to destroying the apparent calm of the village.
And then Anthony Bowness - cousin to Bernard de Floures, patron of Champton - is found dead at the back of the church, stabbed in the neck with a pair of secateurs.
As the police moves in and the bodies start piling up, Daniel is the only one who can try and keep his fractured community together... and catch a killer.
When Daniel announces a plan to install a lavatory in church, the parish is suddenly (and unexpectedly) divided: as lines are drawn, long-buried secrets come dangerously close to destroying the apparent calm of the village.
And then Anthony Bowness - cousin to Bernard de Floures, patron of Champton - is found dead at the back of the church, stabbed in the neck with a pair of secateurs.
As the police moves in and the bodies start piling up, Daniel is the only one who can try and keep his fractured community together... and catch a killer.
358 pages, Hardcover
First published June 9, 2022
2406 people are currently reading
8198 people want to read
About the author
Richard Coles
30 books394 followersThe Reverend Richard Coles (born 26 March 1962) is a Church of England priest, broadcaster, writer and musician. Richard Coles was born in Northampton, England and educated at the independent Wellingborough School (where he was a choirboy)and at the South Warwickshire College of Further Education, Department of Drama and the Liberal Arts. He is known for having been the multi-instrumentalist who partnered Jimmy Somerville in the 1980s band The Communards, which achieved three Top Ten hits. He later attended King's College London where he studied theology from 1990. Richard Coles co-presents Saturday Live on BBCR4. In January 2011 The Reverend Richard Coles was appointed as the parish priest of St Mary the Virgin, Finedon in the Diocese of Peterborough.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,975 reviews
June 19, 2022
It’s honestly painful to admit how disappointing this was. I preordered a signed, special edition and was so excited when I finally received it in the mail. I laughed on page 1, and really thought this would be my book of the year.
As I kept reading I noticed a murder hadn’t yet taken place. All we got was daily reports of parish life. At the 100 page mark we did finally get a murder, which is way too late for a book with ‘murder’ in the title. I kept on reading then, but this murder barely changed the pacing of this book. Daniel is told to be uneasy about the situation, but this isn’t shown in this story, his character doesn’t change. He was bland from the start and stayed bland all the way throughout this book. Parish life simply continued after the first murder; Daniel went in depth about his walks with the dogs and continued to meet more people. When the second murder happened I had almost forgotten about the significance of the first, and I had been introduced to so many characters I wasn’t sure who everyone actually was.
So much was over-explained, like the past of characters or the surroundings of an area. This really didn’t add anything to the narrative whatsoever. I still found most characters very bland, their pasts barely reflected who they were in the present. The church events or religious pondering felt particularly unnecessary to the plot. In the early stages of this book the biblical references served to link those stories to the world of Champton. I really liked that approach. Gradually the book resorted to simply telling us all about specific church services. Funerals were written about in a detailed way, complete with Bible quotes, and prayers were written out fully. I get why this is important to Coles, or to Daniel, but it didn’t serve the plot in any way.
As detailed as a lot was, some other aspects could’ve done with more elaboration. Midway through this book Eurovision with Celine Dion was mentioned. It was only then that I recalled a podcast with Richard Coles, where he explained his book was set in the 80’s. This is not mentioned anywhere, neither in the book itself nor the blurb. What’s the point of a historic setting if this isn’t mentioned anywhere?
I also could’ve done with some explanation on specific church terms. I’m interested in Protestantism and Catholicism, but didn’t have much knowledge on the Anglican Church. A lot of the terms used I was therefore unfamiliar with. On top of that a lot of vocabulary used I didn’t quite get the hang of either. This is largely due to me not being a native English speaker, or me not being familiar with Latin phrases, but the way the sentences were structured definitely didn’t help either. A lot of (to me seemingly) posh words were bundled up in huge sentences. Initially I re-read these sections, but as I started to realise there wasn’t much important information to be found I started skimming over them instead. It therefore wasn’t as accessible as other cozy crime novels would be.
Everything finally unravels in the last 10 pages and feels, needless to say, very rushed. You aren’t given any clues whilst reading, so as a reader you can’t work out what happened. Re-reading therefore would also serve no benefit to the final reveal. I never felt the slightest hint of tension, I never cared about any of the characters and the reveal was so far-fetched it left me defeated more than anything. I really don’t know why other crime authors liked this book so much. Crime usually takes me out of a reading slump, but having read this I feel one coming.
This book simply didn’t know what it wanted to be; diaries of a reverend, a murder mystery, or a comedic twist on church life. Blending it all together means we’ve got a murder mystery that doesn’t center murders, a comedic plot that never develops, and detailed descriptions of church services which feel too lengthy and out of place.
I’d hoped this would be Father Brown (he is referenced at least) meets The Thursday Murder Club. Instead it felt more like the diaries of a reverend, in a parish where some murders take place sometimes.
As I kept reading I noticed a murder hadn’t yet taken place. All we got was daily reports of parish life. At the 100 page mark we did finally get a murder, which is way too late for a book with ‘murder’ in the title. I kept on reading then, but this murder barely changed the pacing of this book. Daniel is told to be uneasy about the situation, but this isn’t shown in this story, his character doesn’t change. He was bland from the start and stayed bland all the way throughout this book. Parish life simply continued after the first murder; Daniel went in depth about his walks with the dogs and continued to meet more people. When the second murder happened I had almost forgotten about the significance of the first, and I had been introduced to so many characters I wasn’t sure who everyone actually was.
So much was over-explained, like the past of characters or the surroundings of an area. This really didn’t add anything to the narrative whatsoever. I still found most characters very bland, their pasts barely reflected who they were in the present. The church events or religious pondering felt particularly unnecessary to the plot. In the early stages of this book the biblical references served to link those stories to the world of Champton. I really liked that approach. Gradually the book resorted to simply telling us all about specific church services. Funerals were written about in a detailed way, complete with Bible quotes, and prayers were written out fully. I get why this is important to Coles, or to Daniel, but it didn’t serve the plot in any way.
As detailed as a lot was, some other aspects could’ve done with more elaboration. Midway through this book Eurovision with Celine Dion was mentioned. It was only then that I recalled a podcast with Richard Coles, where he explained his book was set in the 80’s. This is not mentioned anywhere, neither in the book itself nor the blurb. What’s the point of a historic setting if this isn’t mentioned anywhere?
I also could’ve done with some explanation on specific church terms. I’m interested in Protestantism and Catholicism, but didn’t have much knowledge on the Anglican Church. A lot of the terms used I was therefore unfamiliar with. On top of that a lot of vocabulary used I didn’t quite get the hang of either. This is largely due to me not being a native English speaker, or me not being familiar with Latin phrases, but the way the sentences were structured definitely didn’t help either. A lot of (to me seemingly) posh words were bundled up in huge sentences. Initially I re-read these sections, but as I started to realise there wasn’t much important information to be found I started skimming over them instead. It therefore wasn’t as accessible as other cozy crime novels would be.
Everything finally unravels in the last 10 pages and feels, needless to say, very rushed. You aren’t given any clues whilst reading, so as a reader you can’t work out what happened. Re-reading therefore would also serve no benefit to the final reveal. I never felt the slightest hint of tension, I never cared about any of the characters and the reveal was so far-fetched it left me defeated more than anything. I really don’t know why other crime authors liked this book so much. Crime usually takes me out of a reading slump, but having read this I feel one coming.
This book simply didn’t know what it wanted to be; diaries of a reverend, a murder mystery, or a comedic twist on church life. Blending it all together means we’ve got a murder mystery that doesn’t center murders, a comedic plot that never develops, and detailed descriptions of church services which feel too lengthy and out of place.
I’d hoped this would be Father Brown (he is referenced at least) meets The Thursday Murder Club. Instead it felt more like the diaries of a reverend, in a parish where some murders take place sometimes.
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August 7, 2022I like Richard Coles a lot on the radio, but let's be real, this would not have been published if it wasn't by a famous person, still less with the amazing blurbs by other famous people on the back. It really just isn't that good.
Not *bad*, I should say, just not terribly good. Best parts are definitely the bits about being a vicar and there's some nice writing. The Vicar of Dibley type setting is entertaining; the canon himself is rather bland but has potential. But the cast is overblown and not terribly distinct en masse, and includes a bunch of people who play no part in the story at all (why did we need the brother?), the plotting is woefully underdone (it's the kind of murder where anyone could have done it so you have to pick by motive), the murderer unconvincing, and the motive even less so.
Also, huge props to the editor who saw the dialogue line "Why would anyone murder Bob?" and inserted a tidy comma to make it "Why would anyone murder, Bob?" despite Bob not being in the conversation due to having been, er, murdered. (Quoted from memory and name changed to avoid spoilers.)
File under "will doubtless read the sequel when I see it in the charity shop".
Not *bad*, I should say, just not terribly good. Best parts are definitely the bits about being a vicar and there's some nice writing. The Vicar of Dibley type setting is entertaining; the canon himself is rather bland but has potential. But the cast is overblown and not terribly distinct en masse, and includes a bunch of people who play no part in the story at all (why did we need the brother?), the plotting is woefully underdone (it's the kind of murder where anyone could have done it so you have to pick by motive), the murderer unconvincing, and the motive even less so.
Also, huge props to the editor who saw the dialogue line "Why would anyone murder Bob?" and inserted a tidy comma to make it "Why would anyone murder, Bob?" despite Bob not being in the conversation due to having been, er, murdered. (Quoted from memory and name changed to avoid spoilers.)
File under "will doubtless read the sequel when I see it in the charity shop".
June 9, 2022
Canon Daniel Clement Book 1
3.5 rounded up
Canon Daniel Clement, rector of Champton St Mary makes me titter from the start as at the end of his sermon he proposes the church install a ….. lavatory! Gasps of shock are audible as they reverberate around the ancient church. They don’t like change in these here parts. Beyond the achievement of dividing the parishioners it also unwittingly unleashes long buried secrets which float to the surface. Further deadly shocks are to come.
First of all what a glorious cast peppers the pages variously colourful described in all their tweedy or floral print glorious splendour. The characterisation is acutely observed and written with pinpoint accuracy so they seem to come alive before your eyes, Daniel and his mother Audrey being the standout characters in my opinion. It’s very cleverly written as you’d expect as the author is a very clever chap and the context of the 1980s setting is excellent with everything from TV shows to current events often included with wry humour.
I really enjoy the World War II element in the storytelling which is an integral and important part of the plot and which leaves its mark on the village and the community as of course, elsewhere.
The impact of the shocking events is conveyed well as this rocks a previously peaceful place – imagine the impact of similar events in St Mary Meade and you get the picture.
This is an intelligent cozy mystery written in the best tradition of authors like Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham and with shades of GK Chesterton‘s Father Brown and James Runcie‘s Grantchester mysteries. You can almost hear the authors dulcet tones speaking through the storyline! It’s very entertaining though it is a bit slow to get going but it can’t be described as uninteresting.
It’s a settle yourself down on the sofa read with a glass of your preferred in hand! Enjoy!
(A note on the author. Reverend Richard Coles is a former musician from Bronski Beat and the Communards up until 1988. He was ordained in 2005 and is now retired from the church. This all round good egg is frequently seen on our television screens in the United Kingdom and always entertains!)
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Orion for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
3.5 rounded up
Canon Daniel Clement, rector of Champton St Mary makes me titter from the start as at the end of his sermon he proposes the church install a ….. lavatory! Gasps of shock are audible as they reverberate around the ancient church. They don’t like change in these here parts. Beyond the achievement of dividing the parishioners it also unwittingly unleashes long buried secrets which float to the surface. Further deadly shocks are to come.
First of all what a glorious cast peppers the pages variously colourful described in all their tweedy or floral print glorious splendour. The characterisation is acutely observed and written with pinpoint accuracy so they seem to come alive before your eyes, Daniel and his mother Audrey being the standout characters in my opinion. It’s very cleverly written as you’d expect as the author is a very clever chap and the context of the 1980s setting is excellent with everything from TV shows to current events often included with wry humour.
I really enjoy the World War II element in the storytelling which is an integral and important part of the plot and which leaves its mark on the village and the community as of course, elsewhere.
The impact of the shocking events is conveyed well as this rocks a previously peaceful place – imagine the impact of similar events in St Mary Meade and you get the picture.
This is an intelligent cozy mystery written in the best tradition of authors like Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham and with shades of GK Chesterton‘s Father Brown and James Runcie‘s Grantchester mysteries. You can almost hear the authors dulcet tones speaking through the storyline! It’s very entertaining though it is a bit slow to get going but it can’t be described as uninteresting.
It’s a settle yourself down on the sofa read with a glass of your preferred in hand! Enjoy!
(A note on the author. Reverend Richard Coles is a former musician from Bronski Beat and the Communards up until 1988. He was ordained in 2005 and is now retired from the church. This all round good egg is frequently seen on our television screens in the United Kingdom and always entertains!)
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Orion for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
June 8, 2022
Canon Daniel Clement is Rector of Champton, a small village with its own stately home owned by Bernard de Floures. The most exciting thing to happen in Champton is the argument as to whether the church should install a lavatory or a buttery for the flower arrangers, then Bernard de Floures' alcoholic cousin is found by Daniel, murdered in one of the pews, with a pair of secateurs no less! But no sooner have the press departed to pastures new and the village returned to some sort of normality, than another body is found floating in the lake.
Oh dear, obviously I read a completely different book to all the celebrities who have written glowing endorsements of this book.
First, when exactly was this book set, I'm sure if I could be bothered to piece together the clues I could work it out, late 1980s/early 1990s? There is no indication (that I can see) as to when it is set, which is hugely discombobulating to the reader who imagines it must be present day.
Second, this was like some nineteenth century novel that you got forced to read at school, billed as a funny detective story. There was an interminable amount of detail about the life of a rector, the prayers, the ceremonies, and a lot in Latin which meant nothing to me. In addition, frankly there are absolutely no clues whatsoever to help the reader guess the murderer and the identification of the murderer comes out of left-field. Half of Daniel's (and his mother's) thoughts went straight over my head, too obtuse and loaded with religious terminology.
I was hoping (given The Reverend Richard Coles' past life and amusing anecdotes) for something like Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club books, but featuring a rector, alas it was not to be. I kept reading right to the end but the style didn't change. I don't think I will be requesting the next book.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Oh dear, obviously I read a completely different book to all the celebrities who have written glowing endorsements of this book.
First, when exactly was this book set, I'm sure if I could be bothered to piece together the clues I could work it out, late 1980s/early 1990s? There is no indication (that I can see) as to when it is set, which is hugely discombobulating to the reader who imagines it must be present day.
Second, this was like some nineteenth century novel that you got forced to read at school, billed as a funny detective story. There was an interminable amount of detail about the life of a rector, the prayers, the ceremonies, and a lot in Latin which meant nothing to me. In addition, frankly there are absolutely no clues whatsoever to help the reader guess the murderer and the identification of the murderer comes out of left-field. Half of Daniel's (and his mother's) thoughts went straight over my head, too obtuse and loaded with religious terminology.
I was hoping (given The Reverend Richard Coles' past life and amusing anecdotes) for something like Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club books, but featuring a rector, alas it was not to be. I kept reading right to the end but the style didn't change. I don't think I will be requesting the next book.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
September 19, 2022
Wow, was this bad!
I’m pretty sure I read most of this book without actually reading it, because I couldn’t bother. Most of the story is about the daily occurrences of the parish and there is no crime investigation. Sure, murders do happen, but, contrary to what I thought, this is not a story where the vicar, rectory, or whatever, investigates them. He just stays there, doing what he normally does, until the last chapters of the book, where he has a certain, I don’t know, realisation?, and he knows exactly who the murderer is. And I can assure you it is nearly impossible to guess in this instance. It could be anyone from this cast of indistinguishable characters, or no one, because there doesn’t seem to be any discernible motive.
There is a motive, however, and, when I thought my eyes couldn’t roll anymore, after the reverend’s sudden realisation of who the murderer is, they still rolled some more as I read about the motive for the murders.
It was bad. I already mentioned the indistinguishable characters, but what about the poor dialogues? They were terrible.
I was expecting a cozy mystery where the reverend would play detective. A funny one, considering that I laughed in the first page with the “lavatory-gate” thing. But that was it. I feel mislead.
I think this will be a series. At least there should be a following book. Guess who won’t be reading that one?
I’m pretty sure I read most of this book without actually reading it, because I couldn’t bother. Most of the story is about the daily occurrences of the parish and there is no crime investigation. Sure, murders do happen, but, contrary to what I thought, this is not a story where the vicar, rectory, or whatever, investigates them. He just stays there, doing what he normally does, until the last chapters of the book, where he has a certain, I don’t know, realisation?, and he knows exactly who the murderer is. And I can assure you it is nearly impossible to guess in this instance. It could be anyone from this cast of indistinguishable characters, or no one, because there doesn’t seem to be any discernible motive.
There is a motive, however, and, when I thought my eyes couldn’t roll anymore, after the reverend’s sudden realisation of who the murderer is, they still rolled some more as I read about the motive for the murders.
It was bad. I already mentioned the indistinguishable characters, but what about the poor dialogues? They were terrible.
I was expecting a cozy mystery where the reverend would play detective. A funny one, considering that I laughed in the first page with the “lavatory-gate” thing. But that was it. I feel mislead.
I think this will be a series. At least there should be a following book. Guess who won’t be reading that one?
June 14, 2022
Well written but more 'diary of a country parson' than murder mysteries. There weren't any clues and so little emphasis on the suspects that by the end I had forgotten who they were.
June 3, 2022
Author Richard Coles is well known in the UK for being a previous member of The Communards and also for appearing on many television shows as a witty and companionable guest, so I was keen to read his first mystery and I was delighted that I found it a really enjoyable read.
This is very much a cosy mystery, with the central character, Canon Daniel Clement, Rector of Champton St Mary, with echoes of St Mary Mead, and a cast of characters which includes the Big House and Lord de Floures, as well as Daniel’s widowed mother and his actor brother. This is set within living memory of the Second World War, (from television shows mentioned, I put it at the early Eighties, but I may be wrong,) and the village housed many of the Free French, who have left their mark behind.
The plot involves changes suggested by Daniel, of putting a lavatory into the church, which is stoutly resisted by the flower guild (though why women, when we so often lack appropriate toilet amenities in public spaces, would do so was beyond me). The local dissent allows Coles to introduce the characters and then a murder occurs, which Daniel becoming involved in the investigation.
I think the author has been quite clever in allowing lots of scope to extend the series and I am sure that I will follow this one as it was good fun and well written. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
This is very much a cosy mystery, with the central character, Canon Daniel Clement, Rector of Champton St Mary, with echoes of St Mary Mead, and a cast of characters which includes the Big House and Lord de Floures, as well as Daniel’s widowed mother and his actor brother. This is set within living memory of the Second World War, (from television shows mentioned, I put it at the early Eighties, but I may be wrong,) and the village housed many of the Free French, who have left their mark behind.
The plot involves changes suggested by Daniel, of putting a lavatory into the church, which is stoutly resisted by the flower guild (though why women, when we so often lack appropriate toilet amenities in public spaces, would do so was beyond me). The local dissent allows Coles to introduce the characters and then a murder occurs, which Daniel becoming involved in the investigation.
I think the author has been quite clever in allowing lots of scope to extend the series and I am sure that I will follow this one as it was good fun and well written. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
December 13, 2024
3.5 stars 🌟..
this was ok read.
Only thing about it was the fact that that it was full of hymns and what happens and said at services and quotations that’s not my thing other people might like it not me.
This is Rev Richard Cole’s first book and it felt like it.
Introduced to Daniel the vicar of a sleepy British town,
Of course you meet the regulars of the church crew!
To me it was just like watching an episode of father Brown.
this was ok read.
Only thing about it was the fact that that it was full of hymns and what happens and said at services and quotations that’s not my thing other people might like it not me.
This is Rev Richard Cole’s first book and it felt like it.
Introduced to Daniel the vicar of a sleepy British town,
Of course you meet the regulars of the church crew!
To me it was just like watching an episode of father Brown.
September 6, 2022
"Eventually Daniel rose from his stall, the dogs uncurling from his feet, and walked them down the aisle to where he had discovered Anthony's body. The crime scene had been cleaned by the specialist team; they had done such an excellent job that an ghouls in search of bloodstains would have to use their imagination. They would, of course, and the murders would enter local folklore, generate tales of dogs refusing to go into church, or birds no longer singing in the trees around the bath house."
In the rural parish of Champton, Reverend Daniel Clement presides over his small and close-knit flock. The presence of the de Floures family and estate, with Champton House, looms large in the life of the village as does his domineering mother, Audrey, who moved into the rectory with him when she was widowed. Disputes over small, but important issues, such as the loss of pews in the Church to provide 'loos' are conteious, with battle lines drawn. Entering his church before Evensong one evening, with his two sausage dogs, Hilda and Cosmo, Daniel is horrified to discover the body of the churchwarden and family archivist, Anthony de Floures. The police and press descend on Champton, but it's Daniel who knows residents and the potential suspects best. Will he help catch the killer?
I must admit to feeling disappointed with this book, it was not what I expected. I found it slow, with unwanted detail in some areas (which I assumed would relate to the case, but in fact didn't) and not enough detail to make the identity of the killer, revealed in a rush near the end, matter. There was a lot of book before the first murder occurred and parish life did not seem unduly interrupted by it. I struggled to relate to the bland protagonist, Daniel, and found the plethora of weakly-drawn, supporting characters to be caricatures of elderly villagers and eccentric, landed gentry. There was a lot of ecclesiastical language, as might be expected, but which would have benefited from a glossary and I gave up looking up the numerous Latin phrases. I didn't like that the historic period it was written about was entirely unclear (only identified as 1988 more than halfway into the book when Daniel's mother watches Celine Dion win Eurovision in the TV), felt this was a missed opportunity for nostalgia and context. Ultimately this novel didn't work for me, unfortunately. I didn't find it humerous (as is usually the case with cosy crime), there was little mystery and investigation, it was slow and bogged down in ecclesiastical language and process and ultimately I struggled to care about the characters.
In the rural parish of Champton, Reverend Daniel Clement presides over his small and close-knit flock. The presence of the de Floures family and estate, with Champton House, looms large in the life of the village as does his domineering mother, Audrey, who moved into the rectory with him when she was widowed. Disputes over small, but important issues, such as the loss of pews in the Church to provide 'loos' are conteious, with battle lines drawn. Entering his church before Evensong one evening, with his two sausage dogs, Hilda and Cosmo, Daniel is horrified to discover the body of the churchwarden and family archivist, Anthony de Floures. The police and press descend on Champton, but it's Daniel who knows residents and the potential suspects best. Will he help catch the killer?
I must admit to feeling disappointed with this book, it was not what I expected. I found it slow, with unwanted detail in some areas (which I assumed would relate to the case, but in fact didn't) and not enough detail to make the identity of the killer, revealed in a rush near the end, matter. There was a lot of book before the first murder occurred and parish life did not seem unduly interrupted by it. I struggled to relate to the bland protagonist, Daniel, and found the plethora of weakly-drawn, supporting characters to be caricatures of elderly villagers and eccentric, landed gentry. There was a lot of ecclesiastical language, as might be expected, but which would have benefited from a glossary and I gave up looking up the numerous Latin phrases. I didn't like that the historic period it was written about was entirely unclear (only identified as 1988 more than halfway into the book when Daniel's mother watches Celine Dion win Eurovision in the TV), felt this was a missed opportunity for nostalgia and context. Ultimately this novel didn't work for me, unfortunately. I didn't find it humerous (as is usually the case with cosy crime), there was little mystery and investigation, it was slow and bogged down in ecclesiastical language and process and ultimately I struggled to care about the characters.
June 9, 2022
A cosy crime novel by ex Communards musician Reverend Richard Coles. This was a decent read and a solid start to the Canon Clement series that left me thinking that it has a lot more to offer. We get a good insight into the characters and the novel was well written making it an entertaining read.
The Rector of Champton, Canon Daniel Clement is lives with Audrey, his widowed mother and his two dachshunds, Cosmo and Hilda in the Rectory. The big news in the parish is the announcement of a new toilet in the church which seems to cause more rumpus than anyone expected.
But talk soon focuses on the murder of Anthony Bowness when he is discovered dead at the back of the church, stabbed in the neck with a pair of secateurs, This is the start of further deaths in the community as the police race to catch the killer.
I feel fairly confident that I will as the characters grow on me the novels will continue to improve.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
The Rector of Champton, Canon Daniel Clement is lives with Audrey, his widowed mother and his two dachshunds, Cosmo and Hilda in the Rectory. The big news in the parish is the announcement of a new toilet in the church which seems to cause more rumpus than anyone expected.
But talk soon focuses on the murder of Anthony Bowness when he is discovered dead at the back of the church, stabbed in the neck with a pair of secateurs, This is the start of further deaths in the community as the police race to catch the killer.
I feel fairly confident that I will as the characters grow on me the novels will continue to improve.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
April 23, 2023
Sadly I have to put this one as a DNF, I so wanted to like this book as I am a big fan of cozy murder mystery books in little villages but after 100 pages it just wasn't the one for me.
The beginning of the books spends most time describing the church, the prayers and if they should have a toilet put in... normally that's great at the start so you get a feel of the place and people but not when it's 80 pages of it. I'm lucky that I don't have too many DNF but I think when I'm 100 pages in and my mind drifts to other things and I'm not engrossed then it's time to put it down, I might return to it another time but for now it's a no
The beginning of the books spends most time describing the church, the prayers and if they should have a toilet put in... normally that's great at the start so you get a feel of the place and people but not when it's 80 pages of it. I'm lucky that I don't have too many DNF but I think when I'm 100 pages in and my mind drifts to other things and I'm not engrossed then it's time to put it down, I might return to it another time but for now it's a no
May 23, 2022
This is very enjoyable. For those of us who enjoy listening to and watching Richard Coles (now ex Rev), it’s not a surprise to read such an intelligently written, warm and funny book. This is the first of a series apparently. For a first attempt at writing crime fiction, I think it’s pretty good. There were perhaps too many characters introduced initially but I suppose it was important to set the scene and introduce us to Daniel Clement (I can’t see him as anyone else but the author), his parish and work. I am sure much of it will be based on his own experiences and certainly Daniel Clement’s personality is very reminiscent of Richard Coles’ own. I laughed out loud a few times. I didn’t guess whodunnit, although that didn’t surprise me as I was still trying to work out who was who. I enjoyed reading it and will look forward to reading the second in the series. Happy retirement, Richard! If this is how you’re going to spend it, lucky us!
With thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Ltd for a review copy.
With thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Ltd for a review copy.
July 13, 2022
This is not going to be a comprehensive review, but then, this isn’t a comprehensive novel.
* When is this book set? There is no reference to time here at all, and it was more than half way through before I could pin point ‘mid eighties’. A disclaimer at the start with something along the lines of ‘words that were prevalent at the time’ would have been a good way to do this, because there are a range of slurs used through, including g***y, that really doesn’t feel necessary.
* conversations really felt stilted in places. Beautiful descriptions, but stilted conversations that felt… well, pointless.
* flashes of inspiration, but on the main, dull. I didn’t care for any of the characters (except maybe Nathan?) - took me 3 weeks to read, and normally this would have been 2 days max.
* When is this book set? There is no reference to time here at all, and it was more than half way through before I could pin point ‘mid eighties’. A disclaimer at the start with something along the lines of ‘words that were prevalent at the time’ would have been a good way to do this, because there are a range of slurs used through, including g***y, that really doesn’t feel necessary.
* conversations really felt stilted in places. Beautiful descriptions, but stilted conversations that felt… well, pointless.
* flashes of inspiration, but on the main, dull. I didn’t care for any of the characters (except maybe Nathan?) - took me 3 weeks to read, and normally this would have been 2 days max.
July 8, 2025
Murder most pleasant, thank you very much, Reverend Richard for the entertainment, and, surprisingly, the education I received from your novel.
To coin a new genre, Murder Before Evensong is ‘Teapot Fiction’ at it’s finest. A super-mix of characters, and a beautifully written plot that kept me guessing right to the very end.
Overall, a satisfying whodunnit, perfect for fans of the other Richard! (Mr Osman!)
To coin a new genre, Murder Before Evensong is ‘Teapot Fiction’ at it’s finest. A super-mix of characters, and a beautifully written plot that kept me guessing right to the very end.
Overall, a satisfying whodunnit, perfect for fans of the other Richard! (Mr Osman!)
November 15, 2023
There is commotion in the small village of Champton: Pastor Daniel Clement proposes to install toilets in the church. Toilets ? Shocking! In the eyes of many parishioners, it is a sacrilege, a real scandal.
“we’ve managed for centuries without one, why do we need one now?”
The situation escalates into something much more sinister when Anthony is found dead in the church, a pair of secateurs plunged into his neck.
And the murders follow one another in this sleepy village.
So, there is a real urgency to bring peace to Champton, where gossip is rife.
If he doesn't want his flock to go astray, Pastor Daniel Clement must unmask the murderer.
But between a family of idle aristocrats, embittered clam frogs and the son of a punk-looking Lord, he has a good range of suspects.
The pastor's mission may well turn into a real way of the cross
Murder Before Evensong is a gentle and humorous read. The characters and the setting are all an absolute joy.
The pages have turned quite quickly
A satisfying read especially for informative about ecclesiastical and modern history.
A good cosy crime
“we’ve managed for centuries without one, why do we need one now?”
The situation escalates into something much more sinister when Anthony is found dead in the church, a pair of secateurs plunged into his neck.
And the murders follow one another in this sleepy village.
So, there is a real urgency to bring peace to Champton, where gossip is rife.
If he doesn't want his flock to go astray, Pastor Daniel Clement must unmask the murderer.
But between a family of idle aristocrats, embittered clam frogs and the son of a punk-looking Lord, he has a good range of suspects.
The pastor's mission may well turn into a real way of the cross
Murder Before Evensong is a gentle and humorous read. The characters and the setting are all an absolute joy.
The pages have turned quite quickly
A satisfying read especially for informative about ecclesiastical and modern history.
A good cosy crime
June 22, 2023
Murder Before Evensong was written by the Reverend Richard Coles and it is a slow burner of a cozy mystery. Not to say it isn’t good but it is definitely no page turner. It is, as many other reviewers have said, very English and a large chunk of the book is taken up with church matters - the first murder doesn’t occur until 30% of the way through. The story is set in a small village and there are a lot of characters, so many that I sometimes lost track of who they were. The time period of the tale is never directly revealed but I’d guess late ‘80s or early ‘90s based on clues peppered throughout (am I the only person who didn’t know Celine Dion won Eurovision in 1988. I looked it up)
But despite all this, I enjoyed the book quite a bit. It is well-written and smart with a touch of humour. Overall, a pretty good debut and, if this is the start of a series, I would happily read more of Canon Daniel Clement’s crime-solving adventures in future books.
I received an arc of this book from Netgalley and Titan Books in exchange for an honest review
3.5
But despite all this, I enjoyed the book quite a bit. It is well-written and smart with a touch of humour. Overall, a pretty good debut and, if this is the start of a series, I would happily read more of Canon Daniel Clement’s crime-solving adventures in future books.
I received an arc of this book from Netgalley and Titan Books in exchange for an honest review
3.5
May 23, 2022
I am a big fan of 'cosy' crime and Richard Coles and so I was really excited to hear about this novel, especially as I adore Richard Osman's books. Comparisons are inevitable and unfortunately they don't do Murder Before Evensong any favours. I like Coles' writing - he's a witty, personable writer - but in my opinion the style holds up the story and the narrative is overly verbose. It feels like a series of interludes and chatter - one long paragraph on a biscuit tin description, for instance. There are some interesting characters that I warmed to and the village feel is great. Hopefully, the next book in the series will tighten things up.
December 31, 2023
If you like a large cast of one dimensional characters that you can’t keep track of, let alone care about, then look no further. If you like pretentious Latin phrases and references you don’t understand, then this is for you.
Lacked any tension/build up/ suspense/intrigue. No figuring out of clues or sleuthing along the way.
When the murderer is revealed in the last 10 pages or so, I couldn’t remember who the character was, and by that point I just didn’t care.
Lacked any tension/build up/ suspense/intrigue. No figuring out of clues or sleuthing along the way.
When the murderer is revealed in the last 10 pages or so, I couldn’t remember who the character was, and by that point I just didn’t care.
November 28, 2025
This wasn't very good. Not terrible, but not a top pick for my fellow cosy enthusiasts.
If you like your murder mystery to contain any degree of sleuthing, you may be bemused. Events seem to unfold around Canon Clement without him taking even a cursory interest.
I found Canon Clement to be a bit of a non-entity. He's not quite as mean-spirited and whiny as his fellow fictional rev-sleuth Sidney Chambers, but apart from "fed up with certain members of the family" and "a little creative with parish statistics" he doesn't seem to have much personality. (His mother and brother on the other hand would make an excellent sleuthing team...)
Hard-core cosy fans may enjoy it if they can get through the infodumping at the beginning, but I struggled to care about what was happening. It just didn't suck me in.
Throw in some tonally-jarring casual mentions of animal death and the 2-star rating is cemented. Whether you're a cat person, a dog person or a rabbit person, you're guaranteed to feel a little twinge of pointless distress at some point along the way.
Not the worst cosy mystery I've read by any means, but a bit of a damp squib.
If you like your murder mystery to contain any degree of sleuthing, you may be bemused. Events seem to unfold around Canon Clement without him taking even a cursory interest.
I found Canon Clement to be a bit of a non-entity. He's not quite as mean-spirited and whiny as his fellow fictional rev-sleuth Sidney Chambers, but apart from "fed up with certain members of the family" and "a little creative with parish statistics" he doesn't seem to have much personality. (His mother and brother on the other hand would make an excellent sleuthing team...)
Hard-core cosy fans may enjoy it if they can get through the infodumping at the beginning, but I struggled to care about what was happening. It just didn't suck me in.
Throw in some tonally-jarring casual mentions of animal death and the 2-star rating is cemented. Whether you're a cat person, a dog person or a rabbit person, you're guaranteed to feel a little twinge of pointless distress at some point along the way.
Not the worst cosy mystery I've read by any means, but a bit of a damp squib.
April 20, 2023
I really wanted to love this book but sadly I found my mind went for a little walk about often while reading it. Set In 1988 which I had to google to find this out! Far too many characters and many I couldn’t distinguish from each other. I had no chance of guessing who the killer was and even when it was revealed I still wasn’t sure who they were. I remembered their name but I couldn’t remember anything about them. I felt descriptions of characters were lacking and that made it harder for me to remember who they were. Lots of story lines in the book I felt were set up ones for future books as they weren’t relevant for this story. Maybe the next book will be better but sadly this one left me disappointed.
August 28, 2023
I had high hopes for this. Expected an amusing tale of murder and intrigue against a backdrop of interesting characters a la Thursday Murder Club (also by a "celebrity" author).
Alas it was not to be. A stereotypical fictional village where everything revolves around the church and the lord of the manor, but none of the characters jumped off the page, and therefore you didn't actually care who got killed or who did it. It was basically terribly dull, and the main character (a rector who has 2 dachshunds, weird that) was particularly insipid so I rather hoped he'd be one of the victims.
Ultimately we found out who did it because the rector had an amazing moment of insight during his sermon at the funeral for one of the victims. Riiiiiight. Clever bloke! The policemen were portrayed particularly poorly as people who ambled around chatting and drinking tea and never actually doing any crime solving at all.
A few irksome matters to mention:
A dispute over installing a toilet at the church where the main people campaigning against were middle aged / elderly women? Too ridiculous for words.
What was with all the pretentious words/phrases? For the first chapter or two I didn't mind. Oh how nice I thought, it's not dumbed down. Then the novelty wore off. As readers we were expected to be familiar with a load of French and Latin phrases and some pretty hard vocab. I didn't understand why; I can't imagine the cast of characters would really have used that language, so maybe it was just the author showing off. Whatever it was, it was quite annoying. There were also a lot of historical and literary references and ecclesiastical terminology.
Here are a few of the things I had to look up, so you can test yourselves.
Chthonic
Demesne
Et in Arcadia ego
Ad majorem sei gloriam
Sacerdos magnus
Eppur si muove
Noblesse oblige
Toujours la politesse
Archilocus
Alas it was not to be. A stereotypical fictional village where everything revolves around the church and the lord of the manor, but none of the characters jumped off the page, and therefore you didn't actually care who got killed or who did it. It was basically terribly dull, and the main character (a rector who has 2 dachshunds, weird that) was particularly insipid so I rather hoped he'd be one of the victims.
Ultimately we found out who did it because the rector had an amazing moment of insight during his sermon at the funeral for one of the victims. Riiiiiight. Clever bloke! The policemen were portrayed particularly poorly as people who ambled around chatting and drinking tea and never actually doing any crime solving at all.
A few irksome matters to mention:
A dispute over installing a toilet at the church where the main people campaigning against were middle aged / elderly women? Too ridiculous for words.
What was with all the pretentious words/phrases? For the first chapter or two I didn't mind. Oh how nice I thought, it's not dumbed down. Then the novelty wore off. As readers we were expected to be familiar with a load of French and Latin phrases and some pretty hard vocab. I didn't understand why; I can't imagine the cast of characters would really have used that language, so maybe it was just the author showing off. Whatever it was, it was quite annoying. There were also a lot of historical and literary references and ecclesiastical terminology.
Here are a few of the things I had to look up, so you can test yourselves.
Chthonic
Demesne
Et in Arcadia ego
Ad majorem sei gloriam
Sacerdos magnus
Eppur si muove
Noblesse oblige
Toujours la politesse
Archilocus
May 19, 2022
I was really looking forward to reading this book. I like the author, Richard Coles and am always on the look out for a new crime series so this book based around the Rector of a small English village sounded perfect. It was a bit disappointing though.
Canon Daniel Clement was a likeable main character but I couldn’t quite see him as a solver of murders. As always in this type of novel, there were a host of other characters from the nearby Lord of the Manor to the women who run the flower arranging. The most memorable of these was probably Audrey, Canon Clements mother who definitely has her own opinions about what is going on and misses nothing. Most of the other characters were sadly, pretty forgettable.
The book started well and the initial murder was sufficiently well carried out to spark my interest but then the book really sagged. The story wasn’t bad but there was just so much detail that the plot became bogged down. The story was set in the late eighties and this was primarily established by many updates about what Daniel and his mother were watching on TV. There was just too much incidental information that did nothing to give us extra information about the characters or the plot.
I think that the character of Daniel and the setting have scope for development but this first book in the series really didn’t work for me.
Canon Daniel Clement was a likeable main character but I couldn’t quite see him as a solver of murders. As always in this type of novel, there were a host of other characters from the nearby Lord of the Manor to the women who run the flower arranging. The most memorable of these was probably Audrey, Canon Clements mother who definitely has her own opinions about what is going on and misses nothing. Most of the other characters were sadly, pretty forgettable.
The book started well and the initial murder was sufficiently well carried out to spark my interest but then the book really sagged. The story wasn’t bad but there was just so much detail that the plot became bogged down. The story was set in the late eighties and this was primarily established by many updates about what Daniel and his mother were watching on TV. There was just too much incidental information that did nothing to give us extra information about the characters or the plot.
I think that the character of Daniel and the setting have scope for development but this first book in the series really didn’t work for me.
July 3, 2022
Started off with big smile as the canon brought up the topic of installing a much needed lavatory in the cathedral in the face of overwhelming opposition due to the ingrained belief of the congregation that the historic building must not be sullied. From that moment of hope that this would be a book filled with humorous interactions the story line went downhill. The ladies of the community ruled and the canon had only his two dogs as friendly companions.
There will be blood shed soon enough, but why? I'm not so sure I was able to understand the answer. The canon's widowed mother Audrey seems to know a thing or two, but it was a job discerning who was behind murder and mayhem in the small community.
Loan from Friend - Thank you!
There will be blood shed soon enough, but why? I'm not so sure I was able to understand the answer. The canon's widowed mother Audrey seems to know a thing or two, but it was a job discerning who was behind murder and mayhem in the small community.
Loan from Friend - Thank you!
March 10, 2024
I can’t even…. Don’t waste your time. It’s just awful!
March 19, 2022
I was very lucky to receive an advance reading copy of the first book in this new series by Rev. Richard Coles. It has all the charm, characters and murder that you might find in St. Mary Mead or Midsomer which makes it a great success. Champton, on the face of it, seems like a quiet little community but what secrets will be unearthed and who will pay the price for these discoveries? A must-read for any fans of The Appeal and The Thursday Murder Club!
November 1, 2023
I do like Richard Coles and admire him turning his hand to different careers but perhaps this isn't his finest hour. A bit dull, a bit wordy, and not a great ending, but better than some.
April 16, 2024
Troppo impegnato a descrivere inutili scene, ininfluenti ai fini della trama, si perde in mille dettagli superflui e ci mette un'eternità ad andare al dunque. Soporifero.
September 23, 2024
A promising set up with fun characters, but ultimately a mystery that felt a bit long in the tooth and without a satisfactory conclusion.
I actually don't even really have much to say about this book, which is a shame as I think the seeds of a great time were all there. The village setting is always a winner, the church politcs just convoluted and full of petty jealousies etc. to work. But something about this whole thing felt forced and dull.
I blame part of my forgettable time with this on having read far superior murder mysteries around the same time, so unfortunately this one faded in comparison.
I actually don't even really have much to say about this book, which is a shame as I think the seeds of a great time were all there. The village setting is always a winner, the church politcs just convoluted and full of petty jealousies etc. to work. But something about this whole thing felt forced and dull.
I blame part of my forgettable time with this on having read far superior murder mysteries around the same time, so unfortunately this one faded in comparison.
July 3, 2022
This is set in 1988 with it's TV shows such as Tenkio and To The Manor Born. It has lot of twists and wonderful divinity style murder along with lots of hummers religious jokes. Only a Vicar could get it right. The only problem is that I saw Coles as the Canon. Lot of rabbiting and woof woof.
This is the first of series because he leaves The Bishop 's questions unanswered. I love that this set in the 1980s no Internet, no www no mobile phones just old ladies gossip.
This is the first of series because he leaves The Bishop 's questions unanswered. I love that this set in the 1980s no Internet, no www no mobile phones just old ladies gossip.
September 25, 2022
Gostei bastante deste cozy Mistery. O facto de ser passado entre as décadas de 80 e 90 do século passado empresta-lhe um charme que gosto. O Cónego é engraçado e as personagens da pequena aldeia de Champton são das que ficam na mente tal como a mãe dele. Que senhora!
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