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Canterbury Cathedral #1
The Becket Factor
A novel blending homicide, politics and espionage in an ecclesiastical setting.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1990
24 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 10, 2023
Richard Harrison has left intelligence work behind and returned to Canterbury. He serves as the Cathedral's Secretary to the Diocesan Dilapidions Board and takes care of his wife Winnie, who suffers from polio. He promised Winne that he was done with "all that." And then Canon Cratchley dies suddenly--reportedly from a heart attack, though someone says that Cratchely was "stung" on the night before he died. And Harrison's old boss Brigadier Greville shows up asking for Harrison's help. It seems that Cratchley contacted Greville shortly before he died and mentioned something about "the Becket factor." Greville wants Harrison to nose around Canterbury and see if he can find out anything that might prove that Cratchley was murdered.
The next thing Harrison knows, a crew working on refurbishing the stone floor in the Cathedral's crypt discovers an ancient coffin and the rumors fly that the remains of Thomas a Becket have finally been found. Did Cratchley know something about the remains? Is that what his cryptic message to Greville referred to? Or is it code for something else? In Harrison's investigations, he discovers that Cratchley was researching a Bishop with ties to the current front-runner to replace the current Archbishop of Canterbury. And both seem to have mysterious ties to Russia. There are plots within plots and Harrison is nearly too late in putting it all together....because the killer has their eye on another victim.
I am in two minds about this one, so my review has good news and bad news. I'll give you the bad news first. Harrison just isn't all that believable as an ex-intelligence officer. He is SO slow on the uptake and SO gullible, naïve, and blinded by his own prejudices. I cannot believe that England kept this man on the intelligence payroll for longer than two minutes.
On the plus side, I did like his personal relationships. I felt that the way he and Winnie worked their way back to one another (especially with him working his way through some residual effects from the war) was very realistic. He was certainly more perceptive in those instances than he was with anything to do with the mystery. Oh...and the mystery? Well done. The wheels within wheels and the interweaving plot was very good. Just when you thought the last twist had come there was another one and it certainly keeps the reader on his or her toes. I just wish the detection of the plot had been as good as the plot itself. ★★★--just.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
The next thing Harrison knows, a crew working on refurbishing the stone floor in the Cathedral's crypt discovers an ancient coffin and the rumors fly that the remains of Thomas a Becket have finally been found. Did Cratchley know something about the remains? Is that what his cryptic message to Greville referred to? Or is it code for something else? In Harrison's investigations, he discovers that Cratchley was researching a Bishop with ties to the current front-runner to replace the current Archbishop of Canterbury. And both seem to have mysterious ties to Russia. There are plots within plots and Harrison is nearly too late in putting it all together....because the killer has their eye on another victim.
I am in two minds about this one, so my review has good news and bad news. I'll give you the bad news first. Harrison just isn't all that believable as an ex-intelligence officer. He is SO slow on the uptake and SO gullible, naïve, and blinded by his own prejudices. I cannot believe that England kept this man on the intelligence payroll for longer than two minutes.
On the plus side, I did like his personal relationships. I felt that the way he and Winnie worked their way back to one another (especially with him working his way through some residual effects from the war) was very realistic. He was certainly more perceptive in those instances than he was with anything to do with the mystery. Oh...and the mystery? Well done. The wheels within wheels and the interweaving plot was very good. Just when you thought the last twist had come there was another one and it certainly keeps the reader on his or her toes. I just wish the detection of the plot had been as good as the plot itself. ★★★--just.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
April 29, 2018
What a great mystery! International political and religious intrigue. Historical and marital conflicts. Unique characters and red herrings. It’s got it all. I appreciate the relationship arc between the former British intelligence protagonist cum Secretary to Diocesan Dilapidations Board Richard Harrison and his wife Winnie. But I especially enjoy the setting: Canterbury Cathedral and it’s precincts. I recommend a stroll around it via google street view for any readers who haven’t visited. It’s sad the author only wrote three books about Harrison before he died. If readers are sharp, they may pick up on some connections sooner than Harrison or me. My second reading of this.
June 30, 2021
Confusing. Badly narrated. Too many clerics to keep track of.
July 4, 2008
Richard Harrison is a retired intelligence officer who now takes care of the maintenance at Canterbury. As the cathedral is preparing to announce a new Archbishop, murder and mayhem break out, and Harrison finds himself smack dab in the middle of it.
Harrison returns to Canterbury from a short trip to find one of the Canons dead. While the death was being attributed to heart attack, it was fishy nonetheless; even more so when Harrison's old colleague Brigadier Greville shows up and recruits Harrison to do some investigating.
Meanwhile, a suspicious casket is unearthed in the maintenance that is being done to prepare for the new Archbishop. No work can be done until the casket is taken care of...and taking care of this casket isn't that easy because it could possibly be the lost of remains of the twelfth-century martyr Thomas Becket.
I had a very difficult time making it through this book, it took me a lot longer than normal. I fell asleep several times while reading. However, I do want to stipulate that I know very little about the Anglican Church. That may have played a big role in my view of this book. For example, I had a hard time keeping characters straight because they were often referred to by their titles: Canon, Archbishop, Archdeacon...I was constantly having to go back to figure out who was who, and I don't know what the titles indicate exactly. By the end of the book, it was obvious that the Archbishop was the highest ranking of them, but beyond that, I know nothing.
I didn't make connections with any of the characters either. Harrison seemed wishy-washy and quite frankly, for an intelligence officer, I was irritated that he prematurely jumped to so many conclusions. Even his wife could see he was making assumptions without all the facts. If he was a trained professional, why couldn't he see that as well? It wasn't hard to see it coming when his conclusions all ended up wrong. However, the way he "discovered" his assumptions were wrong was rather suspect as well. Again, this "discovery" was really just more assumptions.
The inclusion of Sarah, the dead Canon's niece was very strange. I think she could have been eliminated from the book quite easily without affecting the plot at all. And I felt the same way about Greville's partner Gillie. I didn't understand the significance of his character either. Both just seemed to add unnecessary fluff to the plot.
Harrison returns to Canterbury from a short trip to find one of the Canons dead. While the death was being attributed to heart attack, it was fishy nonetheless; even more so when Harrison's old colleague Brigadier Greville shows up and recruits Harrison to do some investigating.
Meanwhile, a suspicious casket is unearthed in the maintenance that is being done to prepare for the new Archbishop. No work can be done until the casket is taken care of...and taking care of this casket isn't that easy because it could possibly be the lost of remains of the twelfth-century martyr Thomas Becket.
I had a very difficult time making it through this book, it took me a lot longer than normal. I fell asleep several times while reading. However, I do want to stipulate that I know very little about the Anglican Church. That may have played a big role in my view of this book. For example, I had a hard time keeping characters straight because they were often referred to by their titles: Canon, Archbishop, Archdeacon...I was constantly having to go back to figure out who was who, and I don't know what the titles indicate exactly. By the end of the book, it was obvious that the Archbishop was the highest ranking of them, but beyond that, I know nothing.
I didn't make connections with any of the characters either. Harrison seemed wishy-washy and quite frankly, for an intelligence officer, I was irritated that he prematurely jumped to so many conclusions. Even his wife could see he was making assumptions without all the facts. If he was a trained professional, why couldn't he see that as well? It wasn't hard to see it coming when his conclusions all ended up wrong. However, the way he "discovered" his assumptions were wrong was rather suspect as well. Again, this "discovery" was really just more assumptions.
The inclusion of Sarah, the dead Canon's niece was very strange. I think she could have been eliminated from the book quite easily without affecting the plot at all. And I felt the same way about Greville's partner Gillie. I didn't understand the significance of his character either. Both just seemed to add unnecessary fluff to the plot.
March 12, 2008
THE BECKET FACTOR (Ecclesiastical Mystery-Richard Harrison-England-Cold War) - VG
Anthony, Michael David – 1st book
St. Martin’s Press, 1991, US Hardcover – ISBN: 0312058217
First Sentence: A boy began singing.
Retired Intelligence officer Richard Harrison is now attached to the Anglican church in Canterbury. A fellow officer from Richard’s past asks that he investigate the mysterious death of a Canon of the church and the book he was said to be writing which could defame the top candidate of new Archbishop. In the meantime, an ancient tomb as been discovered which perhaps contains the bones of Thomas Beckett, raising fears of Anglo-Catholics using this as a way to bring the Anglican Church closer to Rome.
This was a very good book. I had a bit of trouble, at first, placing the time period, probably because the whole book is really very English, which is not a criticism but an observation. I liked the character of Richard and how both he, and his relationship with his wife, changed through the story. I found the ecclesiastical information to be fascinating. It’s hard to say much about the story without giving something away. Everything is woven tightly together and playing on everything else. Sadly, the author only completed two other books in this series, plus one standalone, before dying suddenly. However, I enjoyed this enough that I have found, and will read, the remaining two books in the series.
Anthony, Michael David – 1st book
St. Martin’s Press, 1991, US Hardcover – ISBN: 0312058217
First Sentence: A boy began singing.
Retired Intelligence officer Richard Harrison is now attached to the Anglican church in Canterbury. A fellow officer from Richard’s past asks that he investigate the mysterious death of a Canon of the church and the book he was said to be writing which could defame the top candidate of new Archbishop. In the meantime, an ancient tomb as been discovered which perhaps contains the bones of Thomas Beckett, raising fears of Anglo-Catholics using this as a way to bring the Anglican Church closer to Rome.
This was a very good book. I had a bit of trouble, at first, placing the time period, probably because the whole book is really very English, which is not a criticism but an observation. I liked the character of Richard and how both he, and his relationship with his wife, changed through the story. I found the ecclesiastical information to be fascinating. It’s hard to say much about the story without giving something away. Everything is woven tightly together and playing on everything else. Sadly, the author only completed two other books in this series, plus one standalone, before dying suddenly. However, I enjoyed this enough that I have found, and will read, the remaining two books in the series.
January 21, 2011
I enjoyed this ecclesiastic mystery very much though have to say I sometimes found the characters confusing as they were addressed by their first name, their title or both. Once I got that straightened out the story fully drew my attention and I read through the book, anxious to see what the outcome of the mystery would be. Will look for the next in this short-lived series.
September 26, 2011
This was a pleasant read. I figured things out very early on, but it was interesting to read about the Anglican Church. There were times when I was exasperated with the protagonist, Harrison. He was often a day late when it wasn't necessary. The book kept my interest though, so I have to give it higher marks for that.
October 3, 2013
It was a little hard to keep the characters sorted out at first, but the mystery and the background on the Anglican church were both fascinating. The relationship between Richard Harrison and his wife was interesting, too. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews