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Canterbury Cathedral #2
Dark Provenance
Church official Richard Harrison returns to the precincts of Canterbury to find things far from happy. Proposed economic cutbacks and the radical views of the newly appointed Archdeacon are spreading despondency and discord. Added to this is the mystery surrounding the visit and subsequent death of a man from Harrison’s shadowy past...
Compromised by his own former recommendations and trapped by abiding loyalty to the institution he serves, Harrison risks friendship and reputation by helping to force a harsh rationalization programme on a deeply traditional and conservative Church. In doing so, he finds himself increasingly enmeshed in a web of intrigue. An intrigue whose threads lead back to the 1930s, and the dark secrets of a wartime conspiracy...
Compromised by his own former recommendations and trapped by abiding loyalty to the institution he serves, Harrison risks friendship and reputation by helping to force a harsh rationalization programme on a deeply traditional and conservative Church. In doing so, he finds himself increasingly enmeshed in a web of intrigue. An intrigue whose threads lead back to the 1930s, and the dark secrets of a wartime conspiracy...
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
21 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 29, 2013
I'm sort of torn about what to say of this one. While I found the first 2-3rds of the book really very good, the resolution of the mystery had me disappointed and scratching my head. I'm not quite sure I really understood the why of it all. And in this outing Richard Harrison's wife got on my nerves and I'm not sure why.
Overall it was interesting, especially the church politics, hierarchy and all the day to day running of the church, but I thought the mystery, if I understood correctly, was just an OK one and one that certainly had a huge build up with a bit of a let down once all was said and done.
It is a pity that I've caught up with this author's books as overall I found them to be very interesting.
Overall it was interesting, especially the church politics, hierarchy and all the day to day running of the church, but I thought the mystery, if I understood correctly, was just an OK one and one that certainly had a huge build up with a bit of a let down once all was said and done.
It is a pity that I've caught up with this author's books as overall I found them to be very interesting.
November 28, 2024
Parts of this book were very good. In some ways it did a good job of mirroring classic British crime novels, but in many ways it just tried too hard. I am disappointed, as I really wanted to really like this book.
September 28, 2015
DARK PROVENANCE (Trad. Mys-Richard Harrison-England-Cont) – VG
Anthony, Michael David – 2nd in series
St. Martin’s Press, 1994, US Hardcover – ISBN: 0002325020
First Sentence: Great Dunston struck the hour.
Captain Richard Harrison, an intelligence officer during WII, is Secretary of the Dilapidations Board for the Archdiocese of Canterbury. Returning, with his wife Winnie, from vacation, he is contacted by a distraught young woman whose father's body was found by a railway line and whose death has been labeled a suicide. She doesn't believe the death was suicide but does believe her father may have tried to contact Harrison and he realizes the man was someone he knew during the war.
Due to cost cutting measures, Harrison must inform retired pastor, Reverend Dove and his wife they must move out of a diocese rectory they had been told they could stay in the rest of their lives. Reverend dove is found in his car, an apparent suicide. The two suicides cause Harrison to question the facts and the links.
I so enjoyed the contrast of historical Canterbury and old rectories set in England during the early 1990s and Desert Shield. Harrison is a great character and very realistically drawn, including his marriage with Winnie, and that often clues come to him from comments by others rather than Harrison always finding the clues himself. The conflicts, large and small, internal and external to the character make him genuine.
Anthony was a descriptive writer which provided me a very strong sense of atmosphere and place. The plot is intriguing with a strong ending. I could never anticipate it I do wish we had more than three books from Mr. Anthony. At least, I've still one more yet to read and enjoy.
Anthony, Michael David – 2nd in series
St. Martin’s Press, 1994, US Hardcover – ISBN: 0002325020
First Sentence: Great Dunston struck the hour.
Captain Richard Harrison, an intelligence officer during WII, is Secretary of the Dilapidations Board for the Archdiocese of Canterbury. Returning, with his wife Winnie, from vacation, he is contacted by a distraught young woman whose father's body was found by a railway line and whose death has been labeled a suicide. She doesn't believe the death was suicide but does believe her father may have tried to contact Harrison and he realizes the man was someone he knew during the war.
Due to cost cutting measures, Harrison must inform retired pastor, Reverend Dove and his wife they must move out of a diocese rectory they had been told they could stay in the rest of their lives. Reverend dove is found in his car, an apparent suicide. The two suicides cause Harrison to question the facts and the links.
I so enjoyed the contrast of historical Canterbury and old rectories set in England during the early 1990s and Desert Shield. Harrison is a great character and very realistically drawn, including his marriage with Winnie, and that often clues come to him from comments by others rather than Harrison always finding the clues himself. The conflicts, large and small, internal and external to the character make him genuine.
Anthony was a descriptive writer which provided me a very strong sense of atmosphere and place. The plot is intriguing with a strong ending. I could never anticipate it I do wish we had more than three books from Mr. Anthony. At least, I've still one more yet to read and enjoy.
May 28, 2012
Col. Richard Harrison was a bit slow on the uptake on this outing when confronted with the death of two people he knew. Even when there were many incongruities it took him more that half of the story to realize that these were murders and since he had a background in intelligence I kept wanting to deliver him a kick in the pants. And very time he snapped at his wife I wanted to spray a little cool water on him. This book brought out the violence in me!
July 29, 2010
An intelligent mystery. Christie fans would like this one.
January 10, 2016
Poorly conceived and executed
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews