The son of Daniel's assistant minister in the neighbouring parish is killed in the chapel of a disused WWII airbase in what looks like a ritual murder.

As with the first book, I enjoyed the slice of life scenes before and after the murder far more than the mystery itself because again the solution seemed to come out of nowhere. I will wishlist the next one because it's not out yet, but I'm in no hurry. ( )

I really enjoyed the previous Daniel Clement book so I was very much looking forward to reading the second installment. I can't quite put my finger on why but A Death in the Parish didn't feel the same. Something was out of harmony, it felt forced; not unlike Daniels relationship with his neighbouring vicar Chris.

The story follows another tragic death in the quiet rural community, with all the expected false trails, misdirection and plot twists one would expect. There are times when you wonder why certain aspects have been included (correspondance mediumship for one). Overall I felt the sub plots possibly represented Richard Coles own differences with the CofE rather than were required by the narrative. ( )

His parish of Champton is now merged with the Badsaddles and Daniel Clement has a new partner in God. The vollage is trying to get back to normal after the events of the previous year but then a boy is found murdered in a horrific way. Now Daniel is dealing with issues both secular and also around his vocation.
The first book in this series was a really enjoyable read and this is no different. It's so gently and warming that it's difficult to remember that it is really a crime novel! I love the setting in the 1980s and the characters are all cliches and yet so correct. Now love is raising it's head and setting the scene of the next installment. ( )

There has been a flurry of celebrities entering the murder mystery genre in recent years, with mixed degrees of success. Richard Osman certainly nailed it with his novels (The Thursday Murder Club, The Man Who Died Twice and The Bullet That Missed) which have been runaway best sellers combining viable plots and charming characters, set against a ‘cosy’ background reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s works.

The Reverend Richard Coles, has certainly had a portfolio career so far, encompassing roles as a member of a successful band in the 1980s, a long spell as an ordained vicar in the Church of England, and latterly as a reality television star, participating in MasterChef and Strictly Come Dancing among others. I suppose, therefore, that it was inevitable that he might try his hand at writing a novel, and he has also come close to nailing it.

I had enjoyed his first novel (last year’s Murder before Evensong) although I found it a bit of a slow burner, with the opening chapters setting the scene occasionally veering off towards the ponderous, but once the murder had occurred, it all fizzed along very merrily. This time around it all flows much more easily.

Since the events of the previous novel, Canon Daniel Clement has acquired an assistant vicar (not a curate, but a fully trained and ordained fellow clergyman), who has taken over responsibility for some of Daniel’s parish, which had recently expanded to take in nearby villages. The assistant is Chris Biddle, who is accompanied by his wife Sally and twin children Joshua and Lydia, who mare both aspiring Goths.

The Biddles are not exactly dysfunctional, but there are clearly tensions within the family unit. Joshua is rebelling against family life, and is cynical about his parents’ religious beliefs. Lydia is more accommodating, but has her own behavioural challenges. Meanwhile Daniel finds his own domestic arrangements subject to change as one of his pet dachshunds is about to deliver an unexpected litter.

Coles manages to combine a well-constructed plot and plausible characters which a keen insight into life in rural Britain in the late 1980s, with Margaret thatcher still in Downing Street, and discord abounding throughout the country. He also gives an amusing account of the changing social hierarchies in village life. The local squire still holds a prominent position in everyday life, but is not without challenge in the gradually evolving social and political ecosystem. ( )