Oh how I looked forward to this book. I loved Fathomless Riches when I read it years ago and follow Richard on Twitter and really enjoy his TV and radio appearances. As a crime fiction fan the promise of this book just seemed like a marriage made in heaven. But unfortunately, whilst I enjoyed Murder Before Evensong, I just didn’t love it like I hoped to. It’s such a shame, but I can’t quite put my finger on why it didn’t work for me.
Introducing Canon Daniel Clement
Murder Before Evensong is the first book in the Canon Daniel Clement series and there’s no doubt in where Richard found some of his inspiration for this main character. Daniel is Rector of Champton and has been in post there for eight years. He lives in the vicarage with his widowed mother Audrey and his two dachshunds. If you follow Richard at all you’ll know about his love of dachshunds.
In the book Daniel announced his plan to the parish to install a lavatory in his church. Not something that sounds too contentious, but at the same time something you can see some people getting their knickers in a twist about. Daniel didn’t realise just how much opposition he was going to receive in Champton though. Why are locals so against having a toilet handy for during those long sermons?
As Daniel tries to understand why it soon becomes apparent that the prospect of a new toilet isn’t the only problem. Anthony Bowness, cousin of Bernard de Floures, patron of Champton, is found murdered inside the church. Stabbed in the neck with a pair of secateurs left behind by Beth church flower arrangers. The police descend on Champton to try to find the murderer, but Daniel realises that understanding his local community will be the key to working out who is responsible.
Cosy crime fiction, but…
Murder Before Evensong has all the element of a classic English crime novel. A village setting with a member of the clergy involved, alongside a posh aristocratic family makes it sound like something from Cluedo or an Agatha Christie book. Being a man of the cloth, Rev Richard Coles obviously knows his religious stuff and there was a lot of “church stuff” in there. Bits about church services and practices and even references to the bible that I’m afraid passed me by a bit. As someone who isn’t a regular church goer I didn’t understand it all, or necessarily see its relevance to the plot. A few bits to fit in with the Canon’s role maybe, but there just seemed to be more of it than was necessary for the storyline.
As you’d expect in any English village there are a lot of “characters” living there, but these village characters didn’t really translate that well to characters in a crime book. Not even in a cosy crime novel as this is. I found them a bit dull to be honest with you. I know that when this book was announced there were a lot of comparisons with Richard Osman, but his characters in The Thursday Murder Club wipe the floor with the residents of Champton I’m afraid.
The book was also (slightly weirdly) set in the 1980s. After reading Val McDermid’s A Darker Domain I thought this might be another excellent way to delve into a bit more of 80s social history, but no. You’d almost miss that it was set in the 80s were it not for a few mentions of 80s TV shows and Eurovision. Oh, and the fact that no one has a mobile phone. IT almost made me wonder why it was set then if it wasn’t being made a bigger part of the story.
Oh I feel all a bit sad about Murder Before Evensong. It had so much promise, but just didn’t live up to it. Such a shame as the cosy crime genre is one that I really enjoy, but I struggle to see how Canon Clement could stretch his detective skills to a second book, let alone a whole series. I guess a charity shop a few years down the line might have the answer to that.
Where to buy Rev Richard Coles’ books
Murder Before Evensong is available to buy online here. I would however recommend his earlier autobiography Fathomless Riches which is excellent. It is followed by his story of his life as a priest (which I haven’t read yet) in Bringing In The Sheaves. I’ve also heard many people speak high about the book he wrote after the sudden death of his partner David: The Madness of Grief.
Leave a Reply