Author: Martha Ockley/ Rebecca Jenkins
Format: trade paperback
Genre: Christian, Mystery, and Suspense
Source: Kregel Blog Tour Service book blogger campaign
Published: Lion Fiction / $14.95 / 2013 / ISBN:978-1-78264-006-6
Buy the Book: Kregel Publications / Lion Hudson / Amazon
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Synopsis of Book (as posted on the Kregel Publications website):
Faith Morgan, former policewoman and vicar of the small English village of Little Worthy, goes to visit one of her parishioners at his farm, only to discover the house surrounded by police cars. A body has been found in the local river and farmer Markham is charged with murder.
Though busy with preparations for Christmas, Faith is called on to investigate when it’s found out that the victim is also a member of her congregation—Lucas Kemp, a member of the choir.
Faith’s informal inquiries lead her to uncover a hotbed of tensions and romantic rivalries in the choir, questions about drugs, and a run-in with an unsavory uncle—which leads to a dramatic rescue by Ben, Faith’s former detective partner and ex-boyfriend.
Read an Excerpt: The Advent of Murder
Why I Read this Book: I enjoyed reading A Reluctant Detective, the first of the Faith Morgan Mysteries, and figured this would be a great follow-up.
What I Liked: I love the fact that Faith does not put on pretenses with her parishioners and admits her flaws for the most part. It's nice to know that a member of the clergy has some of the same types of thoughts and actions that I have from time to time. (Even if they're not very nice.) I also liked the fact that more of Faith's family showed up in this book and that friendships were strengthened through the circumstances in the book.
What I Didn't Like: As this is the British version of the book, it took me a little bit to get the rhythm of the book and I had to really think because the British spelling and vocabulary were used as well. (i.e., tire = tyre).
While those are not really detractors for me, I was surprised when the "B" word showed up. Granted the character was talking about a female dog, but as Americans we do not normally see this word written in Christian fiction.
Another distractor for me was the fact that as a non-Catholic Christian, I am unfamiliar with some of the abbreviations (MP..?) so I wasn't quite sure if I grasped the whole context of some of the situations in the story.
Overall Impression: Aside from these little blips, I really enjoyed the journey back to Little Worthy. It was almost as if I had returned to treasured place after a long separation and I was able to slide back into the routine of Faith's hectic life as a vicar. If you enjoy reading mysteries with a bit of suspense and British quirks, then The Advent of Murder is the book for you!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Let me know what you think! Happy Reading!
