Rating: 4/5
Review:
More good stuff from Runcie
I do like this series.
James Runcie writes very well in an easy, readable style, he creates
decent mysteries and there is often some genuine moral and spiritual weight to
the stories. If you're not familiar with
the earlier books in the series, I would suggest that you read at least some of
them first; it's not essential but it will add to your enjoyment, I think. If you have read them, you won’t be
disappointed in this latest episode.
By now, we know pretty well what we're going to get with a
Sidney Chambers book. We have arrived in
the 1970s; Sidney's marriage is
well established, his daughter is growing up (she's six in 1971) and his
personal life continues to develop. Life
in Grantchester and Cambridge
continues to be peppered with crimes, including murder, with which Inspector
Keating requires Sidney's help, as
bodies, missing manuscripts and the like are interspersed with pastoral duties
and Sidney's personal moral
musings…all of which we have grown used to and which continue to be very well
done.
It's worth saying that although I haven't always been
completely convinced by Runcie's period detail, especially in his characters'
use of language, I think he captures the period very well here. I was in Cambridge
during this time and the picture he paints seems very convincing to me.
Probably all that really need be said is that this is an
enjoyable addition to a very good series, which is well up to the standard of
its predecessors. Warmly recommended.
(I received an ARC via Netgalley.)
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