Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death
James Runcie
Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death
Sidney Chambers, the Vicar of Grantchester, is a thirty-two-year-old bachelor. Tall, with dark brown hair, eyes the colour of hazelnuts and a reassuringly gentle manner, Sidney is an unconventional clergyman and can go where the police cannot. Together with his roguish friend, Inspector Geordie Keating, Sidney inquires into the suspect suicide of a Cambridge solicitor, a scandalous jewellery theft at a New Year's Eve dinner party, the unexplained death of a well-known jazz promoter and a shocking art forgery, the disclosure of which puts a close friend in danger. Sidney discovers that being a detective, like being a clergyman, means that you are never off duty. Nonetheless, he manages to find time for a keen interest in cricket, warm beer, hot jazz and the works of Tolstoy and Shakespeare - as well as a curious fondness for a German widow three years his junior.
3.3 out of 5 based on 6 reviews
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Omniscore:
|
| Classification |
Fiction |
| Genre |
General Fiction, Crime, Thrillers & Mystery |
| Format |
Hardcover |
| Pages |
400 |
| RRP |
|
| Date of Publication |
May 2012 |
| ISBN |
978-1408825952 |
| Publisher |
Bloomsbury |
| |
Sidney Chambers, the Vicar of Grantchester, is a thirty-two-year-old bachelor. Tall, with dark brown hair, eyes the colour of hazelnuts and a reassuringly gentle manner, Sidney is an unconventional clergyman and can go where the police cannot. Together with his roguish friend, Inspector Geordie Keating, Sidney inquires into the suspect suicide of a Cambridge solicitor, a scandalous jewellery theft at a New Year's Eve dinner party, the unexplained death of a well-known jazz promoter and a shocking art forgery, the disclosure of which puts a close friend in danger. Sidney discovers that being a detective, like being a clergyman, means that you are never off duty. Nonetheless, he manages to find time for a keen interest in cricket, warm beer, hot jazz and the works of Tolstoy and Shakespeare - as well as a curious fondness for a German widow three years his junior.
Reviews
The New York Times
Marilyn Stasio
“Taken individually, each of these clerical whodunits poses a clever puzzle for armchair detectives. Viewed as a collective study of British life as it was lived when Elizabeth II first ascended the throne, these stories present a consistently charming and occasionally cutting commentary on “a postwar landscape full of industry, promise and concrete.””
11/05/2012
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The Independent
Barry Forshaw
“Chambers turns out to be a winning clergyman-sleuth, and Runcie's literary authority is repeatedly demonstrated in the construction of his elegant tales. In fact, it is the plotting that really distinguishes this collection, and will make many readers more than ready to follow the God-fearing hero from the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953 to the wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981 (which is, apparently, the setting of the final book in the series). Of course, if you are a reader who prefers red meat in your crime fiction, Sidney Chambers's exploits may be a touch bland for your taste. ”
05/06/2012
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The Independent
Barry Fprshaw
“Chambers turns out to be a winning clergyman-sleuth, and Runcie’s literary authority is repeatedly demonstrated in the construction of his elegant tales. In fact, it is the plotting that really distinguishes this collection, and will make many readers more than ready to follow the God-fearing hero from the coronation of Elizabeth in 1953 to the wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981 (which is, apparently, to be the setting of the final book in the series). Of course, if you are a reader who prefers red meat in your crime fiction, Sidney Chambers’ exploits may be a touch bland for your taste. But Runcie is on the mark regarding his hero’s clerical accoutrements (the author’s name is a clue to his family connections), and there is no denying the winning charm of these artfully fashioned mysteries.”
21/05/2012
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The Guardian
Laura Wilson
“The book is heavy on characters and rather light on plot, but the clerical milieu is well rendered as an affectionate eye is cast over post-war England – a perfect accompaniment to a sunny afternoon, a hammock and a glass of Pimm's.”
15/06/2012
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The Spectator
Andrew Taylor
“Overpopulated with characters and overburdened with plots, it’s not really one novel but two or three. It is difficult to share the amazing faith that so many people, including his obliging friend Inspector Keating, have in the vicar’s detective abilities. That said, Sidney is an appealing character and the clerical background rings true. ”
26/05/2012
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The Times
Marcel Berlins
“… a satisfyingly old-fashioned read.”
19/05/2012
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