PAGAN SPRING

A small English town can’t stop talking about the murder of a dislikable newcomer, which the hunky vicar is responsible for investigating.

Max Tudor sees part of his role as vicar in the English village of Nether Monkslip as acting cordial to new residents of the town. In the case of hairstylist Gabby Crew, Max has no problem striking a friendly tone, but it’s hard to muster the same for Thaddeus Bottle and his wife, Melinda. The former playwright and actor has alienated the folksy town residents to such a degree that both he and his wife have become obligatory guests rather than welcome additions to community events. When Thaddeus is found dead in his own home, the small town is rocked, in spite of his unpopularity, by what appears to be yet another local murder (A Fatal Winter, 2013, etc.). Although his duty to welcome Thaddeus has ended, Max’s responsibility for investigating is just beginning, since his MI5 background makes him DCI Cotton’s favorite off-the-books assistant. Now the amusingly gossipy townspeople have more to discuss with Max than his blossoming romance with local Awena Owen. (And that’s just as well, because Awena may be away for the duration.) Max must depend on the loose lips of his congregation to solve a mystery rooted in a lost generation before the perpetrator focuses on a new victim.

A well-told tale whose greatest beauty, its charming cast of characters, binds together two generations.