Sidney Chambers and The Forgiveness of Sins: Grantchester Mysteries 4

By James Runcie

'Delightful ... The ongoing plots bind the stories, yet each in themselves is precise ... They are a joy' - Stuart Kelly, Scotland on Sunday

'All manner of nostalgic delights. Perfect reading for a sunny English garden' - Kate Saunders, Independent

'The author knows the location well and has caught its dour charm and great art treasures to perfection' - Country Life
_______________

Loveable full-time priest and part-time detective Canon Sidney Chambers is back, continuing his investigations. A mysterious stranger seeks sanctuary in Grantchester's church; a shooting weekend in the country has a sinister end; a friend receives poison pen letters; a piano falls on a musician's head; a school cricket match has an explosive finish; and on a holiday in Italy, Sidney is accused of stealing a priceless painting. On the home front, his new curate has become irritatingly popular with the parish and his daughter is starting to walk and talk.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: May 7, 2015
• ISBN: 9781408862216

James Runcie

James Runcie is an award – winning film-maker and writer. He is unashamedly forty-one and lives in St. Albans with his wife and two daughters. ‘The Discovery of Chocolate’ is his first novel, written because he finds the prospect of everlasting life far more frightening than death, and because, according to Vogue Magazine, “It’s official. People who eat chocolate live longer than those who do not.”

Reviews for Sidney Chambers and The Forgiveness of Sins

[bgknighton · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not so much mysteries, but lots of life changes as Sidney and Hildegard head into the next stage of their lives.

[kellyn_903682 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was on display at the library on the new books and I was captivated by the title. What a delightful read. About halfway through I thought the author must be related to the late Archbishop of Canterbury as he described the life of a village priest so intimately. James is indeed the son of the late Robert Runcie. James said in an interview that Sidney is "loosely" based upon his father. I loved the description of Sidney's moral dilemmas and his sensitivity to his calling. Found a treasure!

[newsieq · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the fourth volume of stories about Canon Sidney Chambers upon which the television series, The Grantchester Mysteries, is based. In Sidney Chambers and the Forgiveness of Sins, it’s the mid-1960s in Cambridge, England. Our hero is featured in six short stories, which run an average of 66 pages. Although I’m not a big fan of mystery short stories, I like these, mainly because they are offered in sequence and with the same characters, making the book read more like a novel. Other featured characters include Sidney’s wife Hildegard and their little daughter Anna – and, of course Sidney’s best friend Police Inspector Geordie Keating, who often enlists Sidney’s help on his cases or at least tolerates his friend’s meddling. Sidney seems to get results.The crimes in the six stories vary from art theft and poison-pen letters to outright murder. And Canon Chambers contends with his curate, Malcolm, who is wooing a girl young enough to be his daughter. Plus his best friend and former amour Amanda wants Sidney to check out the man she plans to marry. These stories are as cozy as can be, reminiscent of the Father Brown stories by G.K. Chesterton. Sidney Chambers is a great protagonist and I am vowing to read more of the stories, whether or not they ruin my viewing of the PBS television series.