Murdering Ministers
By Alan Beechey
4/5
()
About this ebook
"Filled with clever repartee, memorable characters, and an ending as satisfying as it is unexpected."—Booklist
What holy terror spiked the sacraments with strychnine?
When a teenage girl disappears from a north London suburb a few days before Christmas, Detective Sergeant Effie Strongitharm puts would-be cult leader and reputed exorcist Nigel Tapster on her list of people to be questioned.
But when Effie witnesses Tapster's agonizing death during a church service, she needs to ask a different question: What holy terror spiked the sacraments with strychnine?
With her mentor Detective Superintendent Mallard battling forced retirement, Effie turns to children's book writer Oliver Swithin to help her in a double quest—to bring the girl home and the murderer to justice in time for Christmas.
But is there a connection between the cases? And what does any of this have to do with a Scotland Yard Commissioner's personal hygiene, a six-year-old Hell's Angel, a guide to beastly behavior featuring Finsbury the Ferret, a touch of Shakespeare, and the return of the mysterious, virtually invisible Underwood Tooth?
Alan Beechey
Alan Beechey was born in England and grew up in London. He moved to Manhattan in his twenties and now lives with his three sons and his rescue mutt, Leila, in Rye, New York. This Private Plot is the third title featuring children's book author and amateur sleuth Oliver Swithin and his girlfriend, Scotland Yard detective Effie Strongitharm. They first met in An Embarrassment of Corpses, which The Bookshop Blog included in its list of the "Best 100 Mysteries of All Time," and reappeared in Murdering Ministers. Alan is also the co-author of a non-fiction book on American culture and values.
Read more from Alan Beechey
An Embarrassment of Corpses Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThis Private Plot Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Reviews for Murdering Ministers
16 ratings1 review
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Oliver Swithin is the author of a series of children's books about a fiendish ferret who torments a small family of railway mice. Although the books are wildly popular Oliver's profits are caught up in a court case so he remains a somewhat impoverished young man who lives simply in a house with a group of housemates who are also friends. The light of his life is a Scotland Yard detective Effy Strongitharm, a quick young woman with wild hair. Effy was his uncle Mallard's subordinate and met Oliver through a previous case.
Oliver is writing a story about his ferret and it's association with a fundamentalist church and becomes involved with the murder of a new deacon who doesn't survive to enjoy his new post. The story is magnificent as Beechey brings to life the group of individuals that belong to the church with such humor and wit that I read the book slowly so I could savor every bit of it. I had read this book before and I have been looking in vain for the next in the series on a regular basis. I am sure I will read it again on future Christmases because it was such a joy. The story takes place during the Christmas holiday time so it is a great read for this time of year.