A friend gave me these books for my birthday. I feel very fortunate - I love them! I guess what I like about them is that each books is made up of several novellas, so they are very easy to read in one sitting, something I really appreciate as a busy person.
Runcie, the son a former Archbishop of Canterbury, is well versed in the political as well as practical aspects of church administration and drops just enough authentic details about that world to give the stories a realistic grounding that appeals to the practical side of my nature.
On the other hand, because of his role as a clergyman, Runcie's hero, Sidney Chambers, is able to know people from every strata of society, from his charwoman to a Brit of African descent who owns a club in Soho. I suppose Runcie would have been wonderful company for Jane Austen, or vice versa.
Last, but far from least, in the books Sidney Chambers wrestles quite a bit with how Chritianity prescribes behavior. He wrestles with his own feelings, and with what expectations to have of others. It's more explicit in the book.
In this book, Sidney is married to Hildegard, and in one of the stories they go to visit Hildegard's family in East Germany. This story is dark and while it's very much like the village mystery in that everyone knows each other and that the buried secrets of the past emerge, the change in setting makes it feel quite different.
I personally think the covers are delightful, too.
All the characters from the TV series are here: Amanda, Mrs. McGuire, Leonard, Hildegard, Sidney's sister and his club-owning brother-in-law.
Runcie, the son a former Archbishop of Canterbury, is well versed in the political as well as practical aspects of church administration and drops just enough authentic details about that world to give the stories a realistic grounding that appeals to the practical side of my nature.
On the other hand, because of his role as a clergyman, Runcie's hero, Sidney Chambers, is able to know people from every strata of society, from his charwoman to a Brit of African descent who owns a club in Soho. I suppose Runcie would have been wonderful company for Jane Austen, or vice versa.
Last, but far from least, in the books Sidney Chambers wrestles quite a bit with how Chritianity prescribes behavior. He wrestles with his own feelings, and with what expectations to have of others. It's more explicit in the book.
In this book, Sidney is married to Hildegard, and in one of the stories they go to visit Hildegard's family in East Germany. This story is dark and while it's very much like the village mystery in that everyone knows each other and that the buried secrets of the past emerge, the change in setting makes it feel quite different.
I personally think the covers are delightful, too.
All the characters from the TV series are here: Amanda, Mrs. McGuire, Leonard, Hildegard, Sidney's sister and his club-owning brother-in-law.
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