August 8, 2005
Callie Anson, a newly ordained Anglican minister, soon discovers that the London church scene is a world of political infighting in this absorbing mystery from British author Charles (Cruel Habitations
). The low-church evangelicals and the high-church Anglo-Catholics disagree on everything, except that they both oppose the ordination of women and homosexuals. In this climate, someone murders Father Jonah Adimola, a conservative priest known for his outspoken dislike of feminism. Throw in a closeted gay priest whom the queen wants to make bishop; a hard-nosed reporter willing to do anything for a story; and a hunky, single cop, and Callie's first week on the job is anything but slow. With the current hullabaloo in the Anglican community over ordaining open homosexuals, this book is certainly timely. Unfortunately, the bad guys—the evangelicals and the Anglo-Catholics—are so unpleasant as to be implausible, while the vaunted liberals would be more interesting if they were a little less good. Still, fans of Julia Spencer-Fleming and Michelle Blake will doubtless enjoy curling up with a new female cleric -cum -detective. Agent, Dorian Literary Agency (U.K.)