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Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death (The Grantchester Mysteries #1)
by
James Runcie
It is 1953, the coronation year of Queen Elizabeth II . Sidney Chambers, vicar of Grantchester and honorary canon of Ely Cathedral, is a thirty-two-year-old bachelor. Tall, with dark brown hair, eyes the color of hazelnuts, and a reassuringly gentle manner, Sidney is an unconventional clerical detective. He can go where the police cannot.
Together with his roguish friend, i...more
Together with his roguish friend, i...more
Paperback, 400 pages
Published
April 24th 2012
by Bloomsbury USA
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Contrary to what I first expected, this book does not contain a singular plot. It is actually a collection of six cases, namely: The Shadow of Death; A Question of Trust; First, Do No Harm; A Matter of Time; The Lost Holbein, and; Honourable Men. They are arranged chronologically, and though some characters in the first case show up in the succeeding cases as well, you wouldn’t be handicapped if you decide to skip cases. Whichever suits your fancy, I suppose.
I liked this...more
Contrary to what I first expected, this book does not contain a singular plot. It is actually a collection of six cases, namely: The Shadow of Death; A Question of Trust; First, Do No Harm; A Matter of Time; The Lost Holbein, and; Honourable Men. They are arranged chronologically, and though some characters in the first case show up in the succeeding cases as well, you wouldn’t be handicapped if you decide to skip cases. Whichever suits your fancy, I suppose.
I liked this...more
Sidney Chambers is the canon of a church near Cambridge following World War II and he never intended to get into the detection business. However, after one service he is asked by a female parishioner to look into a suicide, which she feels was really a murder. She and the victim had had an affair. Sidney discusses the case with his friend Inspector Geordie Keating and finds out that no note was left. This case is the beginning of what is to be a minor career in helping the police solve crimes.
Ho...more
Ho...more
Read a short review in the Mystery/Crime section of the NY Times Book Review. Canon Sidney Chambers is a 32 year old bachelor and the vicar of Grantchester (Cambridge, England) in the early 1950s. Although a vicar, he seems to get involved with lots of crime-solving - a theft of an engagement ring, an art forgery, mysterious deaths of a number of people in his community. He is good friends with Inspector Keating, often meeting for a pint or two or three! This book reminded me of The No. 1 Ladies...more
Wow. What am I missing? I love the books that so many people lump with this one, but I found Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death to be unrewarding, stilted, shallow, stiff, and dry. I pre-ordered it in paperback after Karen of cornflowerbooks blog recommended it, and I was confident that I'd love it as I have loved the Flavia de Luce and Mma Ramotswe series--but oh! I was sooooooooooo wrong. Many people admit that the plot isn't compelling but then say what a great character Sidney is, a sta...more
http://www.cozylittlebookjournal.com/...
I'd like to believe that somewhere, somehow, James Runcie was sitting around thinking, "Well, I know she likes the Flavia de Luce books and all those old Agatha Christie novels and she used to watch The Father Dowling Mysteries on TV as a kid...what could I do to make the perfect book for Mary Lavers to read?" And that's the exact moment he created Sidney Chambers.
Sidney Chambers is an Anglican priest living in England in the 1950's who keeps finding himse...more
I'd like to believe that somewhere, somehow, James Runcie was sitting around thinking, "Well, I know she likes the Flavia de Luce books and all those old Agatha Christie novels and she used to watch The Father Dowling Mysteries on TV as a kid...what could I do to make the perfect book for Mary Lavers to read?" And that's the exact moment he created Sidney Chambers.
Sidney Chambers is an Anglican priest living in England in the 1950's who keeps finding himse...more
Jan 04, 2013
Ivonne Rovira
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone
Reading Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death, the first in a proposed series of six mystery books, was an unadulterated pleasure. Author James Runcie crafts such apt descriptions of characters and their observations that I found myself highlighting passage after passage in my Kindle Edition of the book. For example, in reference to the coroner, Derek Jarvis, Runcie writes: "What he lacked in charm he disguised with efficiency." What a precise picture that paints! At a confession of adultery a...more
A captivating and engaging, richly detailed novel that is a delicately interwoven tale of shrouded secrets and underlying meaning.
The highly evocative period feel and descriptive dialogue, containing exquisite prose makes this an acutely realistic, compelling read. Beautifully interlaced perspectives make this complex murder mystery so stunningly authentic, enthralling and entirely intriguing to the point of deep fascination. I love the supremely simplistic feel of the mystery surrounding an un...more
The highly evocative period feel and descriptive dialogue, containing exquisite prose makes this an acutely realistic, compelling read. Beautifully interlaced perspectives make this complex murder mystery so stunningly authentic, enthralling and entirely intriguing to the point of deep fascination. I love the supremely simplistic feel of the mystery surrounding an un...more
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First off, I expected this to be a novel, so when I got about 70 pages in and it seemed to be winding up the mystery, I was a bit confused. It's actually a series of 6 stories which are different mysteries that Cannon Sidney Chambers finds himself getting involved in. Also, except for the division into stories, there are no chapter breaks.
Of the six stories here, I thought that some worked better than others. The first ones were a little more genteel whereas the later ones, particularly perhaps...more
Of the six stories here, I thought that some worked better than others. The first ones were a little more genteel whereas the later ones, particularly perhaps...more
I enjoyed this, but not as much as I had hoped. Period murder mysteries set on my home turf were always going to be a popular read for me- like Miss Marple in South Cambridgeshire. I loved the setting of the book and seeing little details like the names of the local pubs and roads that I know well. I quite liked the technique of several short free-standing mysteries within the book, but they were often too long to read at one sitting (in bed!) and there were often not natural break points. Somet...more
Very enjoyable gentle mystery! Thanks to Net Galley and Bloomsbury for the preview copy.
Sidney Chambers is the bachelor vicar of Grantchester, a quaint English village, and his story begins in the fall of 1953. Queen Elizabeth’s coronation is the hottest topic of conversation, and the specter of WWII still haunts the nation. Our likeable hero becomes an inadvertent participant in the first of numerous police investigations when his friend, Inspector Keating, asks him to look into the possible mu...more
Sidney Chambers is the bachelor vicar of Grantchester, a quaint English village, and his story begins in the fall of 1953. Queen Elizabeth’s coronation is the hottest topic of conversation, and the specter of WWII still haunts the nation. Our likeable hero becomes an inadvertent participant in the first of numerous police investigations when his friend, Inspector Keating, asks him to look into the possible mu...more
The comparison to the Father Brown mysteries by G. K. Chesterton is apt--and I think this owes much to the Golden Age authors. It's a cozy amateur series starring a rather naive but jazz-loving canon. Though young his opinions and manner make him seem older. I can see this as a lovely British series, each of the 6 mysteries a separate episode. There's also something of Trollope's Barchester in his Grandchester setting. Lovely moralizing and philosophizing, with poetry and literary quotations, an...more
Canon Sidney Chambers always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It seems he is always at a place where a murder has been committed. Inspector Keating is always asking Sidney for help in each case. Sidney has lots of help from his sister Jennifer, his curate Leonard, his friend Amanda, and various other people help him at different times. Sidney solves crimes, all the while questioning his life choices and his lack of a romantic tie. This was a thoroughly enjoyable book. I would lo...more
Written as a series of 6 novelettes, it was reminiscent to me of the original release the Sherlock Holmes Mysteries in the end of the 19th century.
While the stories were all seperate, they maintainted an interconnectedness focused on the two main characters. The handsome, bachelor, Vicar Sidney Chambers and his friend Inspector Geordie Keating who join forces to solve 6 mysteries.
I really enjoyed this book. It was reminiscent to me of Midsomer Murders, with its' quirky townspeople and Julia Sp...more
While the stories were all seperate, they maintainted an interconnectedness focused on the two main characters. The handsome, bachelor, Vicar Sidney Chambers and his friend Inspector Geordie Keating who join forces to solve 6 mysteries.
I really enjoyed this book. It was reminiscent to me of Midsomer Murders, with its' quirky townspeople and Julia Sp...more
Set in the 1950’s, this is almost like a series of short stories. Canon Sidney Chambers starts out his career helping the police solve murders when one of his parishioners asks him to look into the supposed suicide of her husband’s business partner (also her lover). When he is found to have a talent for nosing around, he becomes friends with the local police investigator and soon he is being asked to help out officially. In total there are six murders solved in almost 400 pages. Sidney is an eng...more
This is a delightful series of cozy short stories set in the first year of Elizabeth's reign. Canon Sidney Chambers is a relatively young vicar, 32, who may have missed his calling as a detective. But the clergy can go where detectives cannot and can ask questions that detectives cannot. They also make connections that others may not see. I liked this book and it was pleasant to listen to but it didn't do more than that. I would certainly read the next book. I might even listen to it. This isn't...more
As a pastor, a book that weaves theology and mystery is very intrquing. But it took a while before I liked this book.It is set in post war Englandand takes Canon Sidney Chambers from his small Anglican parish into a number of mysterious situations that strain his relations with family, meddling parishoners, an irrasible housekeeper, 2 women friends and the constant, his friend the inspector.
Sktherlock Holmes it's not, but a fun read. There is another Canon Chambers that has recently been release...more
Sktherlock Holmes it's not, but a fun read. There is another Canon Chambers that has recently been release...more
Re-reading the book for the Mystery Group discussion at the end of August. I am back into the story immediately. I may even be enjoying it more the second time around. Sidney is a man of surprising goodness. He truly is a decent human being.
Reading via Net Galley. Canon Chambers debuts. Looking forward to reading this.
Well in to the book and am enjoying it immensely. Sidney Chambers is a warm human being and a very real person. His good friend, a police inspector, begins to listen to his insigh...more
Reading via Net Galley. Canon Chambers debuts. Looking forward to reading this.
Well in to the book and am enjoying it immensely. Sidney Chambers is a warm human being and a very real person. His good friend, a police inspector, begins to listen to his insigh...more
* I received an egalley of this book from the publisher Bloomsbury USA via NetGalley.
I really love when the cover of a book fits it so perfectly, and I'd have to say that James Runcie's Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death does just that. It's so idyllic and peaceful - blue skies with puffy clouds, green grass, and the beautiful church in the background...but with a dark shadow encroaching.
Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death is a series of five longer stories, about 100 pages each, set in...more
I really love when the cover of a book fits it so perfectly, and I'd have to say that James Runcie's Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death does just that. It's so idyllic and peaceful - blue skies with puffy clouds, green grass, and the beautiful church in the background...but with a dark shadow encroaching.
Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death is a series of five longer stories, about 100 pages each, set in...more
I like finding new detectives in mystery stories and the setting for this one, early 1950s, sounded pleasingly different. Our detective, as you might have surmised from the title, is Sidney Chambers, vicar of Grantchester, the quiet English village. Through the short stories in this collection, Sidney is induced to become involved in investigating several mysterious crimes. He is friendly with an inspector and his position in the church lends some authority to his actions while rendering his inv...more
Very episodic; I would have appreciated a clearer or more prominent framework or narrative arc to tie together the various episodes, a la The Beekeeper's Apprentice. I also wouldn't have minded if there had been less reliance on the main character's instinct about people and more of a willingness to engage with the larger ideas that this character is concerned with throughout most of the book. (A slightly less episodic format would perhaps have enabled this....) Anyways, a light, fun read.
This new cozy mystery series set in 1950's Cambridge features a vicar playing detective. While it had all the elements I usually enjoy in this type of series, an amateur playing detective, a curmudgeonly housekeeper and an English setting, it seemed somewhat lacking. I think it needed an injection of humor or maybe a few more wacky characters to keep it from being so dry.
I did like the fact that it's format was in a series of criminal vignettes rather than one single murder mystery but I still...more
I did like the fact that it's format was in a series of criminal vignettes rather than one single murder mystery but I still...more
Six linked stories feature Anglican vicar and canon Sidney Chambers, an earnest young war veteran, as he helps his friend Inspector George Keating solve several crimes, both in his Cambridge parish and in London. Sidney is bothered by the contrast of his thinking as a priest, which must be trusting, and as a detective, which must be suspicious, but he feels drawn to the various crimes, sometimes because he's been present, sometimes because people have appealed for his help.
I'd like to give this 3 1/2 stars, not quite a four. I like Sidney Chambers alot as a protagonist. He reminds me alot of Alan Bennett. He's moral,unsure of himself, and a fine detective. This is a group of cases with the same people in them. I enjoyed them alot and felt a strong empathy with Sidney whose housekeeper is constantly rearranging his notes and books no matter how much he tries to get her not to.I hope to have more of him in the future.
Loved this collection of short stories. The sedate pace will not appeal to all, nor will the mild, dry humor or the serious spiritual considerations of the protagonist. The characters are superior to the mysteries. I hope there will be a sequel as I remain curious about the outcome of the underlying romances. Read this, if only for the reference to Aeschylus' end.
Not-quite-cozy English mystery. Sidney is an Anglican minister. A young, handsome one, who in the course of his ministry comes across mysteries. Not huge ones, but interesting ones. Since his best friend is the local DI, he's got the resources to solve them quickly. I think there were 4 in this book. Nice period piece, quick read, well-developed and intriguing characters.
Not bad at all. Semi-deep. Sidney's a thoughtful guy. Will he ever get down to business with Amanda? Probably not. And what about the dog?
Reading this, however, I am struck by how many amateur detectives seem to bring death and destruction wherever they go. Why woud anyone invite Canon Chambers, or Miss Marple, or whoever to anything?
Reading this, however, I am struck by how many amateur detectives seem to bring death and destruction wherever they go. Why woud anyone invite Canon Chambers, or Miss Marple, or whoever to anything?
This was an excellent choice for our August book group. Very much enjoyed the format of six different stories about the same major characters within one book. Each one could be read in a sitting and had good stopping points. I just hope he gets around to writing another book about Canon Chambers. A terrific cozy mystery similar to a Christie novel.
Utterly charming. Think Rumpole crossed with Dorothy L.Sayers with a dash of Miss Marple. Not wildly original but so deftly done. I love the fact that the hero is a clergyman who is always offered sherry which he can't bear but is too polite to refuse. A treat for a rainy day.
I liked it, but I found Sidney to be a bit namby-pamby. I wish he were more of a forceful character--it's hard to connect with him. He's a bit too nice.
The mysteries themselves were mildly interesting. I would probably read another set featuring him, though unless he becomes a bit more dynamic of a character, I can't see me going three for three.
The mysteries themselves were mildly interesting. I would probably read another set featuring him, though unless he becomes a bit more dynamic of a character, I can't see me going three for three.
The first in a new series of six starting around 1953. The book was a series of adventures in which we were introduced to Sydney Chambers and his friends and family. Warming up to him and looking forward to his next set of adventures
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James Runcie is a British novelist, documentary film-maker, television producer, theatre director, and Artistic Director of the Bath Literature Festival.
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