On April 1, 1930, Jonathan Ketchem's wife Jane walked from her house to the police department to ask for help in finding her husband. The men, wor...
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Feb 02, 2009
Sharon
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This is the third of Julia Spencer-Fleming's novels that I have read, and she is bidding to become a new favorite author. In this particular outing, protagonists Rev. Claire Fergusson and police chief Russ Van Alstyne become entangled in a parallel investigation -- two missing men, one who disappeared in the 1930s and one who disappears in the here-and-now. All of the action starts because the church roof is leaking, and one of the vestry members is willing to surrender her family trust to hav
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Mar 30, 2008
Karen
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OUT OF THE DEEP I CRY, and cry I did. I started this book over a month ago after getting an autographed copy (and a hug) from Julia at the South Carolina Book Festival. I was ill at the time and became even more ill in the weeks that followed. I kept plugging along, wanting to read more and more, but alas, my cardiac specialist said "Into the hospital with you!" And in I went. Well, you'd think lying in a hospital bed would give me plenty of time to read. Too bad I could not stay awak
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Apr 20, 2010
Joyce
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3rd in the Reverend Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne series.[return][return]A beautifully constructed book. The story starts off with a flashback to 1970, when a young Russ Van Alstyne, about to enter the Army to go to Vietnam, rescues an old woman, Jane Ketchem, from attempted suicide by drowning. Fast forward to the Now , where Clare is faced with an extremely serious, expensive roof repair on the church and no apparent way to raise money before the roof literally falls in.[return][return
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Nov 17, 2010
Christine
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The best of the series so far. I was really underwhelmed by the second in the series, and enjoyed this one so much more. Spencer-Fleming is a gutsy author. She's not afraid to take stands on different issues - even at the risk of alienating some in her audience - and I admire that. Many will read this book and disagree with her, and even be offended. I happen to agree with the author on the issue of vaccinating children, but it's a hot topic right now, and she may lose readers by choosing to mak
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Jul 16, 2010
Steve
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Having thoroughly enjoyed In the Bleak Midwinter, I took on Russ and Clare once again. This time, the issues are complicated. The free clinic doctor has an adversarial relationship with a woman who staunchly believes that the vaccination that the doctor gave her son caused his autism. There is also a rather unclear history of the clinic’s founder, her surviving daughter, her missing husband, and their first four children who perished from diphtheria. Russ, the chief of police, and Clare, the
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Apr 18, 2009
Ann
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Nov 22, 2011
Kris
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The third book in the Clare/Russ series - the best so far! The story, how the plot develops, the characters - all brilliant. I truly could not stop reading. Generally I don't care so much for stories in the "Now" interrupted with a story from the past, though they are related, and the "Then" story explains what is happening "Now" (see what I mean - it can be a bit irritating.) But Spencer-Fleming pulled it off! I was just as anxious to read what happened "Then"
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Apr 30, 2010
Jocelyn
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The third book in the series is much better than the first two. It's nicely plotted, more evenly paced, and full of better dialogue and more sympathetic characters (although the hostage scene beggars the imagination). Also I think the topic of this installment is more compelling -- mothers who refuse to have their children vaccinated, along with folks who "break the rules" in order to get what they want. The irony of this is not lost on the Rev. Clare Fergusson, who is breaking many ru
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Aug 28, 2009
Abby
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She's done it again! Another stellar mystery from Julia Spencer-Fleming. This one I *almost* had figured out, but she got me in the end.
What I'm struggling to understand is how the relationship of the main characters in JSF's books are doing all the things that in a more "traditional" romance would be my DO NOT CROSS line and would usually lead me to the "DO NOT BUY" category. Having characters engage in an affair (of the heart or physically) which cases one o More...
What I'm struggling to understand is how the relationship of the main characters in JSF's books are doing all the things that in a more "traditional" romance would be my DO NOT CROSS line and would usually lead me to the "DO NOT BUY" category. Having characters engage in an affair (of the heart or physically) which cases one o More...
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Jun 07, 2010
Bob
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The continuing tale of Reverend Clare Fergusson and Chief Russ Van Alstyne in the small NY town of Millers Kill. Clare needs to find money to repair the roof of the church and when she is offered money from a trust that had been supporting a free clinic she accepts, but has mixed feelings about it. Dealing with that and getting involved in one woman's crusade against vaccinations for her kids because of the autism scare she begins delving into the history of the free clinic and the family that
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May 25, 2011
Sue
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Good murder mysteries are page turners because you can't wait to see who did it. I realized about half way through this book that it's a page turner because I can't wait to see what's going to happen with the characters. The plot is so very secondary to me. Not a bad thing, but I think it's kind of odd in a mystery! Just an observation.
I'm glad I'm reading these in order, to fully appreciate the growth of Claire and Russ, and all the members of the congregation, the force, and More...
I'm glad I'm reading these in order, to fully appreciate the growth of Claire and Russ, and all the members of the congregation, the force, and More...
Jan 26, 2011
Jonelle
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I finished this novel over lunch today -- one of the rare times that I read a novel while eating a meal -- it was just too good to put down.
Spencer-Fleming alternated chapters between the present and a 1920-1930's setting, giving interesting historical background about the upstate New York area, and providing great context for a contemporary story about families who choose not to vaccinate their children because of the supposed'risks' of the vaccine.
The romantic tension b More...
Spencer-Fleming alternated chapters between the present and a 1920-1930's setting, giving interesting historical background about the upstate New York area, and providing great context for a contemporary story about families who choose not to vaccinate their children because of the supposed'risks' of the vaccine.
The romantic tension b More...
Aug 07, 2010
Ana
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The mystery plot is very engaging and definitely keeps me guessing. But, I am reading this series because of the relationship between Clare and Russ. Wow. Theirs is such a complicated relationship -- unlike any I have read before. Clare is a priest and Russ a married police chief. They are such good people -- always considerate and driven by doing the right thing to help others. And yet, they are soulmates. I am amazed at how Julia Spencer-Fleming can write interactions and conversations b
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Jun 15, 2011
Susan
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The main characters in this series are Clare Ferguson, an Episcopalian priest, and Russ van Alstyn, the police chief of Miller's Kill, New York. Russ and Clare are in love with one another but that is complicated by the fact that Russ is married. It doesn't stop them from investigating crimes together, however. The plot in this book revolved around trust money that was allocated to run a medical clinic, and the disappearance of the medical director of the clinic. There is a lot of suspense a
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Feb 26, 2011
Brenda
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I wasn't really grabbed by her first book in the series but couldn't put this one down. Definitely kept me guessing almost to the end, which mysteries rarely do anymore. Wonderfully complex and interesting characters, really terrific use of place, a hot middle-aged make out scene (though couldn't quite buy the where and when it happened in the plot, this author definitely knows the how!), and loved the way it moved back and forth from the Prohibition era to the present. Some humor too, which isn
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Dec 13, 2008
June
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I did not enjoy the writing technique. The overall plot was within the Glens Falls/Adirondack area and kept one reading to the very end to discover the mystery....but me it was long, drawn out and boring.
The flip-flopping between Now and Then was tiresome, to say the least. It just did not keep up the momentum of excitement.
Story: Trust fund money - where to be allocated as well as the question of how the family obtained this vast amount of money...plus a side flirtation betwe More...
The flip-flopping between Now and Then was tiresome, to say the least. It just did not keep up the momentum of excitement.
Story: Trust fund money - where to be allocated as well as the question of how the family obtained this vast amount of money...plus a side flirtation betwe More...
Jul 07, 2011
RuthG
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This book didn't capture my interest in the same way that the previous two in the series did. I suspect it was because I was bothered by the frequent switches in time, even though I realized why the author wrote it that way. Nevertheless, I did learn quite a bit about aspects of bootlegging that were completely new to me. At the same time, the discussions about the risks/benefits of vaccines made it seem completely up to date. Some things never seem to change. I definitely will read others
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Sep 06, 2008
Trin
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Third in the “A priest and a cop fight crime!” series. This one started out very slow—about half the narrative is devoted to flashbacks to Millers Kill in the ’20s and ’30s, and I just found it hard to be interested in that when I wanted to know what was up with Russ and Clare. They’re separated for much of the early part of the novel, as well, in part because they’re busy, and in part because they’re kind of avoiding each other as they try to not let things heat up between them again. When they
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May 21, 2008
Jen
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I love these so much. I think I'm changing my non-fiction book club to a series fiction book club because I DESPERATELY need to talk to someone about the end of the book.
Let me quote a few passages and see if I can't get you hooked as well. This series is about a former army pilot turned female minister who's falling in love with a small town police chief. A MARRIED police chief. They solve a bunch of crimes together.
"You can wait in the office, back here. I'll More...
Let me quote a few passages and see if I can't get you hooked as well. This series is about a former army pilot turned female minister who's falling in love with a small town police chief. A MARRIED police chief. They solve a bunch of crimes together.
"You can wait in the office, back here. I'll More...
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Feb 15, 2008
K
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On April 1, 1930, Jonathan Ketchem's wife, Jane, walked from her house to the police department to ask for help in finding her husband. The men, worn out from a night of chasing bootleggers, did what they could. No one ever saw Jonathan Ketchem again." "But the Ketchems were far from forgotten. Over time, the family died off - except for Jane Ketchem herself (whom everyone but a few stubborn optimists/pessimists decided had been made a widow by Jonathan's disappearance). When Jane inhe
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Jul 24, 2011
Susan
rated it:
3rd book in the Reverend Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne series set in Millers Kill, a small town in upstate NY. A tragedy in the Ketchem family is gradually revealed through flashbacks to the past, as Clare and Russ try to solve a disappearance in the present. All seemingly stand-alone subplots tie together by the end, and in retrospect, many clues were well placed in the story, "hidden in plain sight". Clare and Russ' near-drowning is eclipsed by the final revelations of the Ketchem
Apr 27, 2009
Kerry
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Really liked the mystery from the past interspersed with the mystery from the present. There were some loose ends that I thought weren't explained very well (how one character gained access to something) and another "resolution" that was too tidy and unbelievable. The writing was very good, and I still like the relationship between Clare and Russ, tortured as it is.
This is probably my least favorite of the series so far, but I enjoyed it a lot.
This is probably my least favorite of the series so far, but I enjoyed it a lot.
Aug 21, 2011
Alicia
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This one may be closer to 3.7 than 4 stars. The mystery, while solid, felt a little more confused. Probably because I wasn't a fan of the "Then" chapters. Not that they weren't good in and of themselves, they were. I just wasn't a fan of the back and forth storytelling. I never have been. And it also may be because I live for Russ and Clare's relationship. That is what really made this book, and I'm left with way too many feelings that I won't get into here. I just need to start readin
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Mar 24, 2008
Walt
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On April 1, 1930, Jonathan Ketchem's wife Jane walked from her house to the police department to ask for help in finding her husband. The men, worn out from a night of chasing bootleggers, did what they could. But no one ever saw Jonathan Ketchem again.
Now decades later, someone else is missing in Miller's Kill, NY. This time it's the physician of the clinic that bears the Ketchem name. Suspicion falls on a volatile single mother with a grudge against the doctor, but Reverend Clare F More...
Now decades later, someone else is missing in Miller's Kill, NY. This time it's the physician of the clinic that bears the Ketchem name. Suspicion falls on a volatile single mother with a grudge against the doctor, but Reverend Clare F More...
Feb 01, 2012
Lynda
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This is the best book of the series so far. The story of a family in the 1920's and a missing husband correlates with a woman protesting childhood vaccines in presnt day Millers Kill, NY. Clare becomes involved in trying to help the woman as well as trying to raise funds for roof repairs at St. Albans. The readeer will become invested in the 1920's Ketchum family and their descendent Lacey Marshall a member of the vestry at St. Albans.
Nov 02, 2011
Teri
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I really enjoyed this installment of Clare's mystery solving life as a priest. The story, with its flashbacks and complicated twists, was intriguing. The local flavor Clare continues to learn, the people learning their own histories as she learns the history of her new home, and the development of the relationships makes for a great read. I look forward to more from this sassy yet wonderfully pastoral priest/detective.
Nov 02, 2010
Sskous
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enjoyed this one (out of order, I think) as much as the last, though still find it out of character for the rev ferguson, as she's drawn here, to delight in needling about being a woman priest. she doesn't otherwise seem to have 'the women's issues' ~ and if she did I wouldn't be reading the series. or is it a Catholic issue? mmmm ~ don't like that, either.
Jul 28, 2011
Two men disappear mysteriously, 70 years apart. Rev Clare Fergusson makes sense out of all that while her personal life becomes ever more complicated.
Jul 18, 2010
Jaci
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Rev. Clare and Police Chief Russ are thrown into another situation where they are romantically inclined despite her being an Episcopal priest and he being a married man. And there was a murder and some other dead people in here as well.
Film at 11...
Which is past my bedtime but I keep reading...not unlike Nevada Barr and Kathy Reichs and others.
Film at 11...
Which is past my bedtime but I keep reading...not unlike Nevada Barr and Kathy Reichs and others.
Dec 08, 2008
Kit
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I thought this one was hard to get into, mainly because of the way the story switched between the present, with Claire and Russ as protagonists, and the 1930s, with a whole different cast of characters in familiar Millers' Kill. But by three quarters of the way through, as the author tied the threads together, I couldn't put the book down.
