Sidney Chambers and the Problem of Evil

The Grantchester Mysteries #3

by James Runcie

Our favorite clerical detective is back with four longer mysteries in which Canon Sidney Chambers attempts to stop a serial killer with a grievance against the clergy; investigates the disappearance of a famous painting after a distracting display of nudity by a French girl in an art gallery; uncovers the fact that an “accidental” drowning on a film shoot may have been something more sinister; and discovers the reasons behind the theft of a baby from a hospital just before Christmas 1963.

In the meantime, Sidney wrestles with the problem of evil, attempts to fulfill the demands of his faithful Labrador, Dickens, and contemplates, as always, the nature of love.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Crime, British Literature, Short Stories, Detective

287 pages, Paperback

First published May 22, 2014

About the author

James Runcie is a British novelist, documentary film-maker, television producer, theatre director, and Artistic Director of the Bath Literature Festival.

Reviews

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

After his lackluster sophomore effort, Sidney Chambers and The Perils of the Night, author James Runcie more than redeems himself with the third book in the series. Sidney Chambers and the Problem of Evil comprises four novellas.

In the first, “The Problem of Evil,” someone is ritually murdering vicars in the Grantchester area, and Inspector Geordie Keating turns to his friend Canon Sidney Chambers for help. The mystery is riveting, but, as with all Grantchester novels, Sidney spends as much time pondering philosophical and theological tenets — including, of course, the theological obstacle that the problem of evil throws up — as he does contemplating the hows and whys of the murder. Yet, the novella never bogs down in this surprising page-turner.

In “Female, Nude,” Sidney helps to recover a painting stolen during the distraction provided by a disrobing French blonde in the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. (Both the painting — The Trapeze by post-Impressionist Walter Sickert — and the museum really exist.) Aided by his childhood friend, the flighty art historian Amanda Kendall, Sidney comes up with a plan to prove the case against the thief.

In “Death by Water,” the titular death — the drowning of a supporting actor during a film shoot — first presumed to be an accident turns out to be murder. Sidney, pressed into a bit part in the movie, a film version of Dorothy L. Sayers’ The Nine Tailors (nice homage!), is on hand for the drowning. With his inside knowledge of the film and its actors and crew, Sidney is able to determine both perpetrator and motive.

Lastly, in “Christmas, 1963,” Sidney helps to recover a newborn stolen out of the hospital. To tell any more would be to ruin this fine story. Let’s just say it’s a merry Christmas for all — including Sidney and his new wife, the independent but patient Hildegarde.

Sidney Chambers and the Problem of Evil won’t appeal to mystery fans who want a thrill ride of a novel; however, for those who like their cozies served up with some thoughts about philosophy, morality, and human nature — yes, I’m talking about you, fans of Dorothy L. Sayers, Laurie R. King, and Agatha Christie — then James Runcie has brewed just your cup of tea with Sidney Chambers and the Problem of Evil.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this on one of our RV trips. I am now bringing my review to Goodreads.

I love the BBC series –Granchester. So, why not take the cozy mystery book with me on my trip to read in between sightseeing, music, shopping and play entertainment in Solvang?

I read this book much too quickly.

I simply adore the characters and have become quite attached to them.

The characters are like old friends and make these books irresistible.

I’m looking forward to reading the next installment.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was inspired to read this by the new PBS series Grantchester. The first two books in the series weren't immediately available at the library, so I started with the third, set in the early 1960's, about 10 years after the TV series. I was surprised to find that it is not a novel, but is a collection of four stories, each about 80 pages long, and each involving the solution of a crime of some sort (not always murder). Apparently all the books are like this. I was also surprised to find a pervasive air of gentle, kindly benevolence throughout, reminding many reviewers of the Mma Ramotswe books by Alexander McCall Smith. It seems entirely appropriate, since the author is the son of the late Archbishop of Canterbury; but there is only the barest hint of that spirit in the TV show. In this one Sidney Chambers has risen to the position of canon in the Church of England, and he happens to attend both the dedication of the new cathedral at Coventry and the funeral of C.S. Lewis in Oxford. In the most entertaining story he is also dragooned into playing the role of Rev. Theodore Venables in a new movie version of Dorothy L. Sayers's Nine Tailors. He is resented by the other actors for being an amateur (hired only because he is a friend of the director) and taking the role away from a deserving professional. But of course murder ensues, so Sidney turns out to be essential after all. The characters are well drawn, the writing graceful, the humor never mean-spirited. But the theological considerations of the title problem are pretty light-weight, and the mysteries, as mysteries, are only so-so. Still, a very pleasant read.

[Bookish Indulgenges with b00k r3vi3ws · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fact is that I am not as well read and well aware of the books out there as I would like to be. And blogging about books have given me an opportunity to discover more than I normally would have. My recent discovery of The Grantchester Mysteries is all thanks to Bloomsbury India, who sent over a review copy of the third book in the series.

Sidney Chambers is not a professional detective. In fact he is a vicar of Grantchester and honorary canon of Ely Cathedral. However, with his unique position in the town and access to so many families, he manages to solve crimes with a bit of help from the town inspector, Geordie Keating. This particular installment offers its readers with four standalone short stories. First is ‘The Problem of Evil’ where Sidney looks into a serial killer with a grudge against clergymen. The second story titled ‘Female, Nude’ deals with the disappearance of a painting while a nude woman made for a perfect distraction. The third in line was ‘Death by Water’, a case where an actor accidentally drowned, but it turned out to be a murder case. Finally ‘Christmas, 1963’ tells us how Sidney manages to solve the case of a parishioner’s missing baby.

The thing that I realized right off the bat is that Sidney Chambers is not our regular fictional detective. He is a clergyman whose insight to people and their lives is one of the strongest points he has. He is not a conventional protagonist and as such the stories also vary in terms of the cases he solves. From playing the role of clergyman in a movie to his love for jazz music, small and insignificant details make up the character of Sidney Chambers. It is indeed a refreshing change to read about Sidney Chambers and his adventures. Also, since it is set in a quaint little town in early to mid-twentieth century, there are no complex forensic details. While it may sound a little bland (after all we are so used to reading about the complexities of forensics in any sort of case these days) it is another aspect of the series that I seriously liked. Coming to the plot, they were pretty simple and straightforward, and any mystery aficionado would be able to guess the who and what factors. However, the stories have been presented in a manner that there is much of other things that a reader gets out of the book. For instance, the culture at that time, the mentality of common people, etc. The author has kept his language and narration style simple in order to compliment his plot and characters.

Overall, I loved the book for its simplicity. I will be sure to hunt out the previous books in the series, and also look up the TV series based on these books.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This installment is perhaps the most emotional of the series so far. I enjoyed seeing more of Sidney and Hildegard together - I loved the passage where Sidney is detailing how long it takes Hildegard to get ready to leave the house!

[Chautona Havig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book. My favorite so far. I think one thing I really loved about it most was how varied the crimes were. Also, I've always thought I wouldn't enjoy an English pantomime. It's kind of funny to say it, but getting to see bits and pieces of this in here proved me right. Did not like that part BUT... I loved that it was in there.

And I so love that despite how very flawed Sidney really is, he also truly means well. It's a good reminder when dealing with humans.

[Vikas Datta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite very interesting and evocative... captures the period very well and features interesting discussions on the nature of evil

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, I like the Masterpiece series "Grantchester" (which is based on these books) better than the actual books. But these are still enjoyable pleasure reading for a mystery buff. Like the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, these include a fair amount of philosophical musing about people's motivations, but in this series, the philosophizing has a markedly religious bent. (This only makes sense, since the main character is a canon in the Church of England -- but it's something to be aware of if you don't want a dose of God in your mystery novels.)

[Morgan Giesbrecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

I was unprepared to sob over this book. 😭 After volume 2 didn’t overly impress me, Runcie had one more chance to keep me reading. And while there were things I didn’t love content wise in this book (more details below), it was tamer (content wise & almost no language), and honestly more beautiful than I expected. While Sidney’s theology is still questionable, his heart of compassion & moral compass are very admirable. Easily my favourite collection so far… I’ve already ordered volume 4 because I’m invested enough for at least one more instalment!

Story #1

Newlywed Sidney and Hildegard are adorable. There’s domestic hiccups with being two independent people in their late 30s/early 40s being set in their ways that require communication when it comes to living together. I wanted to shake Inspector Keating (not doubt as Sidney wished to) as he comes dangerously close to cheating on his wife, at least emotional, and Sidney tries to warn him off.

Content: passing comment about Sidney having had sex once before going off to war; gossip questions about if certain men in the town are homosexual (it’s unclear); there’s no on page sex, though coming to bed naked it mentioned a time or two (Sidney/Hildegard)


Story #2

The entire concept of the story circles around a woman going nude through an art gallery to serve as a distraction to an art heist. No details or descriptions are given, but the art concept of naked versus nude is discussed quite a bit. This was the weirdest story of the collection and the sole reason it didn’t get a 5 star.

Story #3

I will riot if dear old Dickens the Labrador dies. Spoiler: he does and I cried my eyes out because it felt too close to home.

I LOVED the plot line about a movie crew coming to town and filming a Dorothy L. Sayers’s mystery (aka a Lord Peter Wimsey story). Plus, this may have been THE most clever murder weapon I’ve ever read about. All the points for creativity!

Content: comment about a woman’s cleavage being “pleasantly visible” and Sidney tries to avoid staring ; a few misuses of God’s name; one or two d*mn & bl**dy; murder hinges around an affair of a married woman who had an “open” marriage because her husband preferred men (no detailed and on par with Agatha Christie)


Story #4

I love the historical bits were given—how did I never put together that C.S. Lewis and JFK died the same day??? I’ve been sharing this anecdote left and right because it’s blowing my mind. And the nod to the late Queen Elizabeth with her annual BBC Christmas message? My heart. Loved it.

Seeing Sidney and Hildegard becoming parents was very precious and frankly adorable. I’m curious to see how Sidney balances husband, priest, detective, and fatherhood since, as we’ve seen, he does tend to not balance them as well as he should.

Content: the mystery features a baby snatching for an unwed mother

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took my time sinking back into Sidney’s Grantchester, and loved every moment. There was an excellent plot arc in each story alongside an excellent structure to the overall volume. Exploring Sidney and Hildegard’s first years as a married couple, the struggles they faced with cost of living rising and the loss of a very dear friend.

[L · Rating 1 out of 5]

Theoretically, I should love everything about this series. I love the ITV show, which in my opinion deserves the same acclaim as Sherlock; I adore Cambridge and Grantchester; I admire Runcie's work on the JK Rowling documentary, and am fascinated by his father's Archbishop of Canterbury background. Not to mention the stunning book jackets.

But it's time to admit that I simply don't like these books that much. Not only do they lack the themes of race and sexuality that make the TV show so fascinating as a portrayal of 50s England, they are also stylistically flat. The narration is more didactic than expository, over-explaining aspects of English life or unsubtly incorporating pop culture history lessons. Moreover, as opposed to the stirring, tumultuous relationship between TV-Sidney and Amanda, "The Problem of Evil" is dominated by book-Sidney's extraordinarily insecure and possessive wife, Hildegaard (whom one cannot help but wish victim to one of the mysteries)...

[Debbie Maskus · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my third Grantchester books, and the book seemed dreary and uneventful. I felt the book contained too much preaching and not enough action for a mystery. I have decided to give James Runcie a rest and not continue the Grantchester mysteries, for a while. Runcie provokes religious and life searching questions which would be better served in a different genre. In this book, Sidney seems caught up in his own problems and feelings, such as he a good pastor or a good husband or a good man. I felt cheated and wondered where did the real Sidney go. Maybe the next book will be better, but this reader will read other books before returning to Granchester.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book much too quickly. I simply adore the characters and have become quite attached to them - to the point of being heartbroken when something difficult happens to one of them. I want to be furious with the author for it, but I forgive him because of the wonderful things that followed. The mysteries in the book are fine - nothing earth shattering but certainly not boring. But the characters are like old friends and make these books irresistible. I'm off to purchase the next book in the series!

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first two in the series, but I'll keep reading them. Not sure why Hildegard can't be made into a better character. Once she and Sidney married, she suddenly becomes a boring shrew? Really? Why? In terms of the women in the books vs. the Grantchester series, TV is far outpacing the novels in fully drawn characters/less sexist portrayals. Here, they continue to be props and little else.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many of the mysteries were not so strong this time, more of a hunch and guess style of solving rather than following clues, but I fall ever more in love with Sidney Chambers with each book.

[Megan Tosti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did not realize how much of a time jump this series has. Only three books in and ten years has passed? Geez!

Which comes to my next dilemma: Dickens. Whyyyyyyy 😭

[Deborah Gaspar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third in series

Great book that is well written with enough mysteries gathered along with further life tales of the main character. I like this story for the sense of humor of the wife, the connection to friends and the reflection that life is often challenging.

[Annika Hoogendoorn-Van Oosten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weer een heerlijk boek van James Runcie. Goed gedetailleerd en doordacht.

Toen Dickens stierf moest ik wel een traantje laten. En zo blij dat baby Anna geboren werd.

Op naar het volgende deel met avonturen van Canon Sidney Chambers.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

These short stories allow for leisurely or binge reading. I am enjoying the further development of the characters and their relationships. So far all three volumes hold up with regard to quality. I’m looking forward to reading the next installment.

[gabriella · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of the four mysteries packed into this story contained nothing but excitement and suspense. Though, the discussion about religion is not really the main point in this book, I love how Sydney uses his expertise as a vicar to work hand in hand with his investigating skills. Definitely a must read!

[Jenny Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This entire series was wonderful! This book wasn't my favorite out of the three, but it was still enjoyable. Since reading the series I began to watch the television series which varies from the books quite a bit. The Sidney Chambers in the books is much better than the one portrayed on screen.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third of Runcie's Sidney Chambers series is back up to 5 stars, after a dip down to 4 stars for the second book. What I love about these stories is, first of all, that they're stories with a stable set of characters, a genre I really like. I also love that the mysteries don't all revolve around murder, although some of them do. The mysteries themselves are perhaps a little weaker here than in the first book, but at this point I'm reading for the characters, not for the mysteries. And I love Sidney himself -- fallible, anxious, deeply thoughtful about the world and his calling in that world. Also, I'm not sure that I've mentioned in previous reviews that these stories are all set in the late 1950s and, by now, the early 1960s; that time period gave the second book its emphasis on Russian and German spies, which I found a little tedious, but it works well in this book.

Here's a passage from the end of the book that I want to remember:
"... There was so much going on in his life, but that, he said to himself, gave it all its fullness. He would be bored without challenge or complexity.
He poured the cocoa into the mugs. Perhaps he worried too much? Sometimes such simple acts, which could not be rushed and took up a fixed amount of necessary time, were a respite from more lasting uncertainties and preoccupations. If he could concentrate more upon such manageable tasks (making this cocoa, looking after his wife, feeding his child, or teaching his dog to fetch a ball) then ideas, and even solutions, might come unbidden; thoughts that could make him a better priest, a kinder husband, and even a more incisive detective."

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got an advance copy of this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway. I haven't read the first two books in this series, but that didn't seem to interfere with reading this book.

I only read the first two stories (of four) and had to stop. There just wasn't enough meat here to be worth my time.

Everyone banters, no one has any strong feelings about anything, it's all good natured, and incredibly shallow. The stories keep trying to bring in philosophical viewpoints (e.g. the titular issue "The Problem of Evil") but there's never anything particularly insightful or enlightening. The dialog is occasionally clever, but not as often as it tries to be. None of the characters struck me as real people and I never found any reason to like the detective, Canon Sidney Chambers.

The plot of the first story was particularly incoherent. Despite having a number of so-called clues, nothing led anywhere. The mystery was solved when a character other than the detective noticed a pattern (out of the blue, no support in the story for it) and they went and confronted the killer. Nothing that came before mattered in the slightest.

The second story was quite a bit better, with a gradually revealing backstory that made the mystery make sense. But like the first one, no emotional hooks to get me involved and invested in the story.

If you want a genial mystery that you don't have to think about and don't expect much from, this will probably work for you. That's not enough for me and I won't be finishing the book or reading any others in the series.

[Rachelklara of YHVH · Rating 3 out of 5]

"'I want to imagine her there;.... that moment of flying & floating & being free. that is why I wanted the painting. It's like watching your mother with her future still in front of her, the air unknown even though it surrounds her: all that it requires is the bravery to make the leap into who we are & will be.'" ~Celine
"'I think it was Kierkegaard who said that 'without risk there is no faith, & the greater the risk, the greater the faith.'" ~Sidney Chambers
"'Old age strips life of its poetry,' the man said. Sidney wondered how much that was true. the transience of life had always made him determined to enjoy the youth he still had left in him; appreciating each day as it came & counter-balancing the future threat of death by living as vigorously & cheerfully as he could."
"'Although with a child I don't think anything is really over. You are at the beginning of something wonderful.'... 'But it's why we live,' Sidney continued. 'This child is the meaning of why we are here; the creation of new life that will continue when we are no more.'" ~Sidney

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another enjoyable book in the Grantchester Mysteries series. The stories are so low-key and gentle that I can understand people find them a little lacking in something, but they fit the Grantchester setting beautifully and are a lovely contrast to the sort of psychological crime that is so popular these days (which I also enjoy). I did find the plots and culprits are rather well signposted in this book- a few red herrings wouldn't go amiss! I really enjoy the way the books are moving through the decades, and contain references to the current affairs/issues of the particular era (in this case 1963), and I enjoy reading about Sidney's personal life. The inevitable ageing of Dickens the dog is a sad feature of this technique however, poor old boy.

[Jennifer Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Sidney Chambers novel. I'm enjoying seeing how the books are so different from the PBS series. I just read something comparing this series to The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. While the characters and settings are completely different, I can see how readers who like one series would likely appreciate the other. The books have a similar gentle vibe: they focus on character development, with an interesting little mystery in the background.

I must interject that I'm not ordinarily a series kind of gal because I get too impatient to follow some characters around over several books, so these two really enjoyable series have been a pleasant surprise for me.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my third Sidney Chambers book of the summer. I have one more waiting to be read. I referred to "binge reading" in my review of the second book and that may not be a good idea. I didn't enjoy this one as much. The mysteries seemed bizarre--although that was true of the first two books as well. However, Canon Chambers is my man--and I keep wishing him and his wife every happiness.

[Piepie | The Napping Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

To me, I think the strongest entrant in this collection was the third story, "Death By Water." I think the "mystery" element to these books is sadly lacking, but I do enjoy reading about Sidney, Inspector Keating, Dickens the dog, Hildegard, and their adventures in Grantchester. Not suspense/thrillers by any means (the kind of books I usually read), but I do like this series! Similar to Jan Karon's "Mitford" books in how cozy they are :)

[Christine Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sidney Chambers, the Valiant Vicar! This is the third novel in the series, and I really enjoyed it. [The TV series veered off into many other directions, so I'm sticking with the books!] Sidney is involved in four different mysteries this time around: a series of murders, an art theft, a drowning and the kidnapping of an infant from a hospital. There's a lot going on in his personal life as well, as he adjusts to his marriage to Hildegarde. How does he do it all?

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book two remains my favorite. However, it was a fun read. I constantly see the characters as they are portrayed in the PBS mystery series. Always read the book first: let your own mind and imagination work.