Julia Spencer-Fleming
Author of In the Bleak Midwinter
About the Author
Image credit: Photo Credit: R Aileen Eflin
(Roxanne Eflin Consulting)
(Roxanne Eflin Consulting)
Series
Works by Julia Spencer-Fleming
Black Maps 1 copy
Associated Works
Kirjavaliot - Tokion varjot, Kuikan huuto, Minä en pelkää, Keskellä kylmää talvea (2003) — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Spencer-Fleming, Julia
- Other names
- Fleming, Julia Spencer
- Birthdate
- 1962
- Gender
- female
- Education
- Ithaca College
George Washington University
University of Maine School of Law (J.D.) - Occupations
- lawyer
author - Agent
- Meg Ruley
Jimmy Vines - Short biography
- Bestselling author JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING is the winner of the Agatha, Anthony, Macavity, Dilys, Barry, Nero Wolfe, and Gumshoe Awards, and an Edgar and Romantic Times RC Award finalist. She was born at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, spending most of her childhood on the move as an army brat. She studied acting and history at Ithaca College, and received her J.D. from the University of Maine School of Law. She lives in a 190-year-old farmhouse outside of Portland, Maine, with three children, two dogs, and one husband.
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Plattsburgh, New York, USA
- Places of residence
- Portland, Maine, USA
Buxton, Maine, USA
Salmon Falls, Maine, USA - Associated Place (for map)
- Maine, USA
Members
Reviews
The only thing better than a good book is a good book that is the start of a series. "In The Bleak Midwinter" was a great read that starts a series which currently sits at eight novels.
I took a risk when I bought this book - a mystery about a new woman priest and the Chief of Police of a small town in upstate New York could have been a recipe for saccharine scenes, hallmark sentiments and a story targetted for prime time on a Christian TV channel.
I knew I was safe at the 2% mark when the show more book made me laugh out loud at the scene where the small town Police Chief unexpectedly meets the new priest and discovers she’s female. The Police Chief asks himself:
What was he supposed to call her? “Mother?”
“I go by Reverend, Chief. Ms. is fine, too.”
“Oh. Sorry. I never met a woman priest before.”
“We’re just like the men priests, except we’re willing to pull over and ask directions.”
I was still surprised at just how good the book is. There's more to it than smart dialogue, Julia Spencer-Fleming has come up with two strong, likeable characters, with military backgrounds, who have their own, non-clichéd, approaches on how to exercise their authority. The rapport and the conflict between them is credible and engaging.
The Reverend manages to be caring and tough. The Police Chief manages to be authoritative without creating conflict.
The two are brought together when a newborn is abandoned on the steps of the Reverend's church with instructions that he be given to a member of her congregation and an as yet unidentified young woman who has recently given birth is found murdered.
What follows is a solid mystery that is a pleasing mix of detection, exploration of moral dilemmas/social issues and tense action.
The Reverend's continuing close involvement in work that should be done by the police requires a little suspension of disbelief but is well managed. I found her ignorance of the clothes and vehicles needed to cope with mountain winters a little harder to accept but perhaps that's because I've spent so much time in those conditions.
This isn't a "cosy mystery" nor is it a voyeuristic rid into violence. It's something much rarer: a character-driven crime story that manages to acknowledge the bleakness of reality without being overwhelmed by it.
I've already bought the next book in the series, which has the rather off-putting title of "A Fountain Filled With Blood". show less
I took a risk when I bought this book - a mystery about a new woman priest and the Chief of Police of a small town in upstate New York could have been a recipe for saccharine scenes, hallmark sentiments and a story targetted for prime time on a Christian TV channel.
I knew I was safe at the 2% mark when the show more book made me laugh out loud at the scene where the small town Police Chief unexpectedly meets the new priest and discovers she’s female. The Police Chief asks himself:
What was he supposed to call her? “Mother?”
“I go by Reverend, Chief. Ms. is fine, too.”
“Oh. Sorry. I never met a woman priest before.”
“We’re just like the men priests, except we’re willing to pull over and ask directions.”
I was still surprised at just how good the book is. There's more to it than smart dialogue, Julia Spencer-Fleming has come up with two strong, likeable characters, with military backgrounds, who have their own, non-clichéd, approaches on how to exercise their authority. The rapport and the conflict between them is credible and engaging.
The Reverend manages to be caring and tough. The Police Chief manages to be authoritative without creating conflict.
The two are brought together when a newborn is abandoned on the steps of the Reverend's church with instructions that he be given to a member of her congregation and an as yet unidentified young woman who has recently given birth is found murdered.
What follows is a solid mystery that is a pleasing mix of detection, exploration of moral dilemmas/social issues and tense action.
The Reverend's continuing close involvement in work that should be done by the police requires a little suspension of disbelief but is well managed. I found her ignorance of the clothes and vehicles needed to cope with mountain winters a little harder to accept but perhaps that's because I've spent so much time in those conditions.
This isn't a "cosy mystery" nor is it a voyeuristic rid into violence. It's something much rarer: a character-driven crime story that manages to acknowledge the bleakness of reality without being overwhelmed by it.
I've already bought the next book in the series, which has the rather off-putting title of "A Fountain Filled With Blood". show less
I really enjoyed "In The Bleak Midwinter" and knew I'd found a good new series. Coming up with a second book in a series that had such a strong start has to be a challenge but Julia Spencer-Fleming manages it well.
She continues to use two strong, likeable main characters, Clare the ex-army helicopter pilot turned Episcopalian Priest and Russ the Vietnam vet turned local Chief of Police, to power the story. She uses a regular pulse of humour makes to keep this a fun read and ups the cuteness show more factor by adding two Berneses Mountain dogs to the mix.
Yet the book isn't a cosy mystery. Like its predecessor, it confronts tough social issues, in this case, violence against gay men, the pollution of the Adirondacks by PCBs and the tension between providing local jobs and destroying local land. The crimes in this book are darker and more brutal than in the first book, but despite the rather off-putting title (a quote from a William Cowper hymn about washing away sin), the violence is not gratuitous and mostly takes place off-stage.
The we're-attracted-but-can't-let-ourselves-do-anything-about-it-except-feel-guilty-without-being-any-less-attracted relationship between Clare and Russ develops in a grown-up, slightly repressed but completely believable way that doesn't take over the plot but does deepen the characters. Russ's wife remains physically absent, even when the story has to be twisted a little to achieve it, which actually increases the strength of her presence as a source of guilt to both of the main characters. Russ' mother, a die-hard activist since the sixties, adds some spice to the story and rounds out Russ a bit.
I admired the ingenuity used to keep the Clare plausibly involved in the action around the crimes. It worked, even when I could see it coming. The scene with the helicopter was exciting but required an extra-special effort at suspending disbelief and some fairly heavy-handed plot-work. On the whole though, this was a well put together mystery that kept me guessing most of the time.
I'll be staying with this series and hoping that the quality stays high and the titles get better. show less
She continues to use two strong, likeable main characters, Clare the ex-army helicopter pilot turned Episcopalian Priest and Russ the Vietnam vet turned local Chief of Police, to power the story. She uses a regular pulse of humour makes to keep this a fun read and ups the cuteness show more factor by adding two Berneses Mountain dogs to the mix.
Yet the book isn't a cosy mystery. Like its predecessor, it confronts tough social issues, in this case, violence against gay men, the pollution of the Adirondacks by PCBs and the tension between providing local jobs and destroying local land. The crimes in this book are darker and more brutal than in the first book, but despite the rather off-putting title (a quote from a William Cowper hymn about washing away sin), the violence is not gratuitous and mostly takes place off-stage.
The we're-attracted-but-can't-let-ourselves-do-anything-about-it-except-feel-guilty-without-being-any-less-attracted relationship between Clare and Russ develops in a grown-up, slightly repressed but completely believable way that doesn't take over the plot but does deepen the characters. Russ's wife remains physically absent, even when the story has to be twisted a little to achieve it, which actually increases the strength of her presence as a source of guilt to both of the main characters. Russ' mother, a die-hard activist since the sixties, adds some spice to the story and rounds out Russ a bit.
I admired the ingenuity used to keep the Clare plausibly involved in the action around the crimes. It worked, even when I could see it coming. The scene with the helicopter was exciting but required an extra-special effort at suspending disbelief and some fairly heavy-handed plot-work. On the whole though, this was a well put together mystery that kept me guessing most of the time.
I'll be staying with this series and hoping that the quality stays high and the titles get better. show less
[(A Fountain Filled with Blood)] [By (author) Julia Spencer-Fleming] published on (April, 2004) by Julia Spencer-Fleming
Brutal assaults mar the July Fourth celebrations in Millers Kill, New York as the attack on an out-of-town developer ends in murder. Could this have something to do with the plans for an upscale spa or does the blame belong to something . . . or someone . . . far more sinister?
The strong sense of place evident in the first book in the series anchors the continuing story of Reverend Clare Fergusson and police chief Russ Van Alstyne. In this, the second book in the series, plot twists and show more unexpected reveals keep the suspense building as the narrative unfolds but the well-developed, believable characters are the strength of this series. Clare and Russ, at first glance, would seem to be an unlikely duo but their realistic banter and the ever-growing tension between the two characters pulls readers into the telling of the tale. There is much for readers to appreciate in this page-turner story that explores relationships and thoughtfully addresses important social issues.
Highly recommended. show less
The strong sense of place evident in the first book in the series anchors the continuing story of Reverend Clare Fergusson and police chief Russ Van Alstyne. In this, the second book in the series, plot twists and show more unexpected reveals keep the suspense building as the narrative unfolds but the well-developed, believable characters are the strength of this series. Clare and Russ, at first glance, would seem to be an unlikely duo but their realistic banter and the ever-growing tension between the two characters pulls readers into the telling of the tale. There is much for readers to appreciate in this page-turner story that explores relationships and thoughtfully addresses important social issues.
Highly recommended. show less
It's been six months since Clare Ferguson, former army helicopter pilot and current Episcopal priest, and Russ Van Alstyne, police chief of Miller's Kill worked together on their first crime. They've been studiously avoiding one another ever since in an effort to keep their mutual attraction from gaining ground. During the Fourth of July holiday, two gay men are attacked and badly beaten in a manner that appears to be a hate crime. Clare is convinced Russ should warn the gay members of the show more town but Russ isn't convinced it's a specific hate crime. When the third attack kills a developer involved in a high profile land development deal, Russ suspects there may be more to these attacks than anti-gay grievances. Many people in town are involved in the protests against the land development deal since contaminated PCB ponds have been found in the area. Economic supporters want the jobs and the environmentalist want to stop the development.
Maybe I should be uncomfortable with the growing attraction between Russ and Clare but I'm not. Russ is happily married to a woman who we never hear from in the books and is kept “off stage” in a clever move. They both want to be friends but that is so difficult when they are such soul mates, to use a corny phrase. They use a lot of humorous dialog and their characters are so different and interesting. The character development is never done at the expense of a well plotted mystery. The small town of Miller's Kill will be familiar to any reader who ever lived in one. The author has a good eye for detail and there's a fabulously exciting, well-written helicopter scene in this story.
If you are worried about reading a preachy type story rest assured these are not religiously themed mysteries. While Clare is an Episcopal priest the books don't focus on religion. The prayers and Episcopalian rituals are added for atmosphere and I find them completely unobtrusive. Great series of mysteries. I'm already on book three and have picked up the others, as well. show less
Maybe I should be uncomfortable with the growing attraction between Russ and Clare but I'm not. Russ is happily married to a woman who we never hear from in the books and is kept “off stage” in a clever move. They both want to be friends but that is so difficult when they are such soul mates, to use a corny phrase. They use a lot of humorous dialog and their characters are so different and interesting. The character development is never done at the expense of a well plotted mystery. The small town of Miller's Kill will be familiar to any reader who ever lived in one. The author has a good eye for detail and there's a fabulously exciting, well-written helicopter scene in this story.
If you are worried about reading a preachy type story rest assured these are not religiously themed mysteries. While Clare is an Episcopal priest the books don't focus on religion. The prayers and Episcopalian rituals are added for atmosphere and I find them completely unobtrusive. Great series of mysteries. I'm already on book three and have picked up the others, as well. show less
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- Works
- 17
- Also by
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- Members
- 7,455
- Popularity
- #3,282
- Rating
- 4.0
- Reviews
- 560
- ISBNs
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