Suzette A. Hill

A Load Of Old Bones' is a peculiar, surprising, irreverant, dryly amusing book that I found myself admiring, in a stunned is-it-really-going-to-go there? way. It made me shake my head and occaisonally smile. It didn't make me laugh mostly because, in the way of English comedies, at its heart this is a sad story of broken people doing bad things.

When I decided to read a book told from three points of view, the cat, the dog and the vicar, it never occurred to me that the most unexpected point show more of view would be the vicar's. I'd imagined a sort Father Brown with pets. A story with all creatures great and small working together as an amateur sleuth team. Whatever 'A Load Of Old Bones' is, it's not that.

The setting, a quaint English village in the 1950s, the cat, Maurice, supercilious, cynical and striving to remain emotionally detached and the dog, Bouncer, energetic, optimistic, friendly but brighter and more observant than he at first seems, qualify the novel as a cozy mystery. The two can talk to each other but not to the vicar. Of course they can't. Why would anyone think they could? Each has a voice perfectly suited to its nature and their overlapping but different views of people and events are fun to listen to.

It's the vicar, Francis Oughterard, who transforms the novel from a cozy mystery into something stranger and darker. He's not a man with a vocation. After being demobbed from the Army, an event he greated with relief, he entered the Church because it seemed to be the easiest path open to him. He has learned to fein the currently fashinonable muscular Christianity when absolutely necessary but finds the efffort draining. He's a naturally solitary man who aspires to nothing more than a quiet life.

At least, that was who I thought he was at the beginning of the book. The more I learned of him, the more I wondered if he was actually a troubled, quietly desperate man whose passivity comes from depression rather than serenity. I found Francis Oughterard to be a very believable character. His role in the novel was what surprised me.

What finally convinced me that I was reading something dark rather than something amusing was the murder scene. It wasn't a particularly violent scene. The killing was quick. It was the identity of the murderer that threw me.

The cat, of course, didn't care and the dog, when he figured it out, accepted it as perfectly natural.

I, on the other hand, am still going: THAT'S THE KILLER? NO!

I'd characterise 'A Load Of Old Bones' as a mischievous book. The characters, human and otherwise, feel real. The period setting is evoked with care. The storytelling structure is innovative and delivered with aplomb. I know that there are six Francis Oughterard books and that they have a strong fan base. I have no idea how the series wll move forward from here but I've bought the second book, 'Bones In The Belfry' to find out. show less

This the third book in this series. The cat, Maurice and the loveable mongrel, Bouncer, help keep their human parent, the Vicar and now Cannon, Francis Oughterard, St. Botolph's beat another close call with the law.

Other familar characters parade through the Reverend's busy life which is quickly turing into a nightmare. He must deal with Primrose, his sister that has struck a deal with the less than scrupleous Nicholas Ignaza and is on her way to a life of painting forgeries as well as show more another dead body. Along the way his tiddlywink playing bishop makes demands that try a body's soul and Francis must become an expert on a lesser known artifact known as the Pantoon Pig. All our poor Vicar ever wanted was peace and quiet in his small English village of Molehill.

The characters are hilarious without really trying. The dialog switches back and forth between the Vicars point of view and that of the cat and the dog and all the cat and dog's friends. The plot develops in the "anything that can go wrong, will" tradition, with Francis, or F.O. as the animals think of him repeatedly falling out of the frying pan into the fire, just when he thinks he might be safe. Much of the suspense comes from how the animals will cope this time. The humor is dry. The ending for Bone Idle leaves it clear that the adventures will continue. At least that is our hope. show less

In Molehill, Surrey, Vicar Reverend Francis Oughterard feels remorse and guilt for choking to death a parishione. Accidently of course. He beat the rap thanks to his brilliant pets Maurice the cat and Bouncer the dog.

When his former theology classmate, Nicholas Ingaza Oughterard asks him to hide stolen art in the vicarage, Francis reluctantly agrees; not out of some college loyalty but because Nicholas gave him his phony alibi. However, a true crime writer obtains permission to look around show more the church and belfry forcing the beleaguered clergy to relocate the paintings in his sister's home. Things turn worse when one of the masterpieces is put up for fund-raising.

"Bones In The Belfry" is an amusing British crime caper featuring again the helpless beleaguered Vicar who seems to somehow find himself trapped in criminal activities. This time his saviors Maurice and Bouncer realize there is very little they can do to keep the hands that feed them out of jail. The two pets makes the tale fun to read with their resigned feline and canine sense of inevitability in which their human pet will be locked up; if not this time, perhaps the next time.

Die hard mystery fans need to pass this up as there is no detecting, but those readers who appreciate the antics of a humorous bungler supported by an eccentric cast of human fumblers and two loyal and brilliant animals will want to read this lighthearted treasure. 4 stars for a fun filled read. show less

Reverend Francis Oughterard is a quiet man who simply wants a quiet life. That's hard to achieve with an obnoxious neighbor, a jealous banker, a drunken bishop and an accidental murder. Now, it's up to Bouncer the dog and Maurice the cat to keep the Reverend out of prison and their comfortable, new home intact.

Both animals have lost their owners, both need a new home. Maurice decides that the vicar will be an acceptable substitute for them both. Because they do not want to be dislocated show more again, they bond together to protect him.

This is not a heavy duty mystery but it is a short, fun book and very well done. I was afraid that a story where two of the protagonists, and points-of-view were a dog and cat, would be just sweet and cute...but not so. It is cleaver and funny and a thoroughly good read. show less