Rebecca Jenkins

A vivid account of the 1908 Olympics and in particular of the first clash between the "play to win" mentality of the American team, and the assumed superiority of gentlemanly amateurism of the British. That the games took place at all seems mildly surprising given the overall air of marginal competence surrounding its organisation. And yet these games were important for 2 reasons that Jenkins brings home clearly. Firstly they marked the beginning of true competitiveness in international show more sport - with more bad blood than fraternity between competitors - and provided visible evidence of the decline of the old order.. Secondly, they marked the first time - with the tragic heroic fate of the Italian marathon runner Dorando - that sport genuinely that the Olympics captured the general popular imagination.

A lively enjoyable account show less

This delightful cozy is the first installment in Martha Ockley's Faith Morgan Mystery Series. I enjoyed the premise of this former female detective now Church of England (C of E) priest, well-positioned to become the police force's stool pigeon, yet carefully abiding by her parishioner/priest privilege. Although no longer on the police force, her training remains with her through the course of the investigation into the murder of a fellow priestly colleague. I was reminded of G.M. Malliet's show more charming Max Tudor Mystery Series - also a former detective now C of E parish priest in a remote rural community with an equally unusual romantic entanglement. However, Faith Morgan brings a fresh female perspective to the role of parish shepherd right when the role of women is becoming more prominent in the Anglican priesthood. Faith does bring a more tender approach to her job. I must admit, I had a fairly strong inkling who the perpetrator of the crime was about halfway through the book, but the circuitous route to lay out the details was still quite engaging and interesting. I am most eager to get my hands on a copy of the second book in this series: The Advent of Murder.

I am grateful for having received a promotional copy of this book from Lion Hudson plc through LibraryThing Early Reviewers in return for my honest unbiased review. show less

When I requested The Reluctant Detective from LibraryThing Early Reviewers, I thought it might be a pleasant read. The book was more than that. I like Faith Morgan, the cop turned priest. Yes, fellow readers who are also religious, it is so nice to see a 21st century mystery in which the clergy aren't secretly evil.

Our murder scene is a small English parish. The current vicar of St. James is retiring. Faith, who has been a curate in Birmingham, is staying with her older sister while she show more checks her possible next job out. Ruth is an atheist. She was dumped by her husband when her son, Sean, was just a baby. Ruth cannot understand why Faith broke up with Detective Inspector Ben Shorter, whom Ruth considers prime husband material. I can.

Ben isn't just not religious, he's offensively disrespectful about religion within Faith's hearing and to her face. It doesn't matter how handsome or sexy he is, her faith is important to Faith, and his lack of respect for it makes him Mr. Wrong for our heroine. He's determined that Faith see religion as he sees it: a delusion. Ben reminds me of the way Agent Mulder was so dismissive of things important to Agent Scully (her dog, her religion) on The X-Files, and I don't like that one bit.

I like Faith's nephew, Sean, now a university student, much better. He has nice friends, too. Marianne Morgan, Faith and Ruth's mother, is also more likeable.

We're introduced to some members of St. James' parish. One of the churchwardens, a widow named Pat Montesque, has the opening line. As to be expected when someone states that s/he doesn't like to complain, Pat does. The other churchwarden, Fred Partridge, is more easy going.

I enjoyed learning more about the background of the main characters and the victim. A past case that definitely damaged Ben's image in Faith's eyes wouldn't have been so bad had he learned from it. Alas, the current case shows he hasn't.

The motive wasn't what I expected. The climactic scene with the killer, Faith, and another character was chilling. Although I hadn't gotten my new glasses yet and my old ones were still giving me eyestrain, I went through this book in only two days (I'd planned to take at least a week). Yes, it was that good. I'm looking forward to the next book.

By the way, the information about the Biblical quotations used in this book taught me two things about England I hadn't known [see the copyright page]. show less

The Reluctant Detective is the first book in the Faith Morgan Mystery series by Martha Ockley. I read and reviewed book 2, The Advent of Murder, last year, so I was eager to go back to the beginning of Faith’s journey as a member of the clergy following her career in the police. What I found was an interesting and puzzling mystery and an even more interesting and complex character in Faith. If you are looking for a cozy mystery that has more depth than the standard fluff often found in the show more genre, then check this novel out.

The Reluctant Detective opens with the murder of Alistair Ingram as he performs the communion rite. The shocking crime for the parish of St. James in the quiet village of Little Worthy propels Faith into the midst of the community and the investigation. Former boss and lover, Detective Ben Shorter grudgingly includes Faith in his quest for the murderer, but Faith is the reluctant one. Just how can she serve the people of her congregation while viewing everyone through a lens of distrust and suspicion?

I really liked the characters in The Reluctant Detective. They exhibit real life emotions, doubts and fears. Main character Faith is the most developed, but secondary characters are fleshed out as well. The mystery keeps the reader thinking and guessing, and though I figured out just whodunit, it was only a few pages before it was actually revealed. But I think the best part of this novel is the juxtaposition of earthly crime and punishment and the eternal mysteries of God’s love and grace. Faith struggles with justice and mercy in the face of sin. The novel is also very British and should appeal to fans of the classic English novel. I found The Reluctant Detective a quick and satisfying read.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults

(Thanks to Kregel and Lion Hudson for a review copy. The opinions expressed are mine alone.) show less