Bones in the Belfry

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 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 show more 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

I realize these books wouldn't be to everyone's taste, but I find them quite funny and charming. Yes, the chapters "written" by the cat Maurice and the dog Bouncer are ever-so-slightly twee, but the picture of life in an English village vicarage in the 50s and the vicissitudes of the hapless (and not especially saintly!) vicar Francis Oughterard make for a rollicking, quick-reading break from darker mysteries and other more serious fare.

This is a completely crazy book, featuring the Rev. Francis Oughterard who accidentally strangled one of his parishioners in the previous book. This one follows him as he attempts to cover his tracks, involving hiding two paintings for the person who provided him with an alibi for the murder. A large chunk of the action is narrated by Oughterard himself, but sections are by his dog, Bouncer, and his cat, Maurice. It's very funny but I'm not sure if I'd classify it as a mystery or a crime novel, more as totally insane.