Kate Charles has carved out the clerical world of the Anglican Church for her own. The real insider's view she offers covers the ceremonial forms but primarily deals with the range of people whose lives revolve around the church, their worldviews and concerns. This is simultaneously one of the best things about her books and a periodic source of frustration for someone like me not raised in the tradition, who doesn't automatically understand the difference between a vicar and a curate, or what a deacon does and doesn't do and why it matters. Which is why one of the more amusing things in the current book is listening to the thoughts of an investigating police officer in much the same position, having been raised Irish Catholic.

Callie Anson is trying to settle in to her first, post-ordination assignment as curate of All Saints', Paddington. She thought her biggest problems were likely to involve the usual new job and environment growing pains and the presence of her ex-fiancé as curate of a neighboring parish. That was before she discovered that there are still those who consider the ordination of women a literal abomination, that not all vicar's wives welcome young female curates, and that murder happens everywhere - even in church halls among her friends.

Ms. Charles writes beautifully. Her stories are character driven, with a rich cast of believable but complex people. As with all her books, the plot is largely about the secrets we all have and what happens when they are revealed or the pressures of keeping them become too much to bear. A very literate, very British traditional mystery with plenty of subplots and interesting people. One that I very much enjoyed and highly recommended.