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quietjenn's review against another edition
3.0
I was pretty ambivalent about the first two Sidney Chambers' collections, which is why that I never really got around to the third. But, with the new Masterpiece adaptations airing, I've been very much enjoying them - the fact that the good vicar is far dishier on tv probably helps - so I decided to give this a go. It's fine, although I really find a lot of the transitions that Runcie makes from paragraph to paragraph a bit awkward. But, I mostly enjoyed the stories and I'm keen for more adaptions - I think they are pretty cinematic and work well for adaptation.
caityree's review against another edition
3.0
Overall, an enjoyable read, but spoiled for me but an impossible murder method in one story. What a shame.
b00kr3vi3ws's review against another edition
4.0
The fact is that I am not as well read and well aware of the books out there as I would like to be. And blogging about books have given me an opportunity to discover more than I normally would have. My recent discovery of The Grantchester Mysteries is all thanks to Bloomsbury India, who sent over a review copy of the third book in the series.
Sidney Chambers is not a professional detective. In fact he is a vicar of Grantchester and honorary canon of Ely Cathedral. However, with his unique position in the town and access to so many families, he manages to solve crimes with a bit of help from the town inspector, Geordie Keating. This particular installment offers its readers with four standalone short stories. First is ‘The Problem of Evil’ where Sidney looks into a serial killer with a grudge against clergymen. The second story titled ‘Female, Nude’ deals with the disappearance of a painting while a nude woman made for a perfect distraction. The third in line was ‘Death by Water’, a case where an actor accidentally drowned, but it turned out to be a murder case. Finally ‘Christmas, 1963’ tells us how Sidney manages to solve the case of a parishioner’s missing baby.
The thing that I realized right off the bat is that Sidney Chambers is not our regular fictional detective. He is a clergyman whose insight to people and their lives is one of the strongest points he has. He is not a conventional protagonist and as such the stories also vary in terms of the cases he solves. From playing the role of clergyman in a movie to his love for jazz music, small and insignificant details make up the character of Sidney Chambers. It is indeed a refreshing change to read about Sidney Chambers and his adventures. Also, since it is set in a quaint little town in early to mid-twentieth century, there are no complex forensic details. While it may sound a little bland (after all we are so used to reading about the complexities of forensics in any sort of case these days) it is another aspect of the series that I seriously liked. Coming to the plot, they were pretty simple and straightforward, and any mystery aficionado would be able to guess the who and what factors. However, the stories have been presented in a manner that there is much of other things that a reader gets out of the book. For instance, the culture at that time, the mentality of common people, etc. The author has kept his language and narration style simple in order to compliment his plot and characters.
Overall, I loved the book for its simplicity. I will be sure to hunt out the previous books in the series, and also look up the TV series based on these books.
Sidney Chambers is not a professional detective. In fact he is a vicar of Grantchester and honorary canon of Ely Cathedral. However, with his unique position in the town and access to so many families, he manages to solve crimes with a bit of help from the town inspector, Geordie Keating. This particular installment offers its readers with four standalone short stories. First is ‘The Problem of Evil’ where Sidney looks into a serial killer with a grudge against clergymen. The second story titled ‘Female, Nude’ deals with the disappearance of a painting while a nude woman made for a perfect distraction. The third in line was ‘Death by Water’, a case where an actor accidentally drowned, but it turned out to be a murder case. Finally ‘Christmas, 1963’ tells us how Sidney manages to solve the case of a parishioner’s missing baby.
The thing that I realized right off the bat is that Sidney Chambers is not our regular fictional detective. He is a clergyman whose insight to people and their lives is one of the strongest points he has. He is not a conventional protagonist and as such the stories also vary in terms of the cases he solves. From playing the role of clergyman in a movie to his love for jazz music, small and insignificant details make up the character of Sidney Chambers. It is indeed a refreshing change to read about Sidney Chambers and his adventures. Also, since it is set in a quaint little town in early to mid-twentieth century, there are no complex forensic details. While it may sound a little bland (after all we are so used to reading about the complexities of forensics in any sort of case these days) it is another aspect of the series that I seriously liked. Coming to the plot, they were pretty simple and straightforward, and any mystery aficionado would be able to guess the who and what factors. However, the stories have been presented in a manner that there is much of other things that a reader gets out of the book. For instance, the culture at that time, the mentality of common people, etc. The author has kept his language and narration style simple in order to compliment his plot and characters.
Overall, I loved the book for its simplicity. I will be sure to hunt out the previous books in the series, and also look up the TV series based on these books.
verityw's review against another edition
4.0
I love this series and this is another great addition to the series - I really like the episodic nature of these books - although I can't believe we've covered 10 years already. This book also brought a tear to my eye in a couple of places. The TV version is good, but the books are better. I'm looking forward to the next one.
itsharrietrj's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
vcro's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
beckysel's review against another edition
5.0
The BBC series Grantchester is based on these books. This is number 3 in the series. I thought the first story rather too religious and philosophical but the rest were pure, enchanting Sydney.
gabriella_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
All of the four mysteries packed into this story contained nothing but excitement and suspense. Though, the discussion about religion is not really the main point in this book, I love how Sydney uses his expertise as a vicar to work hand in hand with his investigating skills. Definitely a must read
mounefcm's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5