A review by pierke
Sidney Chambers and the Dangers of Temptation by James Runcie
4.0
When the Sidney Chamber books were made into a TV-series in 2014, I was thrilled as it seemed to exude the same atmosphere as the books. The second season, however, had a much grimmer atmosphere and deviated from the books in storyline as well. So I was glad to return to the real stuff in this fifth instalment of the Grantchester mystery series. As usual it did live up to my expectations.
Sidney is a bit older now and has been appointed Archdeacon of Ely. Nevertheless, he still struggles with his own frailties. His tries to be a good husband to his beloved Hildegard, a good father to his daughter Anna and of course a good shepherd to his flock. Dickens, the beloved black Labrador is replaced by Byron. The six interrelated stories in the volume are set in the 60’s, with allusions to Pink Floyd, the moon landing and free love. The stories explore the dangers of temptation, the power of hatred, the act of revenge, homosexuality and the changing class system. It is not the “whodunit” aspect of the stories, that make the reading captivating. Like in the Alexander McCall Smith books in [b:The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency|7061|The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, #1)|Alexander McCall Smith|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1459953654s/7061.jpg|826298] series, it is how the protagonist handles the problems that are put before him, that make the tales memorable. Sidney’s charm, compassion, humility and believe in the innate goodness of men, are as constant as in his previous investigations.
Sidney is a bit older now and has been appointed Archdeacon of Ely. Nevertheless, he still struggles with his own frailties. His tries to be a good husband to his beloved Hildegard, a good father to his daughter Anna and of course a good shepherd to his flock. Dickens, the beloved black Labrador is replaced by Byron. The six interrelated stories in the volume are set in the 60’s, with allusions to Pink Floyd, the moon landing and free love. The stories explore the dangers of temptation, the power of hatred, the act of revenge, homosexuality and the changing class system. It is not the “whodunit” aspect of the stories, that make the reading captivating. Like in the Alexander McCall Smith books in [b:The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency|7061|The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, #1)|Alexander McCall Smith|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1459953654s/7061.jpg|826298] series, it is how the protagonist handles the problems that are put before him, that make the tales memorable. Sidney’s charm, compassion, humility and believe in the innate goodness of men, are as constant as in his previous investigations.