In the Bleak Midwinter

I bought In the Bleak Midwinter when it first came out in paperback, in early 2003. Something about it caught my eye and I remember thinking, "Wow, that's a really interesting premise." Then I put it on the shelf and promptly forgot about it until late June 2004, when I was looking for something to pack in my hospital bag before my first son was born. I ended up reading it in one big gulp, and it made the hours fly by while baby Liam snoozed beside me. In a way, I was really mad at myself for waiting to read this book and missing out on something great for so long...but I was also glad, because it meant there were two others in the series that I could read right away instead of waiting to find out what happens next. But I digress.

Explaining the premise of the series really doesn't interest many people. Clare Fergusson, newly-ordained Episcopal priest, moves to the Adirondacks and her new congregation in the small town of Miller's Kill, and solves mysteries with local police chief Russ van Alstyne. I've got you hooked now, right? But the series is so much more than that. The mysteries (The mystery of the first book is that a newborn is abandoned outside Clare's church. The search is on to find the baby's mother, and murder isn't far behind.) are engrossing and tightly written. They're not easy to figure out, but not impossible either.

The real strength of Spencer-Fleming's writing is the relationship between Russ and Clare. I don't want to give too much away, but the friendship between the two of them and the ethical and moral struggles they face together are absolutely compelling.

Spencer-Fleming has said in interviews that she had an outline for five books in this series. Well, there are five books out now, and I sincerely hope there will be a sixth. Happy reading!