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!
posted by Holli | 6:07 AM
1 Comments:
I highly recommend this series, too. Holli introduced me to the books and I flew through them. They are well written page-turners that are impossible to put down.
The characters are absolutely real and their motivations ring true; they are easy to relate to even though I as the reader have nothing in common with a priest or a police chief. You can't help but care about their fate.
I agree with Holli that the mysteries are fascinating and engrossing while not being too obscure or complicated to feel like you could try to figure out "who dunnit." That's a complaint I have about the Hercule Poirot series. I have no idea what's going on and suddenly he calls the suspects into a room and announces the killer's identity with an arrogant twist of his moustache. (No offense to Poirot fans! He's fun as long as you don't mind this point.) But with the Rev. Clare Fergusson Mysteries series I always feel like I've got an honest chance at a good guess.
My only warning is that with a couple of them the crimes are a little bloody (such as the book Fountain Filled with Blood), but not too much that it interferes with the enjoyment of the book. The mystery of the abandoned baby in the first book, In the Bleak Midwinter, is fascinating and tugs at your heart. While the storyline for the third book, Into the Deep I Cry, delves into the mystery of characters in the town's past that carries you into the struggles of a young Depression-era mother and the secret that haunts a family.
In the Bleak Midwinter is a perfect read this season because Spencer-Fleming's imagery and detail creates a sense of place so clear that you will be transported into the wintery scenes --you will want a cup of hot chocolate!
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