Murder Before Evensong cover art

Murder Before Evensong

A Canon Clement Mystery

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Murder Before Evensong

By: Richard Coles
Narrated by: Richard Coles
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About this listen

 THE INSTANTLY ICONIC NO.1 BESTSELLER: NOW A MAJOR TV SERIES
BOOK 1 IN THE CANON CLEMENT MYSTERY SERIES

'Cosy crime with a cutting edge' Sunday Telegraph
'Whodunnit fans can give praise and rejoice' Ian Rankin

Canon Daniel Clement is Rector of Champton, where he lives alongside his widowed mother - opinionated, fearless, ever-so-slightly annoying Audrey - and his two dachshunds, Cosmo and Hilda.

When Daniel announces a plan to install a lavatory in the church, the parish is suddenly (and unexpectedly) divided: as lines are drawn, long-buried secrets come dangerously close to destroying the apparent calm of the village.

And then Anthony Bowness - cousin to Bernard de Floures, patron of Champton - is found dead at the back of the church. As the police moves in and the bodies start piling up, Daniel is the only one who can try and keep his community together . . . and catch a killer.


* Murder Before Evensong was a Sunday Times No.1 bestseller in paperback in March 2023 20th Century Cosy Crime Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Humorous Literature & Fiction Mystery Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Fiction Detective

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Critic reviews

I've been waiting for a novel with vicars, rude old ladies, murder and sausage dogs ... et voila!
The Reverend Richard Coles gives us a serpent in England's pastoral Eden - and whodunit fans can give praise and rejoice.
Cosy and charming, Murder Before Evensong is less about the shock and gore of murder than its ripple effect on a small, close-knit community. Devotees of Midsomer Murders and Agatha Christie's Miss Marple stories will feel most at home here. (Fiona Sturges)
Britain's favourite vicar might be hanging up the dog collar, but in Murder Before Evensong he proves to be the unlikely heir to Barbara Pym...
Coles is free here to unleash a splendidly caustic wit on those parishioners who deserve it... as Daniel locks horns with his flock over the matter of whether the vintage pews in St Mary's can be moved to make way for a new lavatory, Coles rivals Barbara Pym in his ability to make supremely low-stake conflict gripping... Like all the best cosy mysteries, this is comforting but not anodyne. And the style suits the content perfectly: wonderfully feline when it comes to jokes, but moving easily to unselfconscious wisdom when required. Auden would have admired this novel for meeting his requirements for the classical detective story: but he might also have recognised Coles as being, at his best, a fellow artist with words. (Jake Kerridge)
Even better than I knew it would be. Really well plotted... beautifully written, charming without being twee, funny, intelligent and mordant too. It's cosy, yes, but waaay better than "cosy crime" suggests. (India Knight)
Murder Before Evensong is like a walk in the country on a warm summer's evening... one during which your fellow ramblers can be murdered horribly at any moment. Canon Daniel Clement is an inscrutable and erudite detective, while four-legged sidekicks Hilda and Cosmo are his delightful foils. You'll want to take a front row pew in Champton while this delicious series unfolds.
An absolute joy from cover to cover - funny, clever and wonderfully plotted. Praise be!
Beautifully written and a warm funny joy from start to finish.
Perfect for those who like their cosy crime to have a cutting edge.
Glorious.
Champton joins St Mary Mead and Midsomer in the great atlas of fictional English villages where the crimes are as dastardly as the residents delightful. Canon Daniel Clement must solve mysteries temporal and theological while surviving his parishioners tender ministries. Delightful! And only Richard Coles could pull this off so joyfully and with such style. Biscuit-thieving Cosmo, too, will soon have his own fan club.
Coles has a gift for subtle comic writing... beyond the fascinating story with its rich characters, the real discovery here is the sniffing out of the author's formidable talent for writing about English life with English humour. Roll on the rest of the series! (The Reverend Jonathan Aitken)
All stars
Most relevant
The book was nice however I think authors shouldn’t always narrate their own books. The Reverend Coles has a great speaking voice but is perhaps better suited to preaching sermons.
Otherwise an enjoyable murder mystery.

Disappointing Narration

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I really liked this. It was lovely, like an old fashioned murder mystery. Not too taxing and you knew that all the loose ends would be tied up. My only problem was with the narration.. I love Richard. I find him endlessly entertaining normally but God love him he's not very good at doing voices and even at maintaining a good cadence. All the nareation seemed to blend together. No nuance. Sorry Richard. Love you but maybe give an actor the job next time. Your brilliant at other things. :-)

Nice murder mystery

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Some great observations, story a bit converluted for me. Don't let that put you off you off though.

Well written

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Rev. Coles' reading works, there are a few stumbles but he achieves a range of character voices. I loved the antics of the dogs and the way the routine work of a C of E Rector is used to embody the continuity of life in a rural parish. Rev Coles writes with warmth and humanity.

A good 'cosy' murder

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I love it when the author reads their own work and this was well written and well narrated.

Thoroughly enjoyable

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