Eleven Pipers Piping

Starred review from September 3, 2012
Canadian author Benison successfully applies a classic Agatha Christie framework to a contemporary setting in his impressive second whodunit featuring Rev. Tom Christmas (after 2011’s Twelve Drummers Drumming). Christmas, who has been vicar of St. Nicholas Church in Thornford Regis for less than a year, finds himself in the midst of another murder investigation. Some months earlier, Will Moir, coach of a cricket club for teenagers, “flared with rage at Harrison Kaif in language unbecoming to an adult charged with children’s welfare” during a practice. This unfortunate incident may have led the 14-year-old to commit suicide soon after. When Moir is poisoned, the obvious suspects are members of the dead boy’s family. The vicar provides solace as best he can, while employing his empathic gifts to the crime-solving. The interplay among the residents of Thornford Regis creates a rich psychological background and gives this entry even more depth than its predecessor. Agent: Dean Cooke, the Cooke Agency.

October 1, 2012
The vicar of Thornford Regis finds his parish riddled with gossip and crimes, past and present. The Reverend Tom Christmas and his daughter, Miranda, settled in Thornford Regis after the murder of his wife devastated his family. Although he doesn't care for bagpipes and loathes haggis, Tom finds himself attending the annual Burns supper at a local hotel currently closed for renovation. The owner, Australian Will Moir, seems a bit distracted. Tom has no chance to learn why, for Will's body is shortly found in the tower at Thorn Court Country Hotel during a massive snowstorm. Police investigators learn that he was poisoned with yew seeds. When Judith Ingley, a retired nurse who years before lived at Thorn Court, shows up at the closed hotel, Tom takes her in. Many villagers think vicarage housekeeper Madrun Prowse, who provided the yew berry tarts for the dinner, simply made a deadly mistake. The police, however, have plenty of suspects who may have wanted Will dead. A family who lost their son to suicide after Will verbally attacked him is the most likely. But as Tom begins to learn some long-hidden secrets, he realizes that the killer is far from obvious. A second murder redoubles his efforts to find the truth. Tom's second (Twelve Drummers Drumming, 2011) is a must-read for lovers of classic English mysteries, chock-full of suspects, red herrings and details of village life.

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October 1, 2012

A traditional Robert Burns supper turns into a noncelebration when the host, a seemingly healthy 40-something man, is found dead. Father Tom Christmas knows he has to investigate, particularly since his own cook, Madrun, was one of the bakers, and her tarts are being blamed for the poisoning. Adding to the confusion is the arrival on the night of the ill-fated dinner of a mysterious woman who apparently grew up in the village. Her family history suggests she might want revenge for past wrongs, but Tom is flummoxed when she becomes the next victim. Motives pile up and people keep confiding in the vicar, putting him in greater danger by the minute. VERDICT Canadian author Benison returns with a smashingly clever sophomore entry (after Twelve Drummers Drumming). Readers will be crazy about this vicar with the funny name, his young daughter Miranda, and Madrun, his earnest housekeeper/cook. The epistolary inserts--Madrun's ongoing letters to her mother--crackle with humor and gossip. Myriad small details (maybe a few too many) make for a leisurely and memorable read. Recommended for anyone who loves an English village cozy.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2012
Widowed vicar Tom Christmas returns for a second adventure (following Twelve Drummers Drumming, 2011) in his small English town in this satisfying, twisting mystery. He attends his first Burns dinner only to have the host, Will Moir, found dead before the end. Mysterious guest Judith decides to stay at the vicarage and has secret ties to many people in the area. When the detectives discover that Will was poisoned, possibly with the tarts Tom's housekeeper made, the townsfolk point fingers. Tom is the recipient of many confidences about Will and his wife, Caroline, who is now acting strangely. At the town's traditional wassail, another victim is claimed, and Tom hurries to find out what is happening. Many surprises and layers here add to the clever characterizations. Fans of traditional British sleuths will enjoy this, along with titles by M. C. Beaton and G. M. Malliet.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)