The Reluctant Detective (A Faith Morgan Mystery)

The Reluctant Detective is the first book in the Faith Morgan Mystery series by British author, Martha Ockley (aka Rebecca Jenkins). When the Vicar at St James's in Little Worthy plans to retire, Reverend Faith Morgan (isn't that a perfect name for a vicar?) is asked by her bishop is she is interested in the position. Her sister lives there, and the quiet parish might be a welcome change from the "gritty, uncertain, challenging chaos of the urban parish she was thinking of leaving".

But on the Sunday she arrives in Little Worthy to check it out, Vicar Alistair Ingram drops dead in the middle of the service. And while Faith is no longer a police detective, her instincts cannot help but kick in as she mentally notes important possible clues that point to murder. And just to complicate things, the senior officer in charge of the case is DI Ben Striker, her ex-lover. And someone she really was hoping not to run into: there's a bit of emotional baggage there…

What a marvellous start Ockley has made on this cosy crime series! Her protagonist is very likeable: a vicar who is definitely not "holier than thou", not smug, and far from perfect. The supporting characters are just the sort one meets in a small town, at church functions and in the local shops. Their dialogue is believable, and this is a community that would be a pleasure to belong to, despite their occasional nosiness.

Ockley's plot may be a classic, but the there are enough red herrings amongst the clues to keep it interesting. An astute reader may settle on the right suspect before the halfway mark, but the how and why will keep the pages turning until the exciting climax. Luckily, there is more of this clever clergywoman. Readers can look forward to The Advent of Murder and A Saintly Killing. Very enjoyable!