All of a Winter's Night (Merrily Watkins Mysteries)

grim, downbeat, feel-good If you haven’t begun the Merrily Watkins Series, don’t start here, but definitely start much earlier, and get here eventually. No one else out there is doing quite what these books are doing: exploring with mystery-thriller-horror plots how it feels to have your religion, relationships, livelihood, hometown, and ties with the past near-constantly in peril. The humor’s dry, dark, wry. The main characters are fetchingly and heart-rendingly vulnerable, easy to root for if difficult to watch squirm in emotional pain. The series carves out a home for itself just. Love Rickman's books, but not this one. abknk I have enjoyed Phil Rickman's books for a long time. All of a Winter's Night is not my fav. He does tend to jump from one story to the nextbut always with some tie in you can understand. This just bounced back and forth and was hard to keep up with.Merrily Watkins is a vicar in Ledwardine who is also in the deliverance ministry (exorcist). Her daughter Jane is between faith and pagan.A young man is killed, the funeral pitiful and doesn't "sit" well with Merrily Watkins, then come the morris dancers one scary nightwhat follows has the potential to be good, but doesn't make it. 10 out of 10 The only complaint I have is that I've finished itCouldn't put it down, but then I expect nothing less from Mr Rickman.The characters are like old friends, and I'm always a bit sad 'cos I have to wait for the next installment.Brilliant as usual.

As the days shorten and the fog gives way to ice and snow, Merrily Watkins is drawn into a conflict centered on one of Britain's most famous medieval churches, its walls laden with ancient symbolism.. It's already a fraught time for Merrily, her future threatened by a bishop committed to restricting her role as deliverance consultant, or diocesan exorcist. In the early hours of the following morning, Merrily Watkins and her daughter Jane are made aware that Aidan Lloyd, son of a wealthy farmer, will not be resting in peace. Meanwhile, DI Frannie Bliss, investigating a shooting, must confront the growth of organized crime which is contaminating the countryside. On the Welsh border, the old ways are at war with the modern world. Suddenly there are events she can't talk about as she and Jane find themselves potentially on the wrong side of the law. It begins in the fog, with a bleak village funeral. A rural tradition is displaying its sinister side as an old feud reignites

"Merrily Watkins is the most singular of crime fiction protagonists As ever Rickman's supremely skilful at teasing out the menace that lies behind English folk customs and legends and weaving them into a compelling contemporary narrative." —Mail on Sunday