The clerical milieu is well rendered as an affectionate eye is cast over post-war England - a perfect accompaniment to a sunny afternoon, a hammock and a glass of Pimm's

- Laura Wilson, Guardian

James Runcie has written the coziest of cozy murder mysteries. Taken individually, each of these clerical whodunits poses a clever puzzle for armchair detectives. Viewed as a collective study of British life as it was lived when Elizabeth II first ascended the throne, these stories present a consistently charming and occasionally cutting commentary on 'a postwar landscape full of industry, promise and concrete

New York Times Book Review

An undiluted pleasure

Scotsman

Full of witty phrases to delight the reader ... This entertaining first volume about Canon Chambers will have Runcie's readers longing for the next

Peggy Woodford, Church Times

An evocation of a more genteel era ... Chambers turns out to be a winning clergyman-sleuth, and Runcie's literary authority is repeatedly demonstrated in the construction of his elegant tales. In fact, it is the plotting that really distinguishes this collection, and will make many more readers more than ready to follow the God-fearing hero from the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953 to the wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981 ... there is no denying the winning charm of these artfully fashioned mysteries

Independent

Gentle criminal entertainment with a pleasantly old-fashioned feel to it

- Andrew Taylor, Spectator

The plots are intriguing ... While the diminutive priest detective created by G. K. Chesterton led the way, Sidney Chambers is set fair to be a worthy successor. In a sceptical age this is quite an achievement. Then again, the author is a son of an archbishop. And who better to portray the sleuth in ecclesiastical clothing?

- Barry Turner, Daily Mail

At last, an Anglican Father Brown ... Each tale is beautifully crafted and surprising. I hope for many more volumes

- A.N. Wilson, Spectator