Grantchester Book 1

Front Cover of my copy of the book

Back Cover of my copy of the book.

Thanks to my Aunt Denise for recommending the Grantchester Mysteries series by James Runcie. I picked up this softbound copy for $1 (that's right: one US  dollar) at my local grocery store's used book shelf. I was particularly thrilled because I had just finished watching the DVDs of the TV series broadcast on PBS.

I just finished the first book, Sydney Chambers and The Shadow of Death, in the series of  six (at this time). For the past two weeks I have been riding the bus to and from work due to the loss of my car. That has allowed about 20 minutes of reading each way.

I had a hard time putting down this book. It is one I could easily read again, just to pay more attention to some of the witty dialogue and keen observations regarding religion and people.

The book consists of six short stories told in chronological order. Four of these correspond to the six episodes in Season One of the TV series. This book was first published in 2012

Description from the publisher (similar to the summary above on the back cover):

It is 1953, the coronation year of Queen Elizabeth II . Sidney Chambers, vicar of Grantchester and honorary canon of Ely Cathedral, is a thirty-two-year-old bachelor. Tall, with dark brown hair, eyes the color of hazelnuts, and a reassuringly gentle manner, Sidney is an unconventional clerical detective. He can go where the police cannot.

Together with his roguish friend, inspector Geordie Keating, Sidney inquires into the suspect suicide of a Cambridge solicitor, a scandalous jewelry theft at a New Year's Eve dinner party, the unexplained death of a jazz promoter's daughter, and a shocking art forgery that puts a close friend in danger. 

Sidney discovers that being a detective, like being a clergyman, means that you are never off duty, but he nonetheless manages to find time for a keen interest in cricket, warm beer, and hot jazz-as well as a curious fondness for a German widow three years his junior.

I identified with the main character (Sydney Chambers) due to his struggle trying to lead a life of  faith (although I am not a priest nor an orthodox Christian). I also felt connected due to his frustrated love life. Although popular with women, they are put off by his religion and the love of his life has ruled out marriage to him though she loves him dearly.  Limiting their relationship to being friends is so much easier for her. To further drive home the point, she gives Sydney a dog in order to combat his loneliness.

I think the book can be read on more than one level. Obviously, it can be read as a straight forward mystery. On the other hand, it can be taken as a metaphor for good and evil, as well as the mystery of human relationships.

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Links:
https://www.jamesruncie.com/grantchester-mysteries
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Runcie
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/shows/grantchester/
http://ricketwrite.blogspot.com/2017/10/crunch-time.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grantchester_(TV_series)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grantchester
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Written Saturday 11 November 2017.