My husband always says that for me to truly enjoy a book it must be full of "sexy religious, Christmas murder." He gets rather disappointed when a book I'm reading doesn't have all four. Unfortunately, this book was completely missing the Christmas end of things but it really makes up for other things in spades.
For much of the book, the hair on the back of my neck was standing on end. Being a) from Canada and not England or Wales and b) from the city where our fireplace growing up had a lightbulb and a plug, I really needed to do some extra research to fully understand the book. I'm not afraid to admit that I had no idea what an inglenook was. Now I know and I'll forever be afraid to look in one, but that's okay.
The book, I believe, is part of a series. Didn't even look at the cover when it said "A Merrily Watkins Mystery." I was drawn in by the creepy tombstone and the foggy church yard. Oh yes. I'm one of those readers that gets instantly pulled in by a great cover and an awesome description of what's inside.
The writing left a lot to your imagination but you kept reading because you needed to know what happened. It's almost like watching a moving on TV and they'd cut to a commercial just as things are getting really creepy. It was the middle of the action. But I couldn't turn away. I just wanted to keep reading. I needed to know how it ended. Better yet, I wanted to go there. Walk in the history. I wanted to know more about the Templar's traditions and everything about Templar architecture. It's certainly sparked an interest in reading more. Not just about the area, but more about the author. And more about Merrily and her story.
It's not very often that you meet a writer that writes with the protagonist against their own gender. Not to ruin a good thing, I started the story not knowing that it was written by a man about a woman. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised when I looked at the cover and discovered it was a man. This story had so many strong female characters that I really felt a balance between the genders. Kudos to the Phil Rickman for not only knowing enough about the Church of England, The Knights Templar, women, men and even a smart and sassy teenage girl.
I found the book at my favourite used book store. Millpond Records and Books in the downtown Hespeler area of Cambridge, Ontario. Check them out. They have many, many more awesome titles for you to find your own little gems like this book. I'm not giving you anymore but I still think you should check it out.
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