Murder at the Monastery

Title: Murder at the Monastery (Canon Clement #3)

Author: Richard Coles

Published in: 2024

Date read: 31st July 2025

Score: 5/5

Genre: Crime, Mystery, Detective

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
Canon Daniel Clement, still recovering from a personal humiliation, seeks respite at Ravenspurn, the monastery where he once trained as a novice. However, his hoped-for peaceful retreat is quickly disrupted by mounting tensions within the monastic community, particularly concerning the surfacing secrets of Father Paul.
When a death occurs at the monastery, Daniel suspects foul play, believing it to be murder. As he grapples with his own emotional turmoil, he finds himself drawn into investigating the mystery, navigating the intricacies and hidden conflicts of monastic life.
Meanwhile, back in his parish of Champton, life continues with its usual eccentricities. Daniel remains the subject of village gossip, his irrepressible mother Audrey is involved in new schemes, and various other local dramas unfold, including trouble at the dress shop and the antics of a litter of puppies.
The book explores themes of faith, community, and personal struggles, as Daniel works to uncover the truth behind the murder at the monastery, with some assistance from Detective Sergeant Neil Vanloo.

Comments:
I have been saving this book for something to read that will cheer me up and de-stress me instantly. This novel, however, showed me another level of the author's ability, he not only had me on the edge of my seat, he also tore at me emotions. Another excellent book, looking forward to the next one.

Books that we've read by Richard Coles (3):
Murder Before Evensong (Canon Clement, #1) (2022), A Death in the Parish (Canon Clement #2) (2023), Murder at the Monastery (Canon Clement #3) (2024)