Idol Bones - Hardcover

Diane M. Greenwood

3.98

214 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312098294 ISBN 13: 9780312098292

Publisher: St Martins Pr, 1993

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Reverend Theodora Braithwaite "has the potential to grow into [a Father Dowling]" says the Washington Times of England's divinely clever amateur sleuth, who arrives at the rural cathedral of Bow St. Aelfric to find it a maelstrom of petty clerical politics. The parish has a history of nasty clashes between the townspeople and the clergy, and with an unpleasant new dean assuming control of the cathedral, the age-old feud is poised to re-ignite.
The spark comes in the form of a statue - an ancient pagan idol unearthed on church property. With a face on both the front and the back of his head, Janus is the Roman god of gateways, of beginnings and ends. His sudden appearance marks the reawakening of the town's interest in paganism, and proves the end of Dean Vincent Stream, who is murdered at the idol's feet. It falls to Theodora to discover who would offer such a sacrifice, and the canny sleuth is more inclined to look for enemies of the unpopular dean than for pagan worshippers gone awry.
Unfortunately, the dean's enemies are many, and Theodora finds herself confronted with a Canon of questionable sanity, squatters with revenge on their minds, and an anonymous journalist whose poison pen draws blood with every word. With the future of both town and church depending on her success, the Reverend races to find out whose grudge has led to such violence - before it erupts again.

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From the Back Cover:

Vincent Stream sees his appointment as Dean of Bow St Aelfric Cathedral as a gift from God. His predecessor has left the affairs of the cathedral in a shambles and here, Stream perceives, there is a name to be made. Erica Millhaven, the residentiary canon, and Deacon Theodora Braithwaite's supervisor during her secondment to Bow, agrees that new blood is needed in the diocese. But the stubbornness of the cathedral clergy is legendary and they are unlikely to hand their individual trophies over without a fight - especially to one such as Stream. However, it soon seems as if the violence of the clergy's divisions may have reached hitherto unprecedented levels - and that the sacrifice has indeed been made...

From Kirkus Reviews:

Third in the author's tales of life and death among the Anglican clergy finds Reverend Theodora Braithwaite (Unholy Ghosts, etc.) on loan to the country cathedral of Bow St. Aelfric, where Dean Vincent Stream has just been installed. The pompous, self- promoting new Dean has already raised hackles among members of the Chapter--among them casually dressed, car-loving Archdeacon Gold, Canon Erica Millhaven, and choleric Archdeacon Riddable, to say nothing of vergers Tristam Knight and Nick Squires. Add to the list Oliver Fresh, head of an impoverished but self-sufficient community living on land soon to be sold by the church. The sudden unearthing, on cathedral ground, of an ancient bronze figure of a two-faced Janus sparks new controversy--a controversy that climaxes with the discovery of Stream's murdered body, carefully laid beside the Janus, the morning after his official welcoming party. Theodora is soon pressed into service by old acquaintance Inspector Spruce to gather inside information while he explores alibis and backgrounds. A simple plot lurks beneath layers of church lore, formidably intellectual chitchat, and a jumpy narrative--heady stuff for some; a slightly pretentious bore for most. -- Copyright �1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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