To Dream of the Dead (Merrily Watkins Mysteries) - Hardcover

Book 10 of 17: Merrily Watkins Mysteries

Rickman, Phil

  • 4.33 out of 5 stars
    1,488 ratings by Goodreads
 
9781847245786: To Dream of the Dead (Merrily Watkins Mysteries)

Synopsis

The village of Ledwardine has never been flooded in living memory, but as the river continues to rise with December rains, within days it will be an island. Electricity has been cut and the church is serving as a temporary mortuary for two people who drowned. Only one man feels safe: an aggressively atheist author who has been moved—for his own safety—into a secluded house just outside the village. Meanwhile, archaeologists—assisted by Merrily Watkins’s teenage daughter, Jane—are at work unearthing an ancient row of standing stones that some people would prefer stay buried. The atheist’s temporary home is close to the site, and his young wife is becoming conspicuously agitated. Is it the fear of discovery? With the flood water washing up Church Lane towards the vicarage and the shop running out of cigarettes, it looks to be a cold and complex Christmas for Merrily Watkins.

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About the Author

Phil Rickman is the author of the Merrily Watkins Mystery series.

Reviews

Past and present collide with fatal results in British author Rickman's unsettling 10th mystery to feature parish priest Merrily Watkins (after 2008's The Fabric of Sin). A few days before Christmas, a body with a mutilated face turns up in a ruined monastery in the Herefordshire village of Ledwardine near the Welsh border. Also casting a pall over the holiday season are the threat of a flood and a contentious debate at a town meeting about whether to build a highway through a beloved meadow. Meanwhile, the unearthing of the ancient Dinedor Serpent, a prehistoric monument, leads Merrily's aspiring archeologist daughter, Jane, into dangerous territory. A newcomer to the village, an outspoken atheist despised by fundamentalists, adds fuel to a volatile mix. Amid the mayhem, Rickman skillfully weaves together the assorted subplots. Credible characters—some down-to-earth, others lunatic—and absorbing archeological lore are a plus. (Aug.)
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Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9781847247926: To Dream of the Dead: A Merrily Watkins Mystery

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  184724792X ISBN 13:  9781847247926
Publisher: Quercus Publishing, 2016
Softcover