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Sacred Sleuths: Clergy As Amateur Detectives In Fiction
Rev. Sidney Chambers from The Grantchester Mysteries novels isn't the only cleric who dabbles in criminal investigations. There are a number of established book series in which a religious figure features as part-time detective. We asked mystery author and scholar Martin Edwards to explain the character archetype and we offer a few titles that won't take a leap of faith to explore.
MASTERPIECE: What makes the clergy a popular choice for amateur detective in books?
Edwards: There are a number of factors, but at the heart of it, they deal with human nature and with the evil that people do. Their deep understanding of humanity equips them to both deal with crime and be adept at investigating it.
MASTERPIECE: Does their faith in goodness allow these religious protagonists to also bring something uplifting to a mystery story?
Edwards: Yes, I think that's generally true. W.H. Auden said that the classic detective story sees order being restored to a disrupted society—he saw it as a kind of Christian allegory, and I think that allegory works especially well for clerical mysteries.
MASTERPIECE: Do these crime hobbyists mostly wind up as characters in cozy mystery books?
Edwards: I see their sort of mystery stories more as traditional whodunnits. I don't think crime is really a cozy subject and I don't think clerical detectives from Father Brown to Sidney Chambers treat crime as cozy subjects. While it is certainly about getting the balance right, you still want the awareness that murder is a shocking thing.
MASTERPIECE: Do you have a favorite example of an amateur sleuth from the church?
Edwards: I'm still a great fan of Father Brown, who appeared in over 50 short stories by G.K. Chesterton [between 1910-1936]. The character was inspired by a real-life Catholic priest named Father Joseph O'Connor who Chesterton met in Yorkshire while visiting mutual friends. Chesterton was moved by this unassuming man who had a wealth of understanding of human nature, and that encounter really inspired the creation of Father Brown.
A sampling of book series featuring amateur sleuths from the clergy:
This historical mystery series features a Welsh Benedictine monk in the early 12th century. Brother Cadfael combines the curious mind of a scientist with the bravery of a Crusades veteran. "The intricate relationship between the monastery and the town it borders offers continual interest, as through it we glimpse the relationship between church and state at a moment when neither was sure of the other's wholehearted support," says Crime Reads. (Ellis Peters is a pseudonym used by British author Edith Mary Pargeter.)
Rabbi David Small is the spiritual leader of a synagogue in a town on the Massachusetts coast. The Rabbi is noteworthy for solving crimes by applying Talmudic logic. There are 11 titles in this book series, which The New York Times characterizes as "droll." The first, Friday the Rabbi Slept Late was a bestseller, winning Kemelman the 1965 Edgar® Award for Best First Novel.
There are three titles in this book series to date, in which Daniel Clement is rector of an Anglican church in the 1980s. His ministry is in a small town that "prides itself on its continuity…and there's a strong sense of social rank," says Readers Digest (UK). "Coles writes about all this with a winning mix of affection, amusement, and just a faint edge of exasperation."
The protagonist in this series is an eldress in a dwindling Shaker village in depression-era Kentucky. Sister Rose often does her sleuthing with the spirited assistance of a young, orphaned girl from this supposedly nonviolent community. "It's [Woodworth's] assiduous research into the Shaker lifestyle that makes this story an extraordinary read," says Publishers Weekly.
The PI in this series is a former Buddhist monk, but we're sneaking it onto this list anyway. Tenzing ("Ten") Norbu grew up in a Tibetan monastery but yearned to be a modern Sherlock Holmes. Sent to Los Angeles to teach meditation, he winds up briefly joining the LAPD and then working on his own. Each novel in the series centers on a "rule" that Ten adopts as part of the narrative. In the first title, the rule is "Don't ignore intuitive tickles lest they reappear as sledgehammers." Hendricks and Lindsay's stories "creatively link Buddhist experience to the types of reasoning skills and intuition required to deal with enigmatic situations," says Buddhist Fiction Blog.
Mystery Fiction: Sarla Seth, Owner Of A Popular Marriage Agency In Mumbai, Gets Threatening Messages
"What is this, Aunty?" asked Radhi, alarmed. She turned the envelope over and checked it for a name or address. It had neither. She turned the card over. It had a fine geometrical pattern across the back in gold. She dropped the card on the table and checked inside the envelope again. A thin strip of white paper was stuck to its side. Radhi removed it and read the typed words out loud: "All good things come to an end."
Sarla, who had been sitting with one hand clutching her head, took the note from Radhi and read it before crumpling it and letting it fall to the desk. "I don't get it," she said, more to herself than to Radhi. "Who's doing this?" She picked up the phone. "Juhi, can you ask Hansa to come see me."
Then, in response to Juhi's reply, "I see…okay, ask her by when she'll be in office."
She hung up the phone and turned her attention back to the card. "This is the fourth one so far," she told Radhi. "The other three were equally terrible.""They seem like they are part of a deck. Do you have the other three here?"
Sarla nodded. "They are tarot cards." She rifled within her drawer and brought out three similar red envelopes.
Radhi removed the cards and notes from the envelopes. One card showed a tall tower on fire. It had been struck by lightning and people were jumping out of the windows to save themselves. The accompanying note read: "The higher you climb, the harder you fall." The second card had a blindfolded woman clad in white sitting on a beach with her back to the sea. In her hands, she held two heavy swords crossed against each other. The note read: "There are none so blind as those who will not see." The third card depicted a swollen red heart pierced with three swords against a stormy background of grey clouds and needle-like rain. Radhi looked in the envelope for the note but couldn't find one.
"That was the first one. I didn't think to keep the note then." Sarla looked distressed. "It said something like 'Every action has a reaction'. I can't remember perfectly, but that was the gist."
Radhi studied the cards briefly before handing them back to Sarla. 'When did these come?'
"Well, the first one arrived more than two months ago. Then the second one came two weeks after that. And the third and fourth have followed since."
"What happened two months ago? Can you think of anything significant?"
"No! Nothing. I have racked my head about it!"
"But who in the world do you think it could be?"
"I don't kn –" The door burst open and a tiny, bespectacled woman in a yellow organza sari rushed in. She was skinny and extremely fair; her scalp showed through her thin, scanty hair, which was tied in a squiggle-shaped ponytail.
"Did you – have you also –" She spluttered to a stop when she saw that Sarla was not alone.
"Yes," said Sarla looking at her unhappily. "Yes, I did. Come in and shut the door behind you, for heaven's sake!"
The woman closed the door but continued standing awkwardly, conscious of Radhi's presence.
"Sit, Kiran, don't mind her. She's Radhika, the daughter of an old friend." To Radhi she said, "Radhi, this is Kiran, my partner at Soul Harmony." Radhi smiled politely at Kiran. She hadn't known that Sarla had a partner.Kiran was clutching a similar red envelope. She handed it to Sarla and sank into the seat beside Radhi. Her hands immediately began fidgeting with the things on the desk.
"It was on my table this morning," she said, picking up the little marble idols of Ganesh, Laxmi, the Buddha and Lord Mahavir on Sarla's desk with the pallu of her sari and rearranging them in a straight line.
Sarla opened the envelope and removed the card. It showed a person lying by a waterfront in the dead of night. Face down, naked body half covered by a red sheet, he had ten swords sticking out of his back. The note inside this one too said, "All good things come to an end." Radhi heard a quick intake of breath, but other than that Sarla's face betrayed no emotion.
"This is a joke," she declared, "some horrid, elaborate prank someone's playing on us, Kiran. Don't bother yourself about it."
"Prank?" Kiran's eyes widened. "I don't believe that for a second, Sarla!" She turned to Radhi. "Would you call this a prank?" she asked, then without waiting for an answer she turned back to Sarla. "This has gone on long enough now! What I don't understand is why you aren't taking it seriously.""Who said I'm not?" asked Sarla.
"Well, what are you doing about it? Can we at least visit a tarot card reader and see what these cards mean?!"
"I've asked Hansa to look into it," said Sarla.
"You have?" Kiran blinked. "Good."
Sarla nodded. "Let's wait to see what she comes up with. In the interim, don't worry about it. It's just a silly distraction."
Before Kiran could protest, Radhi asked, "Were your cards different from Sarla Aunty's?"
"Different cards. But same message." Kiran was now pacing the floor. Just then there was a knock at the door and a young woman entered the room. She looked like Kiran in every way except that she had thicker hair and was wearing a summer dress with very high heels. "Ma, that Bhavana ben is asking for you again. She's creating a fuss –" She halted mid-sentence, noticing the sombre expressions on Kiran's and Sarla's faces. "What is it?" she asked, looking from one to the other.
Kiran pointed to the red envelope and the tarot card lying face down on the desk.
"Oh, again?" The young woman snatched it and gasped when she saw the impaled man. "How ghastly! I am positive this is from that dreadful woman downstairs!"
"Come now, Zarna," cautioned Sarla, "let's not make accusations on the fly. Let's think this through."
"I have thought about this! It makes perfect sense! That woman opens her pseudo matrimonial bureau downstairs and a few months later we start receiving these!" Zarna waved the card and envelope in front of them. "She's clearly trying to spook us out!"
Excerpted with permission from A Matrimonial Murder, Meeti Shroff Shah, Bloomsbury India.
10 Books To Read This Summer: From Summer Romance To Murder Mystery
Life
by Ruman Baig
June 18, 2024
Summer in Dubai is officially here and it is about time we resort to indoor activities. This season gives you the perfect excuse to stay indoors and curl up with captivating books.
via GIPHY
But with so many options, where do you begin? Fear not, fellow bibliophiles! This list offers 10 tantalizing books across various genres, guaranteed to transport you to thrilling worlds, ignite your imagination, and make this summer unforgettable.
Beach Read Bliss: "One Italian Summer" by Rebecca Serle
Escape to the sun-drenched Amalfi Coast with Katy, a heartbroken woman gifted a magical do-over summer with her deceased ex-fiancé. This heartwarming novel by the bestselling author of "In Five Years" explores love, loss, and the power of second chances.
Find the book at: amazon.Ae
Historical Fiction Adventure: "Project Hail Mary" by Andy Weir
Ryland Grace wakes up on a spaceship with amnesia. Thrust into a thrilling quest for survival, he must piece together his mission and uncover the secrets of a global catastrophe. Weir, the mastermind behind "The Martian," delivers another science fiction masterpiece that will leave you breathless.
Find the book at: amazon.Ae
Cozy Mystery Caper: "The House in the Cerulean Sea" by T.J. Klune
Linus Baker, a caseworker for a magical youth care agency, embarks on an unusual assignment – evaluating a young orphan with questionable magical abilities. This heartwarming and humorous fantasy with a touch of mystery will melt your heart.
Find the book at: amazon.Ae
Non-Fiction Must-Read: "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Experience the beauty and wisdom of the natural world through the eyes of a Potawatomi botanist. Kimmerer's lyrical prose explores indigenous knowledge, ecological balance, and the interconnectedness of all living things.
Find the book at: amazon.Ae
Young Adult Fantasy: "The Love Hypothesis" by Ali Hazelwood
Olive, a brilliant PhD student, devises a fake-dating scheme to avoid her matchmaking friends. But the lines between reality and fiction blur when she chooses an infuriatingly attractive (and accomplished) professor as her pretend partner.This witty and charming romance is perfect for fans of slow-burn love stories.
Find the book at: amazon.Ae
Chilling Horror: "Mexican Gothic" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Travel to the mist-shrouded Mexican countryside with Noemi Taboada, a socialite sent to check on her ailing cousin. This gothic horror masterpiece will keep you guessing until the very last page.
Find the book at: amazon.Ae
Poetic Adventure: "Piranesi" by Susanna Clarke
Find it at: amazon.Com
Get swept away by this captivating blend of mystery and fantasy. Piranesi, a man who has lived his entire life in a vast House filled with statues, embarks on a journey to unravel the truth about his world and himself.
So, grab your favorite iced beverage, settle into a comfy spot, and let these ten captivating reads transport you to unforgettable summer destinations. Happy reading!
You can buy the above mentioned books by clicking on the image, it will redirect you to the website.
– For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and InstagramImages: Supplied Amazon & Feature Image: Instagram @thewhiteocean
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