St. Anne’s in Knaresborough, in Yorkshire, is an ancient church with a history of ghostly doings. A medieval monk seeking revenge is rumored to walk the church at night looking for victims. The Reverend Clare Wilcox is the latest victim. She was found bludgeoned to death in the church where she had gone to meet a parishioner.
DCI Oldroyd and Sargeant Andy Carter are assigned the case. Oldroyd finds it hard to believe that a ghost is killing people, but with no obvious murder weapon and parishioners convinced of the reality of the ghost, he has a difficult time. The case is personal for Oldroyd. Clare Wilcox was the protege of his sister Alison, also a cleric. The weather is no help. Knaresborough experiences a snow storm that has Oldroyd and Andy spending the night in the church complete with a visitation from the ghost.
This is another delightful glimpse of Yorkshire. I am always drawn into the story as much by the description of the area as the plot. Oldroyd is unperturbed by the unusual aspects of the case and works step by step to uncover the truth. I particularly like mysteries where the detective gathers information and finds clues rather than violence and chasing criminals.
The interactions between the main characters are well done. However, I did miss Stephanie, Oldroyds other assistant. She made only brief appearances. The plot moves well and keeps you guessing about the motives of the people in town and particularly about the method of murder. I recommend this one. It’s part of a series, but this book can be read as a standalone.
I received this book from Net Galley for this review.
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