Summer Reading

Summertime means summer reading days are here.  Time to put away the big heavy tomes and invest in some frivolity or mystery solving.  For whatever reason, many clergy I know are big fans of mysteries.  Dorothy Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey novels are my all time favorite mysteries, but I've read all of them, some more than once.


It also turns out that the clergy-detective (or variant - monk (see Brother Cadfael), nun (Sister Fidelma) etc) is a very popular subspecialty in the detective genre.  Some of us were trading ideas on my Facebook page yesterday and today about clergy-detective books to read this summer.  (Many available on Kindle! One stop summer reading!)


Ruth Innes, of Rev. Ruth's Rantings fame, a Scottish Episcopal priest herself, turned us all on to this wonderful website curated by Philip Grosset that lists all of the clerical detective novels by author or by detective and gives summaries and recommendations about them.  What a find!  On the front page, the author says: 


"Welcome to this crime fiction site featuring 230 clergy and near-clergy detectives, including priest detectives, clergy wives, ex-clergy, monks, nuns, ex-nuns, rabbis, a rabbi's widow, a clerk of a Quaker Meeting, two Buddhists, a Muslim, two choirmaster/organists and even a few witches."


Have a look!

I'm now immersed in three Michelle Blake Lily Connor mysteries, but will be making my list of follow up summer mysteries soon, thanks to recommendations by friends and Mr. Philip Grosset!

What are you reading this summer?



Comments

Unknown said…
I'm reading mysteries as well. Charles Todd's Inspector Ian Rutledge ones. Great reads!!
Thanks, Ciss! I'm getting so many great suggestions!
Perpetua said…
Another mystery fan here, as you know, Penny. Many thanks for the link to the website. Those should keep me happy for years! Recently I've been reading some of the Daisy Dalrymple mysteries by Carola Dunn. Entertaining and well-written books by an American author writing about 1920s Britain.
Oh, boy, thanks, Perpetua!
Meredith Gould said…
LOVE the Celtic Mysteries by Tremayne, was into Michelle Blake's Lily Connor books. Currently LMAO while reading the liturgical mysteries of Mark Schweizer which are particularly delightful for those who have a background in music.
Meredith, hadn't heard of the Schweizer books but they look like great fun. Will add them to the list. I think I'm going to have to publish a recommended by readers summer reading list now!