Appointed to Die [Mass Market Paperback]

Kate Charles (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1995

When a crass Londoner is elected cathedral dean in Malbury over the sweet elderly gentleman who was in line for the position, a series of strange events transpires, including a young man's suicide and a poisoning murder. Reprint. K.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Cathedral Close and its diverse collection of inhabitants illuminate the third Book of Psalms mystery (after The Snares of Death) featuring artist Lucy Kingsley and solicitor David Middleton-Brown. The clerics and laity of Malbury Cathedral, all with a full measure of human frailty, have managed to coexist uneasily until the appointment of a new dean ("a real shit," according to David), who throws the little community into a turmoil that culminates in death. The benign old bishop, his earth-mother wife, a young American theological student and beloved Canon Kingsley, Lucy's father, join forces with Lucy and David to solve the mystery and save the Cathedral. Disappointingly, Charles lays her groundwork too well. Three-quarters of the way through the narrative, all is revealed to the alert reader, who must then slog through nearly 100 more pages until the heretofore sharper sleuths figure things out. Author tour.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Charles offers workmanlike writing, a unique plot premise, and an intimate glimpse into the inner workings of the Anglican Church in her latest Book of Psalms mystery. The staff of Malbury Cathedral has established a tightly knit, closed community where everyone knows everyone else's business and it's difficult to keep secrets. Petty jealousies, petty politics, and petty triumphs are grist for the gossip mill within the cathedral close, so when the community learns that their own canon, Arthur Brydges-ffrench, the obvious candidate to become the new dean of the cathedral, has been passed over in favor of Stuart Latimer, an "outsider" from London, the gossips have a field day. To their horror, the cathedral staff learns that the new dean plans to oust many loyal old-timers, destroy the historic cathedral green, and turn the church grounds into a huge office complex. But when Canon Brydges-ffrench turns up dead after a meeting with Latimer, the staff begins to wonder how far the new dean will go in pursuit of his vision. A nicely written, entertaining British novel in the tradition of Charles' compatriot Barbara Pym. Emily Melton --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 338 pages
• Publisher: Mysterious Press (November 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044640361X
• ISBN-13: 978-0446403610
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,055,145 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Saga or David and Lucy, March 8, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (Tucson, Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Appointed to Die (Mass Market Paperback)

The ongoing romantic saga of Lucy and David is the central theme to this book. Will she finally agree to marry him? Will he ask her again? Another wonderful easy to read cozy murder mystery from Kate Charles. I've certainly learned more about the Anglican church than I knew before and I was brought up in this religion! Her characters jump off the page with life and death of course and I was kept guessing until the end who dunnit.