Faith Morgan, former policewoman and newly ordained priest in the Church of England, is visiting the village of Little Worthy, Winchester, to look around the parish where she is about to start her ministry. But within an hour of her arrival to the sleepy village she witnesses the sudden shocking death of a fellow priest during a communion service. One of the first police officers at the scene is Detective Inspector Ben Shorter, Faith's former boyfriend. They had been inseparable until Faith's sense of calling led her to question his drive for convictions, seemingly at any cost.
The Reluctant Detective (Faith Morgan Mysteries)
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
This promising first in a new faith-based cozy series from Ockley (the pen name for Rebecca Jenkins, creator of the Regency detective series featuring Raif Jarrett) introduces Faith Morgan, a former policewoman and newly ordained Anglican priest. Faith is visiting St. James parish in Little Worthy when the incumbent clergy person falls dead before her eyes while celebrating the service, a victim of poisoning. One of the first police officers on the scene is her former longtime boyfriend, Ben Shorter. Faith can't help being drawn into the ensuing investigation as she stays on at the request of the local bishop to assist the parish. Ockley draws Faith and Ben well, with credible and engaging tension, though Faith pales in comparison to Julia Spencer-Fleming's mystery-solving Episcopal priest, Rev. Clare Fergusson. Other characters are more or less successful; Faith's mother is pleasantly quirky, while the guilty party is well motivated but underdeveloped. (Apr.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Martha Ockley lives in the North-East of England and has close links with the church, having grown up as the daughter of a minister. She is a full-time author, writing both fiction and non-fiction.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great mystery,
By Wyn (Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Reluctant Detective: A Novel (Faith Morgan Mysteries) (Paperback)
Excellent suspense story, a policewoman just turned Anglican vicar has trouble separating the two careers at her first ministerial posting. The author wrote Faith's character in a very believable manner. Her differences with her sister underline their "place of birth" characteristics and their views about the world at large. The murderer was a surprise for me and I like that kind of an ending. Well written, good character development, easy read. I was left wondering if there would be a sequel in which the Faith would realize what her nephew's life really involved.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
1st in Faith Morgan series is smart mystery,
By Christina Lockstein "Christy's Book Blog" (Oconto Falls, WI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)
This review is from: The Reluctant Detective: A Novel (Faith Morgan Mysteries) (Paperback)
The Reluctant Detective by Martha Ockley is the first book in the Faith Morgan series about a newly ordained priest who left behind not just her career as a policewoman, but also her former lover Detective Inspector Ben Shorter. Faith has been called to the village of Little Worthy to check it out as a possible home parish. Instead she witnesses the current priest's shocking death from drinking poisoned communion wine. The bishop quickly asks Faith to fill in as Little Worthy's priest, and she can't seem to leave behind her old police instincts to investigate the crime while she gets to know her new community. Complicating affairs is the investigating officer: Ben Shorter, bringing up feelings they both thought deeply buried. Ockley neatly connects the jobs of detective and priest as both seekers of the truth, and Faith struggles with her new position and old habits. Faith is in an intriguing character who must juggle the delicate job of entering a new parish, dealing with the politics of religious bureaucracy, and a difficult relationship with her elder sister, Ruth, with whom she must room until finding a permanent parish home. The mystery is shocking, as is the tragedy that follows, but Ockley avoids sensationalizing them, keeping the focus on the characters rather than the gore. This is a quiet mystery, it builds slowly over the course of the story as Faith puts the pieces carefully together. Faith is a multi-layered character who is very empathetic. The Reluctant Detective is a cerebral mystery with plenty of twists and turns and deep character development. I hope that Faith Morgan will be back very soon.
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Reluctant Detective,
By Rose City Reader (Portland) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Reluctant Detective: A Novel (Faith Morgan Mysteries) (Paperback)
The Reluctant Detective is the first book in a new mystery series by Martha Ockley featuring ex-cop, newly-ordained vicar, Faith Morgan. When the priest of St. James's in Little Worthy dies during communion, Faith is called in to watch over the parish. When her former boyfriend, Ben Shorter, is the officer in charge of the investigation, things get interesting and Faith finds herself at the center of the investigation. It's like a British version of Julia Spencer-Fleming's Clare Furgusson series - a female Episcopalian (Church of England) priest in a small town - but cozier. Things in Little Worthy aren't as idyllic as they seem at first glance. Family tensions, secret love affairs, crazy neighbors, and old scandals lay barely hidden beneath the calm surface. Oakley is a good writer and the narrative flows well, with smooth dialog and no clunky passages. First books in a planned series can be tricky, trying to balance the current plot against the need to introduce characters for future volumes. Oakley strikes a reasonable balance, although some of the characters lack depth at this point - something that can be remedied in the books to come. This is definitely a cozy series that could be worthy of a long run.
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