Customer Reviews

The Reluctant Detective: A Novel (Faith Morgan Mysteries)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

This is another book my husband snatched from me, he read it in one night and really enjoyed it, even mentioned several times when he was reading that "this is really a great book" and would give it a high recommendation.

Again I must tell you my husband is an attorney and reads very fast, but when he reads a book in one night it's the highest praise.

Be prepared it's a page turner so plan on reading when you have time to read it from start to finish. Martha Ockley is a new author for us and I'm looking forward to reading all of her books she is an excellent writer and she knows how to get your attention and keep it.

Thanks Goodreads!

A Faith Morgan Mystery a new series you will not want to miss.

Very well written by Martha Ockley.

If you like mysteries you will really enjoy this book,the descriptions are decisive and realistic the characters are interesting I read this book in one evening.

Thanks Goodreads!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book; it reminds me of a modern Agatha Christie mystery. I really liked Faith a lot and after a while, even Ben. By the end of the book, he didn't seem to be such a jerk. The reason for the 4 stars instead of 5 is that I found the Christianity a bit weak. Will there be a sequel? Hopefully! Will Ben be drawn by the Holy Spirit to repent and seek God? Will Faith be up to witnessing to him about Christ? Maybe they can then be reunited! I think it would be great.

The Reluctant Detective by Martha Ockley is the first in a new faith-based cozy series. Faith Morgan is a former law enforcement officer and now an Anglican priest. While visiting a church in Little Worthy, another priest drops dead during communion, obviously of poisoning. Faith becomes involved in the investigation lead by Detective Ben Shorter, her former lover.

The Reluctant Detective was easier to read than some other English books, but there were still a few terms that I left me wondering. I enjoyed the characters of Faith and Ben, but I thought that all of the characters could have used some extra and gradual development.

Although described as a cozy, I found at least one crime scene explicitly described more so than most cozies I have read. I thought the mystery was a little too scattered, but then I enjoy reading mysteries that are solved more methodically. I still enjoyed the book and would definitely read the next in this series.

While this is a faith-based book that contains scripture, it is by no means preachy or overly religious. Short scriptures come to Faith's remembrance such as "Sin shall not have dominion over you" and help her to make decisions.

Sometimes I find one line or quote in a book that stands out to me and in The Reluctant Detective it was on P. 221: "People can go mad looking for God too hard, she'd thought." I would add the sentences before, but that would be a spoiler!

This was a difficult book for me to read. Perhaps it is because the author resides in England and therefore uses terms that caused me to hesitate and translate. For instance, a "bonnet" is not an item worn on the head; rather, it is the trunk of a car. Although this authenticates the work, interruptions like this cause the plot to drag.

I found the characters flat, not at all fleshed out. I could not envision how Faith and Ben ever survived a long-term romance, as they are so dissimilar. I'm not familiar with the Church of England or its vicars, so it surprised me to read about Faith using profanity and drinking hard liquor.

Perhaps it's me. You may find it just the cup of tea for you. Read a chapter and decide for yourself.

Thank you to Bonnie at Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and Monarch Books for my copy.

As vicar Alistair Ingram was giving the blessing over communion and taking a drink from the communion cup, he clutches his chest and falls to the ground in front of the congregation. Knowing that he has had issues with his heart, the members of the church believe he has had a heart attack.

When Faith Morgan attempts to revive the vicar, she notices some redness and swelling on his lips and a strange order coming from the wine stain on his chest. She will later find out from the Detective Inspector in charge, Ben Shorter, that he was poisoned.

Faith was about to decide whether to join Little Worthy, the name of the church, since receiving her ordination as a vicar before the death of Alistair Ingram. She had left the police force where she worked with Ben Shorter not only as a colleague but as a former boyfriend as well. Their relationship ended on a sore note, when Faith decided to pursue a high calling in her life.

In the latest Faith Morgan Mystery, The Reluctant Detective by Martha Ockley, the reader will be taken along the mysterious investigation into the murder of Alistair Ingram. Working together as the newest member of the congregation, Faith and Ben will slowly uncover events that will leave the reader completely horrified.

I received The Reluctant Detective compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and for those of you that love church murder mysteries, than this one is a must for you. You will be left wondering just who did it as you uncover clues that seem to point one way but lead to a dead end. This one rates a 4.5 out of 5 stars and is well on it's way to a great series with Faith Morgan. She is a likeable character who isn't afraid of her faith and in being able to listen to the voice of God and follow.

Faith Morgan, a newly ordained clergywoman, is checking out a new parish when on her first visit, the priest is killed while administrating communion. Because she is also a former policewoman, Faith quickly finds herself involved in the investigation to find the murderer while also tending to the needs of the church. Her own faith is tested as she sees more and more the cruel things man can do to each other. Matters are further complicated by the fact that her ex-boyfriend is also the policeman in charge of the case.

I have to admit I was drawn to this book because it featured a woman in the clergy. This is so rare in books and especially books in the Christian fiction market. It's definitely a field where women are still less than fully accepted and I'm always curious to read their points of view in stories. Of course, this was in no way the focus at all in Faith's story which made it even more refreshing. I really ended up enjoying this book a lot.

As a mystery, it was pretty good, I didn't guess the killer way in advance, though I did have my suspicions. (I feel like once you read a few mysteries, there are ways to guess who the killer is early on) But even with that, I genuinely enjoyed the character of Faith and her personal story was really interesting. She came to embrace faith later in life and her decision to leave the police force for her faith was the reason she split with Ben her ex. This conflict was so well drawn and easy to feel. I think it's pretty good skill on the part of the author when you find yourself rooting for a romance even though you know it's a bad idea for both characters at the time. I think/hope Ockley has plans to further develop that in the series. It's an excellent point of conflict. And it's not as simple as "I'm a person of faith, you're not." There were real things that happened and fundamental differences in how they approached their work that drove them apart.

I also loved the way Faith approached her own faith. This is not a book framed by evangelical Christianity so she draws comfort from ritual and liturgy. She's also very open and caring and not at all self-righteous. Also, it should be noted that this is an English book...so there is language some might consider to be cursing and also they drink alcohol with no guilt.

Overall, I really enjoyed this mystery and the character of Faith and I look forward to reading more in the future!