Paula L Fleetwood .
Sidney Chambers & The Forgiveness of Sins by James Runcie
This is the latest volume in the “ Granchester ” series , some of which have been adapted for television although only loosely based on the books and with major alterations being made to the plots and characters . Anyone who first saw the TV version and then read the books would have been a bit surprised !
The books tell the story of a young Anglican priest , Sidney Chambers , who when the series starts , is the Vicar of Granchester near Cambridge in the early 1950s .
By the time this volume starts he is married with a small daughter and , by the end of the book , he has moved to Ely becoming the Archdeacon .
The author of the books , James Runcie , is the son of the late Robert Runcie , former Archbishop of Canterbury and the character of Sidney is loosely based on his father ’ s early career . Sidney ’ s wife , like Mrs Runcie , is a talented musician , however she is German and the widow of a man who was murdered at the beginning of the first book of the series .
I doubt if Archbishop Runcie had similar propensities for helping the police with murder investigations so the similarities only go so far .
Each chapter of the book features a different crime and , in the volume in question , explores how far sins can be forgiven .
In at least two of the cases , readers may feel that the perpetrators are forgiven more readily than they might be in real life . Would one , for example , really marry a man believed to be a widower when one discovered that his ex-wife was actually alive and in a mental home ?
The identity of the villain is usually fairly obvious early in the narrative but the stories are enjoyable for the depiction of different characters , often with considerable humour .
The Cambridge background is described in detail so if , unlike me , you are familiar with the city , you could follow exactly where the events are taking place .
The author is also careful to make clear exactly when things are happening . By the end of this book we have reached 1966 and the World Cup Final is mentioned ! Sidney ’ s wife ’ s family is from East Germany and she is not interested in football , so marital harmony is preserved !
The book is in paperback and available from Waterstone ’ s priced £ 7.99 or from local libraries . Failing that , you are welcome to borrow mine .
Paula L Fleetwood .
StOM Page 24