Sidney Chambers and the Persistence of Love

by James Runcie

Genres: Mystery

Synopsis

It is May 1971 and Archdeacon Sidney Chambers is walking in a bluebell wood with his daughter Anna and their ageing Labrador, Byron, when they stumble upon a body.Thrust into another murder investigation, Sidney discovers a world of hippies and psychedelic plants, where permissive behaviour seems to hide something darker. This is the first of many disturbing secrets that Sidney unearths: a celebrated photographer is accused of rape; a priceless religious text vanishes from a Cambridge college; and Sidney's own nephew goes missing.

Endeavouring to fit his clerical duties in around the demands of sleuthing, Sidney continues to reflect on the divine mysteries of love, life and faith, while wrestling with the earthly problems of parish scandals, the challenges of parenthood, and a great loss.