Canon Clement ends up in the monastery following the heartbreak, and lands right in the middle of a brewing trouble. I really enjoyed the portrayal of the monastic life presented in a book, the simmering resentments and outright hostility, and the murder itself, though not prominent, was an interesting part of the story. However, quite a lot of the book is taken by Daniel’s ruminations about his life and because of this, the book felt different to his previous ones, more like an interlude than a mystery.
Just like with the second instalment of the Canon Clement Mystery I was not enamoured with the book but the cliff hanger means I will simply have to read the next part. I must also add I did NOT enjoy the author reading the book (I ended up listening to most of it rather than reading, possibly a mistake), and would urge a publisher to find a suitable replacement…

This follows on from the traumatic ending in the previous book in this historical mystery series featuring Canon Daniel Clement, set here in the late 1980s with the turbulence occurring in Eastern Europe, with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Overwhelmed by his uncontrollable emotional response to the revelations from Detective Sergeant Neil Vinloo, the heartbroken Daniel scurries away, escaping from Champton, the fire that wreaked such havoc at the rectory, which has Audrey, his larger that life and resolute mother with her own agenda, the dogs and the puppies move into Bernard, Lord de Floures's home until repairs are completed.

Daniel returns to a place that holds comfort with its special memories and experiences, the Anglo-Catholic Ravenspurn Monastery headed by the Abbot, Father Aelred. However, it is far from the sanctuary he feels so in need of, he cannot stop the tears coming as he mourns his unrequited love, his first and only love, a source of embarrassment in a place where emotions are avoided, as we see with the inability of the monks to handle bereavement. Furthermore, it becomes all too clear the monastery reflects all the divisions, conflicts ,and fears of wider society, deeply entrenched, epitomised by the hostility so many feel towards the ordination of women, with some threatening to leave the church. When Daniel is convinced a 'accidental' death is murder, no-one is willing to listen.

This is not a series that revolves around murder, that is incidental to the character driven narrative which delivers an indepth exploration of the church in this time period, theological doctrine and arguments, the rituals, practices, ceremonies, and the human passions and cruelty that can underlie them. A set of by now familiar characters return, many are curious and speculate as to what made Daniel leave Champton so unexpectedly, this is not normal behaviour from him at all. This includes the likes of Honoria, her gay brother, Alex, and, of course, Neil, as we follow the developments in Daniel's personal life. I must mention being tickled by the mention of Coles's old 1980s band, The Communards! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

I struggled with this book as it is quite dull. I prefer the scenes in Champton as I had difficulty differentiating between the characters in the monastery. There was far too much jargon. I’m glad it’s finished

In this book Daniel is in turmoil and feels he has to escape So he runs to the monastery in Yorkshire where he once trained. But when a death occurs Daniel is convinced there is more to it than tragic accident. In Champton House Audrey and the dogs are making themselves at home much to Bernard’s displeasure. An entertaining read where secrets are uncovered .

There is something very moving about the internalisation that Canon Daniel Clement experiences in his third outing of the clerical mysteries. Having been humiliated at the end of the second novel – coupled with a rather scary moment for this nearest and dearest – Daniel flees to a place that once offered sanctuary. Though much has not changed, there’s tensions to be found everywhere. And when there’s a suspicious (and rather gruesome) death, Daniel thinks it may be murder. At home, his parishioners have their own problems, as does his mother, an enterprising woman who – if you haven’t read any of these novels – will admire and be slightly scared of equally. Will Daniel be able to put aside his emotional woes to help discover who’s responsible for the monastery murder? I found this to be the most enjoyable of Richard’s books so far, probably because Daniel is so overwrought with emotion.

Murder In The Monastery picks up immediately after the events of A Death In the Paris. Heartbroken by Neil's revelation at the end of that book, Daniel Clement has retreated to Ravenspur Abbey, the Anglo-Catholic monastery in which he completed his novitiate before being called to serve a parish. But rather than finding peace and calm at Ravenspur, Daniel instead finds the monastery riven with tensions. And then a body is discovered...

I enjoyed Murder at the Monastery a great deal more than the previous book in the series. The intricacies of theological and liturgical debate felt better suited to the setting and the rich vein of humour running through the series is also present here. As a resident of said town, I particularly enjoyed the line about Donna, 'who was recruited to the lesbians and moved to Hebden Bridge.' Mention of The Communards (the 80s pop band of which Richard Coles was a member) also raised a chuckle.

It felt rather as if the storylines taking place back in the parish in Champton didn't really go anywhere; I suspect these will be picked up in the next book but in this one they were surplus to requirements. Overall, though, an enjoyable read.