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All of a Winter's Night
All of a Winter's Night | Phil Rickman
3 posts | 3 read | 1 to read
It begins in the fog, with a bleak village funeral. In the early hours of the following morning, Merrily Watkins and her daughter Jane are made aware that Aidan Lloyd, son of a wealthy farmer, will not be resting in peace. A rural tradition is displaying its sinister side as an old feud re-ignites. It's already a fraught time for Merrily, her future threatened by a bishop committed to restricting her role as deliverance consultant, or diocesan exorcist. Suddenly there are events she can't talk about as she and Jane find themselves potentially on the wrong side of the law. Meanwhile, DI Frannie Bliss, investigating a shooting, must confront the growth organized crime which is contaminating the countryside. On the Welsh border, the old ways are at war with the modern world. As the days shorten and the fog gives way to ice and snow, Merrily Watkins is drawn into a conflict centered on one of Britain's most famous medieval churches, its walls laden with ancient symbolism.
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review
OutsmartYourShelf
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Pickpick

This penultimate (for now) book in the series examines the dark side of....Morris dancing. Yes the traditionally twee pastime involving dressing in a costume, with bells, & banging wooden sticks together! I might have been more incredulous had I not read a book earlier this year (or last year) about the old practice of wassailing & its more sinister side.

OutsmartYourShelf Merrily is still dealing with the coterie of modernisers within the Church who want to root out anything 'medieval', including Deliverance aka exorcism. Elsewhere her daughter Jane continues to not return her boyfriend's calls or texts & then worries (not irrationally) that he may have moved on. 3.5🌟

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2232459413
Read 9th-15th Dec 2024

3630 points (including 291 words found)
2w
willaful I actually have a friend who does Morris Dancing! I hope she never reads this. 😉
2w
See All 8 Comments
DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 2w
TheSpineView Fantastic!🤩📖📚 2w
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2w
Andrew65 Excellent 🎄☃️🎅🏼 2w
BookmarkTavern Congrats! 2w
28 likes8 comments
blurb
StairwayToHeaven

I always feel melancholious after finishing one of these. ( Which happens to be one of my favourite words in English and Dutch both, alongside archaic.) So the rest of my day is generally spent listening to music, playing the ukulele or going for a walk.

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StairwayToHeaven
Pickpick

I'm in love with the feeling of these books. Rickman's writing is sublime, the atmosphere he manages to create unique. As are the characters very dear to me and feel infinitely real. I'm definitely going on holiday to Wales and the border sometime. I'm also missing snow.