This book is a murder mystery with a side dish of humor. When a morally questionable reporter is found dead on church property, the police have to figure out what happened. Throughout the novel, the same incident is reported to the police multiple times. Each time the story changes a little, because, let's face it, no two people ever see a situation in the same way. Each retelling brings a different character into question.

By having the mystery laid out in this manner, the reader has a harder time trying to figure out what happened before the end of the book. Suddenly everyone seems suspicious.

I could have done without all of the relationship stuff. It kind of bogged down the story for me. Without all of that, the mystery would have flowed better. Other than that, I enjoyed the book, especially the old church members who are bound and determined to find out what really happened, even if they don't go about it in the smartest way.

When the problem of shaking hands is resolved in the first few chapters, you know there is a bigger fish to fry for the rest of the book. I liked it enough, but it dragged a bit.

A mystery which is not really mysterious, rather whimsically remote. A bunch of strange village characters who meet over tea and cake to discuss gently various pressing topics. A wannabe journalist who struggles to get the story of his career only to end up dead, understandably so. The Vicar is the key to it all, shaking hands or not shaking any. No character whatsoever is sane enough to make the plot effective. It can all be seen as a comedy of the human nature, led to some weird extremes. Depending on the mood one might enjoy this to some extent. For my part I had to force myself to read to the end, the last third of the book is mindboggling.
Thanks​ to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. It definitely offered afresh perspective over church and village life.

Sorry this book wasnt for me. I found it a struggle to finish even though the story line was good

I did not finish this book. I found the characters and storyline to be lackluster.

Very interesting story with excellent characters. Neat little twist at the end. Well worth a read

A light, easy read of a mystery, though there's no real mystery to be found if you're an avid reader. But the fun characters, short length, and unusual ideas make this a worthy read. It's hard for me to say with any certainty whether this will offend Christians or make them happy, but it certainly felt neither too preachy nor too cynical of religion, which seems like an important part of a book with a topic like this. Overall, I'd say that it's no worse than all the other "cosy mystery" offerings and, in some aspects, even better than its rival novels.