MOONLIT DOOR, THE

The Reverend Nick Lawrence has settled into his rural vicarage with its resident ghost, William and the cat Radetsky. His parish has seen some unpleasant murders but everything seems on an even keel and he's busy planning a Medieval Fair to be held in aid of the church spire repairs fund.  The first day of the Fair is very successful but the following morning a small child is found dead with an arrow in his heart and tied to the Maypole by its ribbons.

Inspector Dominic Tenant is in charge of the investigation and he is as puzzled as anyone.  Various people suspect the leader of the Morris Men who appeared at the Fair but he has an alibi.  The solution is far worse than anyone could have expected.  I found this an absorbing read though I had worked out what was going on quite early on.  It was still interesting to read about how everything worked out.

If you like your crime stories and mysteries without too much on the page violence and without bad language then you may enjoy the Nick Lawrence mysteries.  They feature delightful - and not so delightful village characters and the atmosphere of a small village is brought to life. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review purposes.

Review goes live on my blog on 13 November and is live now on Goodreads and Amazon.

Reverend Nick Lawrence is organizing a Medieval Fair for his small village.  He hopes to bring tourists in and help the local businesses.  It's also a fun event for all the goers.  What he never expected was to see the devil's work when the fair closed down for the day...

Severn House and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published March 1st, so look for a copy then.

An orphaned school boy is found pinned to the maypole by an arrow with the ribbons draped all over him.  Nick works with Detective Inspector Tennant to determine who would have killed the boy.  It's harder because there were so many people at the fair.

They question all the archers that were in the competition.  They look at the Grimm Morris Dancers because they are odd and there's a chance they are doing Satan worshiping.  They find they will cavort in the woods in the nude and have sex with willing women, but nothing to indicate they are killers.

I liked visiting this village and learning about the people here.  Like all small towns, you get to meet lots of eccentric characters.  There's also the beginning of a romance for Nick.  

I was taken aback by the killer.  Out of all the suspects, that was one that I never even had any suspicion about.  This author has a devious mind and pulls no punches.  This is not a cozy mystery; it's a hard story about mental illness and death.  I enjoyed the Reverend and the Inspector and look forward to seeing them again.  I hope the next book they are in has a softer plot line; this one almost made me cry.

Hi Karen,
My next review is as follows:-
"The Moonlit Door:A Contemporary British Village Mystery ( A NIck Lawrence Mystery)", written by Derwyn Lake and published in hardback by Severn House Publishers Ltd on 28 Nov 2014. 192 pages. ISBN-13: 978-0727884374

Church of England clergyman, Reverend Nick Lawrence has settled into the daily hurly burly business of his parish in rural England. He  discusses with his various parishioners the holding of a May Medieval Fayre for the purpose of raising money to pay off the church spire repairs fund. The first day of the Fayre is very successful with lot's of jolly entertainment and interesting purchases of books, furnishings etc.,for those who attended. Unfortunately, the very next day a small child is discovered dead and tied to the Maypole by the ribbons used by the Morris dancers the previous day. There is an bloody arrow in his heart.

Called to take charge of the police investigation is Detective Inspector Dominic Tenant and he is as mystified as anyone by the callousness of the killer.Several of the parishioners suspect the leader of the Morris men of being involved but he has an alibi for the night it occurred. 

The ultimate solution is much worse than anyone could imagine but I found that this short book was very imaginatively written and a real page turner. I was transfixed until the final paragraph. The story was I suppose in the crime fiction genre of  "cosy", which means that there is  little violence, bad language or heavy sex but all in all a really interesting and well plotted  and atmospheric mystery. The author really provides interesting and vivid characters in a truly gripping story and I look forward to reading more modern stories by the author as good as the historical mysteries I know she writes as well. In 2008, I wrote a review for her "Death In Hell-fire" mystery set in the eighteenth century which I also enjoyed tremendously. Well recommended.
(review should be published on eurocrime.co.uk in due course)

First Sentence:  It was an ancient and attractive custom, one enjoyed by music-lovers and the stout-hearted but detested by those who were trying to get ‘a decentngith’s kip’, as Jack Boggis, the local misery, put it.
       Reverend Nick Lawrence has organized a Medieval Fair to celebrate May Day, complete with Morris Dancers, archery lessons and a maypole.  What isn’t planned is finding the body of a young orphan impaled by an arrow and secured to the maypole via its bright-colored ribbons.         Ms. Lake has created a delightful cast of non-stereotypical characters.  The vicar and subject to both questions of faith and desires, in a good way, of the flesh, but a true Anglican vicar nonetheless, …”I suppose if Christ came and sat on the bench beside you, you would accuse him of being an illegal immigrant.”  The relationship between Det. Tennant and his bagman, Mark Potter, is wonderful.  Daft Dickie, an autistic man with a horrible past, is a character you don’t know whether to pity or fear.  There’s even the Rectory ghost, William.
       Although the protagonist is a vicar, do not mistake this for a comfortable, English cozy.  Lake addresses all sides of human nature, and she does it well.  If anything, you might think of it as a dark "Midsomer Murders".  The history and mythology of the old ways and legends is woven skillfully into the story.        
“The Moonlit Door” is, in the end, a mystery which touches on of the best and worst of humanity.

THE MOONLIT DOOR (Myst – Rev. Nick Lawrence/Det. Dominic Tennant – Lakehurst, England – Contemp) – G+
Lake, Deryn – 3rd in series Severn House, March 2015

“The Moonlit Door” by Deryn Lake, Severn House, 192 pages, $28.95.
In Lakehurst, England, Vicar Nick Lawrence is going to Faulke Castle to look at property offered for the church’s Medieval Fair.
The land is perfect for the event that will have strolling singers, booths and archery demonstrations. A young woman who came in fifth in a national singing competition is going to open the fair.
Olivia Beauchamp, a violinist, is dating a homicide inspector, Dominic Tennant. They go to the fair together. People are used to seeing Dickie Donkin, a homeless man who may have a form of autism. Hugh and Melissa Wyatt are also active in the community. They are raising their granddaughter, Isabelle, 10, since the deaths of her parents.
The first day of the fair is a big success. But that night, someone brutally murders a young boy, Billy Needham, who lives in a children’s home, and leaves his body tied to the maypole. The leader of the Morris Men, a male entertainment group, and Donkin are the leading suspects.
This is a good mystery, with enjoyable characters and a fast plot. The murderer may come as a surprise.