Ethel Smithers is on her way to take up a new position as maid in the Vicarage of the village of Wychbowl Green. After meeting the housekeeper and the vicar she settles in and writes a series of letters to her sister describing her life in the village. Her employer is worried by his ever shrinking congregations and his more up-to-date curate with his go-ahead ideas.
Shortly after Ethel arrives in the village,a dead body is found in the church,laid out on the alter steps as if in sacrifice. The victim of this murder (for murder it is) is one Cissie Black,who has been strangled. Cissie is well known as a man-chaser,and several suspects are soon identified. The case is given to Timothy Dewer,who tries to solve is with (at first) little success, until a second murder occurs. This is a little lad who is described by the villagers as the village idiot. The conclusion is quite a shocking and memorable one.
This is the first of a series of four novels written by George Bellairs,in the name of Hilary Landon.The style is rather different from that of his 'Littlejohn' novels in that these stories are somewhat darker in hue than the others. The character of the detective,Dewer,is one that in future books will surely be well developed and mature into quite a memorable one. ( )