I can’t say enough positive things about Julia Spencer-Fleming‘s Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne mysteries. Set in Miller’s Kill in the Adirondacks, these wonderful books represent small-town mysteries at their very best. The complicated relationship between Clare, an Episcopalian priest, and Russ, the married chief of police, is a continuing story arc, but each novel features a self-contained mystery.
The books are tightly plotted and the author does not rely on cheap thrills and melodrama to racket up the tension. Spencer-Fleming particularly excels at attention to detail and subtle character shading. The people in her books feel real, with credible flaws and idiosyncrasies. Essential in a long-running series, they develop over the course of the books. I love how a very minor character in one book might become vitally relevant in the next.
As a non-believer, I was initially reluctant to start this series as I was afraid it would be preachy. I needn’t have worried. Clare’s position as priest makes her a more believable amateur sleuth than most, and there is no agenda to convert the masses.
This is the sixth entry in the series. I’ll try to avoid spoilers in so far as it is possible, but if you haven’t yet read In the Bleak Winter, what are you waiting for?
I Shall Not Want opens with a cliff-hanger, then rewinds six months to just after the end of All Mortal Flesh. Russ is devastated by the course his life has taken and has cut contact with Clare. He is horrified to discover that his mother has mortgaged her home to help his sister, Janet, and her husband expand their farm. He’s also struggling at work, particularly as his friendship with Deputy Lyle MacAuley is strained after recent revelations.
Meanwhile, Clare is battling her own demons, not least of which is the decision to join the Reserves at the behest of her Archbishop. He feels she needs to reconnect with her previous career as an army helicopter pilot in order to discover whether or not she has a true vocation. The ever-present – and over-zealous – Reverend Elizabeth de Groot is a further thorn in Clare’s side.
When a bus crash involving illegal Mexican immigrants leads to the discovery of a murder victim, Russ is faced with a complicated case. The subsequent discovery of two more bodies heightens the fear in Miller’s Kill, directing people’s distrust towards the migrant community. Clare inadvertently puts herself in danger by hiring a young Mexican to fill in for her ill sexton, Glenn Hadley, and becomes embroiled in the developing investigation.
This is yet another strong entry in the series. Fans of the Russ and Clare relationship will be pleased by developments in this book, even though it concluded on a frustrating note. The book is as tightly plotted as we’ve come to expect from Julia Spencer-Fleming. I loved the way the prologue featured a dramatic event, then the rest of the book features the six months prior to this event, thus forcing us to wait until the end to find out what happened at the beginning.
I Shall Not Want introduces the character of Hadley Knox, single mother of two and the latest addition to the Miller’s Kill police department. Her relationship with the geeky Officer Kevin Flynn provided an interesting subplot. I hope we’ll see more of them in future books.
My criticisms are minor. I found the shifting points of view confusing at times, particularly between Clare and Hadley. It would have been easier to follow if the sections featuring their respective POVs had begun with their names. I sometimes had to read a couple of paragraphs before I figured out which one it was. Also, I was disconcerted by the divisions of the book. They are clearly based on the Episcopalian Church calendar, with which I’m not familiar. A brief note of explanation at the beginning would have been helpful.
All in all, I Shall Not Want was a highly satisfying read. I enjoyed reconnecting with familiar characters and I’m only sorry that I’ll have to wait until the end of the year to meet them again in One Was a Soldier. Grade: B+
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I did not read this series until 2 months ago and then I read them practically one after another, I had to know what was happening next with Russ and Clare! I had also read many glowing reviews and recs but couldn’t get past the “priest” part – I stay away from inspirational romance. These stories revolve around Clare’s faith but she also questions her faith and church teachings and I found that a refreshing viewpoint. I learned alot along the way w/o feeling preached at and enjoyed the great dialog and characters with interesting dilemmas.
@Peggy Pennell Snap! I read ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ in January, and quickly ordered the next four. ‘I Shall Not Want’ was released in paperback this month. There is no way I’ll manage to wait two years for the next one, so I’m breaking my no hardcover rule and getting ‘One Was a Soldier’ for Christmas.
One benefit of reading the books so close together is that I was able to appreciate the attention to detail more than if I’d read each a year apart. For example, the red-haired nurse who protests with Margy Van Alstyne in one of the earlier books becomes relevant in ‘Out of the Deep I Cry’.
I have no problem with religion, or religious characters in books, but I tend to steer clear of those in which faith is an integral part of the story. Thankfully, the Episcopalian Church serves as background but doesn’t dominate. I like the fact that Russ and many other characters in the books are not religious, or at least not Episcopalian. I also find it amusing that the believers are as flawed as the non-believers. (I’m thinking of Geoff Burns, and also Clare herself.)