Sidney Chambers and The Dangers of Temptation: Grantchester Mysteries 5

It’s the late 1960s. The Nigerian civil war is unfolding into the starvation of Biafra. The Beatles continue to reign supreme in popular music. The United States is gearing up for Apollo 13 and the first walk by human beings on the moon.And Ely Cathedral Archdeacon Sidney Chambers continues to insert himself – or fall into – one mystery after another. The man seems to simultaneously attract crime puzzles or insert himself into them, and sometimes both.“Sidney Chambers and the Dangers of Temptation,” the new installment of the Grantchester mysteries, was published last month by British author and film producer James Runcie. (Inspiration for these Church of England mysteries likely came from having Robert Runcie, former Archbishop of Canterbury who died in 2000, for a father.) The new series of six stories continues to move Sidney along in time – he’s in his mid-40s and continuing as Archdeacon at Ely, some 20 miles from Cambridge and Grantchester. But he’s still working with Inspector Geordie Keating of the Cambridge Police, still helping his friends, and still wrestling with personal and theological issues.In the title story, “The Dangers of Temptation,” Sidney is asked to help rescue a young man from a local commune that has elements of a cult. And then the head of the commune is murdered – by beheading. In “Grantchester Meadows,” a May partying rite at Cambridge University (held with English inexplicability in June) results in a student being almost trampled by a heard of cows and a valuable necklace being stolen.In “The Trouble with Amanda,” Sidney’s one-time love interest and still good friend Amanda Richmond is having marital problems with her husband Henry, who’s having problems of his own with his former wife Connie, whose body is found bound and gagged in a pond. “The Return” focuses on the husband of Mrs. Maguire, Sidney’s former housekeeper in Grantchester, who turns up after being gone for 25 years.In “A German Summer,” Sidney and his family vacation at a resort in the German Democratic Republic (this is long before the fall the Berlin Wall and reunification of Germany), and the resort owner dies in a motorcycle accident, which Sidney suspects is not an accident at all. And in the sixth story, “Love and Duty,” Sidney’s former curate Leonard Graham, now a vicar at St. Alban’s, is being blackmailed.The stories of “Sidney Chambers and the Dangers of Temptatio”n are like their predecessors, in that they are often interrelated and form a long-running narrative of faith, family, friendship, and reconciling all of those with the way of the world. Sidney has to navigate some tricky situations, and like the rest of us, isn’t always consistent. But the stories are good ones, for both entertainment and reflection.

Author is easy to read makes you see the challenges that pastors face and always brings you to the point of deep in your faith loving people more and sharing your gifts with others

Fans of PBS will know Sidney Chambers from the two Masterpiece Mystery series featuring the handsome vicar and amateur sleuth who aids his friend DCI Geordie Keating solve the murders around the Cambridge village of Grantham. This latest offering, like the rest of the books in series, deviates from the television series in many ways, not the least of which is Sidney's marriage to Hildegard, the German widow. In this latest series of short stories, Sidney's been promoted to canon, but he still loves his jazz, his whiskey and his mysteries. While not as thrilling as the first in series, Sidney's advancement and fatherhood don't hold him back from some compelling puzzles, and a trip tp see his wife's family in East Berlin during the cold war, provides a look behind the Iron Curtain we never would have gotten to see otherwise, Another set of puzzles, great characters, miss-en-scene and good puzzles. Author James Runcie's father was Archbishop of Canterbury, so it's fun guessing how much of Sidney is based on the Archbishop and how much is just plain imagination. But that fact does make for an authentic background.

I’ve been watching the PBS “Grantchester” for several years, but had never read any of the books. For one thing, I was afraid I would be disappointed one way or another, as very often the translation leaves a lot to be desired, or the characters I’ve grown to love on the screen are very different from the ones in the books. Not in this case - the books and screen are very different, but the people are very much the same. It’s kind of an alternate timeline. Out of the series I liked this book best because each resolution is true to the individual character and quite touching. Leonard’s story warmed my heart because I know a long-committed couple in the same situation.

James Runcie comes through again. All of the Sidney Chambers books take you quickly into the world of the sleuthing vicar now promoted to Archdeacon of Ely. Cambridgeshire comes alive in the descriptive writing of Mr. Runcie and we quickly identify with and become friends with themany characters in these books. It is indeed worthwhile to start at the first and read progressively through, as the author does make referenceback to previous stories and people involved in Sidney and Geordie's many cases. I found it rather poignant that Mr. Runcie takes a swipe at therather clumsy tack the TV series has taken in the just-completed second season. Read the first story and you will see his disdain at the rathercrude changes made to the protagonist and his associates. The original stories need no improvements and alteration borders on sacrilege, frankly.Jump in and delight in the new mysteries involving Mr. Chambers and his friends. You won't be disappointed.

Light read. I loved the TV series “Grantchester” and had never read any of the author’s writings so I was curious as to how much the series followed the book. Many of the stories found in the series were actually covered in the book and were very similar with respect to plot and findings.

Better than the well regarded "Father Brown" series, Runcie actually gets us into the backstory of so many of his characters so that we not only have the crime to solve, but also gain appreciation of the lives they lead. Each of the books is a collection of stories, not all of which involve murder, but all of which involve "character". Sidney's foray with the family in the DDR (East Germany) of the early 1960's gives a good glimpse into life in that place and time. Readers will find that the television series while continuing the sleuthing plots of the series, unfortunately inject elements in the relationship between Sydney and Amanda that are decidedly not in the books.

I have read all six books now and there is so much more depth and beautiful quotations than in the TV series.I have finished each book feeling as though I had learnt some more of Life's lessons and a lovely calm feeling but still wanting to know more about the characters lives in the future.I do love a mystery and a book set in the not too distant past which makes me long for a more innocent time.The ends are neatly tied upbut not too tightly they cannot continue forward.I do hope so.

The stories in this book will cause much thinking and even discussion on the readers part.Relationships ;;revenge waiting years to be paid out;Communism and it's consequences; homosexuality and the churches teaching ,all run alongside the development of Sydneys relationships as a father and husband and friend.Well written ,descriptive prose that gives much food for thought,as well as the pleasure of solving the criminal mysteries that he encounters.

Having watched the TV series , which is different, I have been reading the books in order, because although each book contains 3-4 stories,Sydneys life is a continuing saga through all the books, so you follow through how his life develops. However, I didn't think this book was as good as the others, and think maybe the author is getting bored with the characters.

I enjoy these books so much. This one didn't disappoint, I like the short story format. There is one chapter, more like a novella really, which was a most interesting exposition of what it must have been like to live in East Germany before the wall came down. The final chapter concerning Leonard was so sensitively written. More please.

An easy book to read with interesting characters and simple but thought provoking plots. Not quite a could not put it down book but ideal for night time reading before falling to sleep.