The hapless Reverend Francis Oughterard ("FO") is lured by his blackmailer, Nicholas Ingaza, to the French Auvergne accompanied by stowaways Maurice, a cynical cat, and Bouncer, an enthusiastic dog. There FO is pursued by murderous thugs and ensnared by a cranky religious sect.
From the Hardcover edition.
Starred review from June 21, 2010
Hill's delightful fourth 1950s clerical mystery (after 2009's Bone Idle) takes the Rev. Francis Oughterard, canon of St. Botolph's in Molehill, Surrey, to the Auvergne in the south of France, where he has inherited a villa from Elizabeth Fotherington, the annoying woman he murdered outside his vicarage in 2007's A Load of Old Bones. Accompanying Francis is his sister, Primrose, and his unscrupulous friend, Nicholas Ingaza, who provided him with an alibi that got him off the hook for Mrs. Fotherington's murder and who believes the villa may contain Nazi gold. To Francis's astonishment, his dog, Bouncer, and his cat, Maurice, for whom he made arrangements back in England, also turn up in France, where they all become involved in yet another comic and dangerous romp. Evocative descriptions of the French countryside, an intriguing puzzle, and a host of lively characters will leave series fans and newcomers alike eager for the next installment.