Published by Verity Press,
31 August 2020.
ISBN: 979-8677958229 (PB)
The
book combines accounts of religious history and tradition with a contemporary
story featuring two devout young people, Felicity Sherwood, newly graduated
from the Community of the Transfiguration, and her husband, Antony Sherwood, a
lecturer in church history and also part of the Community of the
Transfiguration.
The contemporary setting begins with
Felicity’s ordination as a deacon. Both her family and Antony’s are present to
support her and Felicity is pleased at her mother’s delight in the ornate
ceremony and how happy everyone is for her. Despite Felicity’s joy in her
achievement, she is uncertain where her future lies, although she knows it will
always be at Antony’s side, as his wife. Antony is leaving his work as a
lecturer to serve as a parish priest and Felicity wonders if she should become
a curate in a neighbouring parish, but she is not convinced that she is ready
for this. Before Felicity has to make this decision, she and Antony are going
on a wonderful journey to Canada, part working trip and part honeymoon. Antony
is going to lecture on stories about the saints and Felicity is going to
translate a new setting of the the Irish prayer of protection known as St.
Patrick’s Breastplate, she is also taking responsibility for transporting and
delivering a priceless, newly-discovered page from an early illuminated
manuscript.
On the evening of her ordination,
Felicity and Antony go to dinner with their families and are touched and
delighted when Felicity’s family offer them an upgrade on their tickets, which
means that they can enjoy a luxurious honeymoon train journey across Canada.
After such an emotionally charged day, Felicity needs a few minutes alone and
goes out of the hotel to the nearby woods. To her horror she heard two men
quarrelling and one man kills the other. She manages to escape the killer but
knows that he has seen her, although she only caught a brief glimpse at him. Everybody
is relieved that she is going to Canada where she will be away from this
unknown murderer and she will be safe.
When Antony and Felicity reach Toronto
and the first stage of their conference everything should be fine but small
things keep occurring that mar their feeling of security, especially when Felicity
sees a man that looks exactly like her impression of the murderer. Moving on to
a remote monastery near Montreal, Felicity becomes even more disorientated when
an antiques expert, brought in to examine the rare page of manuscript, bears a
striking resemblance to the murder victim. Even more frightening, Antony is got
out of the way and his room at the monastery is ransacked.
The pair are very relieved to be safely
on the train travelling across Canada, despite the irritation that one of the
nuns has foisted upon Felicity the job of chaperoning her young sister, who is
travelling to join a nunnery. Felicity and Antony love the glorious scenery and
the luxury of their upgraded accommodation, but mysterious happenings still
disrupt their enjoyment, and once again, Felicity is troubled by the sight of a
man who resembles the murder victim. However, it is when they arrive at their
destination near Vancouver that their troubles come to a head. Felicity finds
her life in terrible danger and needs all her determination and ingenuity if
she is going to survive.
Against All Fierce Hostility is the sixth book in the Monastery Mysteries series
featuring Felicity and Antony Sherwood. This is a delightful series, which
follows the development of Felicity’s spiritual and emotional development as
well as her relationship with Antony. Both Felicity and Antony are engaging
characters and the plot is complex and intriguing. The descriptive passages in
this author’s books are always excellent but in Against All Fierce Hostility
the train journey across Canada is particularly superb, bringing the
magnificent scenery to life. This is an unusual and enjoyable book, which I
recommend.
-------
Reviewer: Carol Westron
To read more about all of Donna’s books and
see pictures from her garden and research trips go to: http://www.donnafletchercrow.com/
You can follow her on Facebook at: http://ning.it/OHi0MY
Carol Westron is a successful short story writer and a Creative
Writing teacher. She is the moderator
for the cosy/historical crime panel, The Deadly Dames. Her crime novels are set both in contemporary
and Victorian times. The Terminal
Velocity of Cats the first in her Scene of Crimes novels, was published
July 2013. Carol recently gave an interview to Mystery People. To read the
interview click on the link below.
https://promotingcrime.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/carol-westron.html
www.carolwestron.com
http://carolwestron.blogspot.co.uk/
To read a review of Carol latest book This Game of Ghosts click on the title
Thank you, Carol! I'm slow to find your review, but delighted that you enjoyed your journey across Canada with Felicity and Antony!
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