When offered the post once styled Church of England Deliverance Minister, the Reverend Merrily Watkins - parish priest and single parent - cannot easily refuse. But the retiring exorcist, strongly objecting to women priests, not only refuses to help Merrily but ensures that she's soon exposed to the job at its most terrifying. And things get no easier: as an early winter slices through the old city of Hereford, a body is found in the River Wye, an ancient church is desecrated and there are signs of dark ritual on a hill overlooking the city.

Midwinter of the Spirit

PHILIP RICKMAN

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Macmillan

A disused church near a Welsh border hamlet has already been sold off by the Church when it's discovered that the new owners are 'pagans' who intend to use the building for their own rituals. The local rector, an extreme evangelical, is appalled and blames these inoffensive middle-class witches for infesting the whole community with evil, even calling in the diocesan exorcist, Revd Merrily Watkins. An atmosphere of stifling menace develops - with the persecution of innocent people, false accusations, and the formation of a Christian vigilante group. As this cauldron of conflict threatens to boil over into serious violence, Merrily uses all the diplomacy she can muster. But, as the confrontation moves towards its climax at Candlemass, she is unaware of a personal threat against her from a deranged and violent man.

A Crown of Lights

Literature & Fiction

Contemporary

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by PHILIP RICKMAN. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by PHILIP RICKMAN

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by PHILIP RICKMAN. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Midwinter of the Spirit

A Crown of Lights