Soon to be a major six-part series for ITV, Grantchester It is the 1960s and Canon Sidney Chambers is enjoying his first year of married life with his German bride Hildegard. But life in Grantchester rarely stays quiet for long. Our favourite clerical detective soon attempts to stop a serial killer who has a grievance against the clergy; investigates the disappearance of a famous painting after a distracting display of nudity by a French girl in an art gallery; uncovers the fact that an 'accidental' drowning on a film shoot may not have been so accidental after all; and discovers the reasons behind the theft of a baby from a hospital in the run-up to Christmas, 1963. In the meantime, Sidney wrestles with the problem of evil, attempts to fulfil the demands of Dickens, his faithful Labrador, and contemplates, as always, the nature of love. The third in 'The Grantchester Mysteries' series - six detective novels spanning thirty years of British history - these four longer stories are guaranteed to delight the many fans of Canon Sidney Chambers.

We should welcome him to the ranks of classic detectives * Daily Mail *
Chambers turns out to be a winning clergyman-sleuth, and Runcie's literary authority is repeatedly demonstrated in the construction of his elegant tales ... there is no denying the winning charm of these artfully fashioned mysteries -- Barry Forshaw * Independent *
Runcie is emerging as Grantchester's answer to Alexander McCall Smith ... The book brings a dollop of Midsomer Murders to the Church of England, together with a literate charm of its own: civilized entertainment, with dog-collars * Spectator *
The clerical milieu is well rendered as an affectionate eye is cast over post-war England - a perfect accompaniment to a sunny afternoon, a hammock and a glass of Pimm's * Guardian *
Totally English, beautifully written, perfectly in period and wryly funny. More please! * Country Life *
Inspector Morse would appear to have a rival * Scotland on Sunday *
For those who want to beat the crowds, the third book in the series has all the pleasures of the first two ... Above all, they'll relish the company of Sidney himself, affectionately and almost defiantly presented as a kindly Christian doing his best in an increasingly secular world ... In fact, Sidney is such a pleasure to be with that these are crime stories that might work just as well without the crime ... The result, once again, is gentle, often funny and undeniably charming * Readers Digest *
James Runcie favours the light touch ... Fun to be with, this cleric is enlightened and enlightening * Daily Mail *

James Runcie is the Head of Literature at the Southbank Centre, an award-winning film-maker and the author of six novels. Sidney Chambers and The Shadow of Death, the first in `The Grantchester Mysteries' series, was published in 2012. The second, Sidney Chambers and The Perils of the Night, was published in 2013. James Runcie lives in London and Edinburgh. @james_runcie www.jamesruncie.com