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A review by divapitbull
All of a Winter's Night by Phil Rickman
4.0
All of a Winter’s Night is another atmospheric installment in the Merrily Watkins series. The story telling is subtle and the horror when it comes is oftentimes more inferred than overt. I must admit that sometimes it goes over my head. I’m blaming it on being American. Case and point – Gomer and Lol in the churchyard – noticing something may be amiss and setting it to rights. Made perfect sense to me. Wasn’t batting an eye. And then suddenly people are talking about crimes and spiritual atrocities and here I thought it was a solid work ethic and attention to detail.
14 books in and it’s a given that a significant part of the enjoyment is visiting with characters you’ve emotionally invested in. Merrily and Lol are solid in their supportive and drama-free, if still somewhat on the down-low relationship. Lol’s in a fairly good place (for Lol) working on his music and Merrily is coming into her own with both the Day job *and* the Night Job. Or she would be if Bishop Innes wasn’t trying to dismantle deliverance and stick it to her at every possible turn.
As it turns out the Night Job sees almost as much action as the Day Job in Merrily’s neck of the woods. For example, one minute she’s performing a perfunctory funeral for Aiden Lloyd a young man cut down in a tragic accident and then 12 hours later she’s looking out the rectory window and it seems a band of creepy looking figures are dancing on his grave. Merrily can not catch a break. Next thing you know she’s embroiled in the middle of a generational feud related to modern rape of the land annihilation farming versus semi-pagan, spiritual, nurturing the land farming and greed that leads to murder. Then the rumors start flying and the bodies start piling up and Merrily and her spiritual investigation are on a parallel course with Frannie and Annie and their legal investigation until everything comes to a head.
What I liked:
1. Lol and the Border Morris Dancing – very cool to watch I googled it on youtube.
2. The possibility of Jane re-inventing Lucy Devenish’s Ledwardine Lore shop.
3. Merrily’s conversation with Paul the self-serving mole
4. Charlie Howe – as long as it doesn’t cause problems for Frannie and Annie (And Pierce right along with him).
5. The possibility of Eirion coming back into the picture.
6. Rajab Ali Khan – can he please join Merrily’s Scooby gang and become a regular character.
What I didn’t like:
1. 19 year old Jane annoys me. She seems rather immature and her coming of age angst and resulting relationship drama just seem….ridiculous. Luckily she seems to be pulling it together
2. Merrily and the police working parallel but not together. Missed the Merrily and Bliss comradery.
3. Frannie and Annie meeting with Charlie. Because it worked out so well the last time. I really like Bliss but I wanted to smack him upside the head – although I suppose ultimately it will be helpful to Annie.
14 books in and it’s a given that a significant part of the enjoyment is visiting with characters you’ve emotionally invested in. Merrily and Lol are solid in their supportive and drama-free, if still somewhat on the down-low relationship. Lol’s in a fairly good place (for Lol) working on his music and Merrily is coming into her own with both the Day job *and* the Night Job. Or she would be if Bishop Innes wasn’t trying to dismantle deliverance and stick it to her at every possible turn.
As it turns out the Night Job sees almost as much action as the Day Job in Merrily’s neck of the woods. For example, one minute she’s performing a perfunctory funeral for Aiden Lloyd a young man cut down in a tragic accident and then 12 hours later she’s looking out the rectory window and it seems a band of creepy looking figures are dancing on his grave. Merrily can not catch a break. Next thing you know she’s embroiled in the middle of a generational feud related to modern rape of the land annihilation farming versus semi-pagan, spiritual, nurturing the land farming and greed that leads to murder. Then the rumors start flying and the bodies start piling up and Merrily and her spiritual investigation are on a parallel course with Frannie and Annie and their legal investigation until everything comes to a head.
What I liked:
1. Lol and the Border Morris Dancing – very cool to watch I googled it on youtube.
2. The possibility of Jane re-inventing Lucy Devenish’s Ledwardine Lore shop.
3. Merrily’s conversation with Paul the self-serving mole
4. Charlie Howe – as long as it doesn’t cause problems for Frannie and Annie (And Pierce right along with him).
5. The possibility of Eirion coming back into the picture.
6. Rajab Ali Khan – can he please join Merrily’s Scooby gang and become a regular character.
What I didn’t like:
1. 19 year old Jane annoys me. She seems rather immature and her coming of age angst and resulting relationship drama just seem….ridiculous. Luckily she seems to be pulling it together
2. Merrily and the police working parallel but not together. Missed the Merrily and Bliss comradery.
3. Frannie and Annie meeting with Charlie. Because it worked out so well the last time. I really like Bliss but I wanted to smack him upside the head – although I suppose ultimately it will be helpful to Annie.