TV Series Review: Murder Before Evensong

Murder Before Evensong is a cosy murder mystery, set in 1980s England, based on the novel of the same name by Richard Coles. Canon Daniel Clement finds himself entangled in a murder investigation after he finds the (very dodgy) cousin of the local lord of the manor murdered in the church with a pair of garden secateurs. Actually, his two little dachshunds, Cosmo and Hilda, find the body. From then on, the village is all agog as suspicions fall upon various characters, ranging from members of the noble family (the De Floures) to certain suspicious-looking and socially undesirable characters with dubious pasts and friends in low places. When yet another two murders happen, the villagers go from agog to galvanised! Threads from the past surface in the Champton village celebrations of its role in the war (only forty years earlier) as a base for the Special Operations Executive, Churchill’s secret WW2 guerilla army. The detective on the case, DS Neil Vanloo, ropes Daniel into the investigation because he is the local rector and people are more likely to trust and confide in him. Amid all this, Daniel’s mother arrives to stay with him. Forever, it seems…

This is a wonderful country village murder mystery with a dark side and lots of humour, red herrings, dead bodies, side plots, historical shenanigans, treachery, double cross, and more in a bucolic setting. A great cast makes this series a must-see. Matthew Lewis (of Harry Potter fame) is perfect as Canon Clement. He is anxious, self-critical, slightly agitated most of the time, and not very confident of his abilities. He is also very compassionate about the AIDS victims, with this being a hot topic of the 80s. His mother is played by Amanda Redman and she is just magnificent! She is rather like Patricia Routledge and Margaret Rutherford rolled into one. Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced ‘Bouquet’) has nothing on Mrs Clement. She is a total scene-stealer, although Cosmo and Hilda (played to paw-fection by Bailey and Penny) come a close second. Amit Shah plays DS Neil Vanloo, and he is just right for the role. He is rather like Canon Clement, and the duo manages to bumble along together to discover the murderer. Speaking of which, I was unable to guess who it was.

The plot is excellent and so many threads weave in and out but always lead back to the main one. Historical and factual details, and social and political issues are touched upon to establish the context but with no banging on about injustice, no wokery, no ‘BBC-style’ demographics, and no hidden agendas from the scriptwriters. The attention to detail is magnificent and you will believe you have stepped into the village of Champton. The village is ‘played’ by the real village of Worfield, near Bridgenorth in Shropshire, England. This is an incredibly enjoyable and riveting mystery. Fingers crossed there is a season two. Don’t miss it. Make popcorn. LOTS!

Book Spotlight: The Good Mother Test by Michael R. French

 

When Emily, a bright but impulsive UCLA student, gives birth to her daughter Violet, she vows to be the kind of mother she never had: endlessly loving and fiercely protective. But single motherhood is a test with no right answers. As Violet’s brilliance and independence unfold, Emily’s instincts clash with a world obsessed with achievement. Then Violet’s father, Doug, returns, now partnered with Amanda, a celebrated therapist unable to have children of her own. What begins as an amicable co-parenting plan becomes a psychological struggle for Violet’s heart and future. Told through the eyes of both mother and daughter, The Good Mother Test is a deeply moving contemporary novel about family, ambition, and the fragile line between devotion and control. It asks the reader what makes a good mother, and what happens when love itself is put to the test. Amazon

Words of Praise:

“…A highly readable, relatable novel about ordinary people interacting, clashing, and blending their lives in however a messy or successful manner they can, and will attract readers interested in the psychological dovetailing of family and relationship-building which all boils down to luck and trust. These elements move full circle to guide characters and readers in an unexpected journey towards new beginnings and hope, making for a hard-hitting, satisfying read.” -- Midwest Book Review 

“French shows a skillful hand with characters’ voices and dialogue, effectively capturing very different perspectives in both third and first person. The scenes of tension and suspense work well.” -- Kirkus Reviews

 

About the Author: 

Michael R. French graduated from Stanford University, where he studied English and creative writing under Wallace Stegner, and later earned a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University. After serving in the U.S. Army, he married Patricia Goodkind, an educator and entrepreneur, and began a family. French is the author of more than twenty books, including award-winning young adult novels, adult fiction, biographies, and self-help titles. His work has been warmly reviewed in The New York Times and honored with multiple literary prizes. He has also written or co-written several screenplays, including Intersection, which has received awards at more than twenty film festivals. His passions include travel, collecting rare books, and spending time with family and friends. He describes his worst traits as impatience and saying “no” too quickly, and his best as curiosity, risk-taking, and learning from failure. Website: www.goodmothertest.com

The Welcome Sign by Barbara Jean Weber

  

After finding a beautiful mermaid welcome sign, a young girl encounters a hidden and wondrous magical realm filled with magical characters, unlikely new friends and embarks on a dangerous quest to save the world from evil and restore the balance between the real world and the magical realm...

When 10-year-old Molly Parnell’s grandmother mysteriously disappears she and her mother travel to Cape Cod to take ownership of the house they inherited and find out answers about the sudden disappearance. But what they discover could be more dangerous and life changing than they ever imaged. Molly and her mother find a beautiful mermaid welcome sign in the attic and place it on the front door. Unusual things start to happen and they are flooded with visitors who claim they knew the grandmother.  The true powers behind the mysterious sign are revealed as Molly learns her grandmother was part of a secret organization working to keep balance between the magical realm and the real world. The magical realms placed an invisible veil of secrecy over the world to hide their true identities from the human world but allowing them to live among them  in secret. An angry rebel group of magical beings, tired of living in hiding is tearing down and destroying the magical cloaking fabric between the two worlds. If they are not stopped the magical realm will no longer be safe from the world.  As Molly and her mom embark on a dangerous and magical adventure throughout the magical realms to help stop  the rebels, she learns of her own magical powers and her strong family heritage connected to the welcome sign. Along the way, she teams up with new magical friends helping to keep the realm of magic safe from the eyes of the world and discovers that her grandmother was right all along. The world she thought she knew no longer exists, but an amazing world of magic woven into their world has always been hiding  in plain sight.

Read sample here.

The Welcome Sign is available at Amazon.

Excerpt: 

PROLOGUE

CRYSTAL PERKINS SLIPPED INTO HER OFFICE AND LOOKED carefully down the hallway. It was shortly after 8:00 p.m., and the office was dark and deserted. The only staff remaining was the cleaning crew. She threw one last look around the hallway and nervously shut the door quickly behind her. She glanced out the window, closed the blinds, and turned on the small desk lamp.

Crystal slumped down in her chair and unfolded the newspaper on her desk. She ran her hand anxiously through her short, curly black hair. She couldn’t believe all of this was happening so quickly. Things were totally out of control, and she didn’t know how they were going to fix them. Sighing deeply, she glanced at the article in bold print and reached for the phone. She continued to stare at the front page of the newspaper as she frantically dialed the numbers on the phone. In bold print on the first page of the newspaper were these words: “More Unusual Sightings of Strange Creatures: An Elaborate Hoax or Fact?”

“Warren, it’s Crystal. Have you seen the newspaper today? There have been more sightings!” Her voice was shaky and worried. “It’s getting too overwhelming!” She ran a hand across her forehead.

“Crystal! Calm down. I have my people looking into this right now on my end,” a deep voice replied. “Have you questioned the witnesses yet? Are their stories credible? Are you—” he asked with a concerned tone but stopped suddenly.

“Yes, of course I have investigated all of the local reports and followed up on all the new leads regarding the sightings! Besides, Warren, that is my job. Isn’t that why you put me in the position of investigative reporter in the first place? Plus, Warren, like you. I know the real story. She paused with a deep sigh. “But Warren, there are too many! I can’t keep up. Warren, what is it? What’s wrong?”

“Crystal, do you hear that humming sound in the handset? I’m not sure this is a secure line! Quick, call me on the other line!” There was a click and the line instantly went dead. Crystal dug deep in her purse and pulled out a small pearl-colored compact. The circular device shimmered as she turned it in her hands. She quickly scanned the room to make sure she was alone. Flipping open the compact, Crystal dropped in five small glowing bead-like objects from a long, clear vial she had also removed from her purse. She breathed over them, and instantly they broke apart into smaller pieces. She pushed a button on the side of the compact, and the glowing objects began to melt and formed a glowing, watery substance. Crystal dipped her finger in, swirling it slowly in a clockwise direction. Slowly the glowing substance rose out of the compact in a funnel shape and expanded out to form a lighted, liquid screen about ten inches in length. Through a shimmery haze Warren’s face appeared in the watery screen. He spoke in a low voice.

“Is it safe to talk here?” he asked quietly. Crystal nodded. “Yeah, it’s late. There shouldn’t be anyone else here. Everyone has gone home. I think the only people that are here now are the cleaning crew.”

“We must be absolutely sure! There is too much at stake here. I think your office phone may be bugged. We can’t speak on the regular line anymore, understand?” Warren warned. “As my number one investigative reporter, YOU are in charge of making the witness’s stories sound ridiculous, and it’s your job to discredit the reports inthe papers. Under no circumstances can we let the real story get out. EVER! It’s important that we keep the truth hidden. I’ve got others strategically placed in these roles around the world doing the very same jobs. Don’t make me think I picked the wrong person for this job, Crystal!”

Crystal nodded. “You did pick the right person for the job. You know Warren, it’s getting harder to cover this up.” Crystal ran a hand slowly across her forehead and through her hair. “Wait, Warren,” she stammered. Hearing a noise in the hall, Crystal stood up and approached the door. “Warren, hold on. I heard something.” She listened quietly, cracked open the door, and peered into the darkened hallway. The light from her office made dark shadows dance along the walls as she opened the door. Silently and unseen, a tall, slender figure slid the toe of his shoe into the dark shadows, pulled his body tighter against the wall, and held his breath. Crystal glanced around, and when she was convinced no one was there, she closed the door quietly. “I’m losing my mind, Warren. I’m sure I just heard footsteps in the hallway.”

“Calm down! Don’t be so jumpy, Crystal. You’ve got to hold it together! It was probably just the cleaners. Now is not the time to lose it. You’ve got to keep your head clear,” Warren stated authoritatively.

“Warren, there’s something else. I think I’m being followed. I swear I keep seeing the same car—”

Warren cut her off with, “Don’t panic. I’ll get someone over there for your protection and to keep an eye on you. They should be there in the morning. Just stay focused and on task. We can’t let this get out of control, understand? We won’t let anything happen to you!”

“Our paper wants to run a similar article as what the witnesses are saying,” she whispered. “And Warren, I’m looking at a press release that they want sent out as soon as possible. The witnesses sound very credible this time . . . I’m having a hard time covering this up. Warren, what do we do? There are too many sightings. More and more are coming in every week, and I’m running out of creative ways to cover them up! We need to get this stopped RIGHT NOW! I need some serious help from your end!” Crystal stammered nervously.

“I know! I know,” Warren nodded. “We’re doing all we can over here. We’re trying to find out who’s responsible so we can stop them. You just keep doing the best you can. We’ll get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. Whatever you do . . . Keep the secret hidden. It’s imperative that we continue to keep this under control. We’ve been able to keep this hidden for a long time, and I’m not about to let the secret loose now. We must keep covering this up! And we need to do it quickly! We’ll talk in a few days. Warren out!”

The liquid screen started swirling slowly, gradually picking up speed and ultimately dissolving back into a sparkling funnel shape and descending into the compact. All that was left in the compact were several glowing bead-like objects. Crystal held the compact out and blew at the objects. The bead-like objects instantly disintegrated into a fine powder and were swept away without a trace. Crystal snapped the compact shut, shoving it back in her purse. This wasn’t going to be easy. Warren had given her the tough job of keeping their identify safe. Although there had been sporadic incidents here and there, their secret had been kept safe for nearly three centuries.

Why was it getting harder now while she was the investigative reporter? Things were skyrocketing out of control at a rate faster than she could handle.

Crystal had known Warren Tracer ever since she was a little girl. He was a dear family friend. They had all been true believers, and when Crystal was old enough to know the secret, she was brought into the circle of trust. As she grew older, she had seen more of Warren and learned about his unbelievable secret. Warren Tracer hadn’t always been Warren Tracer. His original name was Whalen Marks, and although he was not a magical being, he possessed great magical powers.

In his younger years, he and her father had been with the Special Forces for the military. During a particularly secretive mission, a trap had been set, and the mission had gone terribly wrong. Everyone had been reported dead. However, the real events of the mission had never been revealed.

All Crystal knew was that Warren, her father, and several of the men had made an amazing discovery on that day. The mission had indeed gone horribly wrong, but several of the Special Forces men had been rescued. Crystal suspected that Warren and his men had made contact with beings of the magical realm. Warren rarely spoke of the events of that day, but she knew better than anyone that Warren was a true believer. Something remarkable had happened to him and his men, but no one knew exactly what that was. Just that it was remarkable and life changing.

Warren had eventually changed his identity, becoming Warren Tracer, and begun working undercover for the magical realm. When her father died several years later, Warren had stepped in as a replacement. He had been family from the beginning, so to accept him as a father figure wasn’t difficult.

Eventually, Crystal had been approached to work for Warren in helping keep their secret safe. There was nothing more in the world that Crystal wanted than to help out her new friends. She’d jumped at the chance to work undercover at the newspaper and keep Warren up to speed on all the local sightings. It was a dream come true. Warren and the others didn’t disappoint her, and she loved her job. She had been working with the newspaper for over eleven years now, but of late, she was finding it harder and harder to hide the truth.

Crystal hoped Warren would find those that were responsible for the tears in the fabric and stop them. They would need a lot of help if they were going to keep the secret safe this time. As she sighed heavily and slumped back in her chair, she caught a quick glimpse of movement to her side. Startled, Crystal looked up suddenly. There had been more noises that she was sure weren’t made by the cleaning crew. In a flash Crystal stood up, knocking her chair to the floor. Before she could fully comprehend what was happening, two tall, shadowy figures flung open the door, bolted from her office, and were joined by a third in the hallway. They had heard everything. In the wrong hands, the information that she’d conveyed to Warren could prove very dangerous. As she grabbed for the compact in a frantic panic, the three figures dashed from the building at an astonishingly fast speed and vanished without a trace silently into the night.

– Excerpted from The Welcome Sign by Barbara Jean Weber, BookBaby, 2025. Reprinted with permission. 

The Inspiration Behind 'The Welcome Sign'

The inspiration for The Welcome Sign began when I received a beautiful metal Welcome Sign as a gift. I love and collect mermaids, and my parents had found the beautiful sign with a mermaid on it. The store was going out of business, so they purchased the sign for me. I have always loved stories that were full of magic, magical beings, intrigue and good vs. evil so I was familiar with fun adventure stories that included these elements. After I received the sign, I had a series of incredible dreams involving the origins of the sign. The dreams became the inspiration and basis for the book.  As it evolved, it became a fun adventure story that I was eager to share with my family and others as I felt they would also enjoy reading it.  This book allowed me to create magical worlds, interesting characters, intrigue and battles between good and evil. The Welcome Sign was written as the first book in a series of three. The second book is written but not edited or published yet and the third book is still being developed and is in outline form.  It's fun to believe that my metal mermaid welcome sign might actually have a magical origin story. You just never know.

How I got published: Initially I was going to go with a traditional publisher but didn't have much luck. I had started to make inquiries with publishers when a dear friend suggested I try Book Baby self-publishing. I had never heard of that company before and did some research on it. My friend had a sister-in-law who had gotten her a booklet that talked all about BookBaby-self publishing. My friend shared a copy of the booklet with me. It was easy to follow and read. Once I contacted the company it was amazing and easy. I was assigned a BookBaby Publishing Specialist who answered my questions, guided me step by step throughout the process, kept me on track for timelines. She was amazing and super helpful. I was able to get suggestions and help from her whenever I needed it. We had consistent email contact and some phone calls. I am very happy with my decision to go with BookBaby self-publishing.

About the Author

Barbara Jean Weber lives in Skagit County with her husband and two daughters, where she works as a speech and language therapist. Her novel, The Welcome Sign, was inspired when she was gifted a mermaid welcome sign. The more she studied the sign, the more her story evolved. She is currently an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Visit her website at https://www.barbarajeanweber.com/. 

 

 

The Inspiration Behind ‘Evan’s Gift’ by author Karen Charles

 

When Evan trades his dream of a new bike for compassion, he discovers the greatest gift of all—helping others.

When Evan trades his dream of a new bike for compassion, he discovers the greatest gift of all—helping others. Perfect for classrooms and families, "Evan's Gift" celebrates empathy, courage, and the beauty of giving in a warm, uplifting story about generosity and the power of choosing kindness.

Ethan’s Gift is available at BookBaby.

The Inspiration Behind ‘Evan’s Gift’

I didn’t start out thinking I want to be an author. I started as a teacher and a listener. For years, I worked with children during moments of real upheaval, social unrest, trauma, fear, and uncertainty. I saw how deeply children absorb what’s happening around them, even when they don’t have the words to express it.

Writing became a way for me to make sense of those experiences and to offer stories that could help others do the same. Whether I’m writing for adults or children, my goal has always been to tell stories that heal, that open conversations, and that remind us of our shared humanity. Evan’s Gift came from that same place, wanting to reach children early, before the world hardens them.

Evan’s Gift is based on my experience as a kid earning my own bike, growing up in Africa. The idea came from watching how children respond to kindness, both when they receive it and when they give it. I’ve seen classrooms change because of one child’s gentle act or quiet courage. Evan’s Gift grew out of the belief that kindness is not small or passive; it’s powerful. I wanted to create a story that shows children that they already have something meaningful to offer the world, simply by noticing others and choosing compassion. Evan doesn’t have superpowers; his “gift” is something every child can access, and that was very important to me.

Evan is a thoughtful, observant child. He’s not the loudest or the most outgoing, but he pays attention. He notices when others are hurting or left out. Evan represents so many children who feel deeply but don’t always know how to express it. What makes Evan special is that he learns his kindness matters, that even small actions can ripple outward and change how people feel about themselves and each other.

The other characters are the people in Evan’s world, friends, classmates, roommates, and adults, who are affected by his kindness. They’re intentionally relatable so children can see themselves and their communities in the story. Each character reflects a different emotional experience, helping young readers recognize feelings like loneliness, gratitude, and connection in a gentle, age-appropriate way.

Kindness and empathy are skills we have to nurture, especially in children. Evan’s Gift opens the door to meaningful conversations at home, in classrooms, and in counseling spaces about how our actions affect others. It’s a story that reassures children that they matter and empowers them to make a difference simply by being who they are. In today’s world, that message feels more important than ever.

About the Author

Karen Charles grew up in West Africa and traveled to countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. Her rich background and lifetime experiences are reflected in the depth of her writing. In her stories, she transforms real-life narratives into gripping fiction thrillers. Her novels intricately weave the threads of truth into a tapestry of suspense, intrigue, and riveting storytelling. She is the author of two children’s books, “Freeman Earns a Bike” and “Evan’s Gifts,” and three thrillers based on true stories. “Fateful Connections” takes place in the aftermath of 9/11, and “Blazing Upheaval” takes place during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles and the Northridge earthquake. “A Glimpse Too Far” offers all the mystery and heart-pounding suspense of a psychological thriller and is based on a true story. Karen Charles has two businesses—a global company that trains international teachers to teach American English and an Airbnb on a beautiful bay in Washington State, where she currently resides with her husband. 

Visit her website at www.weaveofsuspense.com. 

Connect with her on X, Facebook and LinkedIn.