Having read the blurb - this was a present but I would have purchased it anyway - I was a little unsure: medieval settings aren't really my thing (I've read a few books set this far in the past, Ishiguro's The Buried Giant and E. L. Johnson's Wolf's Blood, being the most memorable) but I normally prefer my books more modern - 1900s onwards is fine - so what a shock when I got three or four chapters in.
I won't spoil the surprise (like normal, you'll have to read it to find out what I'm talking about) but there's a very clever twist to this book that I knew nothing about when I starting reading, and it had me speeding through the narrative far quicker than I first thought the subject matter would.
The writing here is, as usual, very good and the characters believable, although I did feel Father Fairfax fell out of love with his church and turned heretic a bit too quickly, but maybe that's just me.
There's been a death in the small Wessex village of Addicott St George, where their priest, Father Lacy has taken a tumble; or was he pushed? And so, send by the local and rather fanatical Bishop from Exeter, Christopher Fairfax arrives in order to wrap up his predecessors affairs but, on arrival he discovers that not all is as it should be.
There has been a theft, what appears to be a woman cohabiting with the deceased - whose vow of chastity now looks in doubt - there are strange artefacts littering the dead man's home, the church is in disarray, as if unused, and there's the stranger who turned up at Father Lacy's funeral, the very same stranger who was seen talking to the priest just before his untimely death.
In a world where God's word is sacrosanct, the church holds power, sows fear and is attended by all, Father Lacy's life, if exposed, could cause shockwaves for the church, so Fairfax must do all he can to smooth things over and find out what the devil's been going on.
The stranger is soon tracked down and saved from incarceration, but his health is poor, so time is of the essence. Along with Fairfax, two local landowner, and a group of labourers, they head for the local landmark, The Devil's Chair, where Father Lacy fell to his death and they soon discover human remains.
The Second Sleep is first and foremost a mystery, but with a good supporting cast Fairfax soon finds himself torn between what might be the discovery of the century, and the truth about the world hidden by his faith and there's intrigue, fear, passion skulduggery and a good dose of humour here too - has anyone ever looked at the Apple symbol and thought of Adam and Eve and original sin? I hadn't, but now, having read The Second Sleep I see it everywhere I look and it makes me chuckle.
Well written, fast paced, intriguing and with a good plot twist (if you're going in blind like I did) this book earns itself a solid four stars and comes recommended.
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