Snares of the Enemy: A Novel of Murder in a Monastery

The tradition, order and tranquility of Ambelhurst, a large boys' school in England run by monks, is disrupted when the body of the housekeeper is found within the cloister walls. Before Inspector Evan Morgan, a devout Methodist with an inbred distrust of papish practices, can close the case, another murder is committed. With warmly depicted charactersthe individual, intelligent and often eccentric monks, the household staff, the villagers and the irrepressible boysAmbelhurst is a beautiful setting, lovingly evoked, in which violence and hatred are particularly vivid. And the real story in this well-plotted, if a bit obvious, first mystery is the interplay between the admirable Morgan and the estimable monks. Psychology and theology play rather large roles in the narrative's resolution, and the novel's spirit of generosity and intelligence encourage hope for an Ambelhurst sequel. (March 27)