Pagan Spring: A Max Tudor Mystery
Starred Review. Contemporary cozies don&'t get much better than Agatha-winner Malliet&'s third Max Tudor mystery (after 2012&'s A Fatal Winter). A former MI5 agent turned Anglican vicar, Tudor has made a new beginning in the English village of Nether Monkslip, where he&'s been fortunate enough to find the love of his life, Awena Owen, though her religious views quite differ from his own. Tudor once again slips into sleuthing mode after a mysterious death following a dinner honoring playwright and actor Thaddeus Bottle, who recently retired with his wife to Nether Monkslip, his boyhood home. Familiar elements include a polarizing figure whom many wish ill, the planting of red herrings, and a well-clued solution, but Malliet isn&'t content simply to update the golden age template. Between her unusual lead, his love interest, and the other village residents, she&'s created well-thought-out characters who are much more than stereotypes, and has added plenty of wry humor to boot. Agent: Vicky Bijur, Vicky Bijur Literary. (Oct.)