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The Remains of an Altar (Merrily Watkins Mystery)
 
 

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The Remains of an Altar (Merrily Watkins Mystery) (Hardcover)

by Phil Rickman (Author)
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
RRP: £14.99
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The Remains of an Altar (Merrily Watkins Mystery) + The Fabric of Sin: A Merrily Watkins Mystery (Merrily Watkins Mysteries) + To Dream of the Dead (Merrily Watkins 10) (Merrily Watkins Mysteries)
Price For All Three: £24.50

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 544 pages
  • Publisher: Quercus Publishing Plc (5 Oct 2006)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1905204515
  • ISBN-13: 978-1905204519
  • Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16.2 x 4.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 280,865 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Review

'Compassionate, original and sharply contemporary, Rickman's crime series is one of the best around.' The Spectator 'This is no rural paradise, but a setting for an uneasy mix of embittered farmers, escapees from the city and a local pub with a reputation for drug dealing It's probably his best book.' Sunday Telegraph 'Crime fiction lovers who like their stories with a quirky twist need look no further.' Yorkshire Evening Post


Sunday Telegraph

...It's probably his best book
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The Remains of an Altar (Merrily Watkins Mystery)
62% buy the item featured on this page:
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Customer Reviews

28 Reviews
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3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (4)
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 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.1 out of 5 stars (28 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Never read a bad book by Rickman, 19 Oct 2006
By Kathryn B. Macalister (Richmond, VA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
That's the truth--I've never read a bad book by Phil Rickman, even when he was writing traditional horror stories. Since he's started the Merrily Watkins mystery series, the books get better and better. This one starts slowly, builds up tension, and ends with a stunning climax. There is a supernatural element for those who like it and an engrossing mystery, but the book is essentially character-driven, with the spirit of Edward Elgar tying everything together.
Mr. Rickman's ability to weave earth magic, the possibility of a ghost, the difficulty of faith, and the concreteness of daily life is masterful.
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Still top of his game, 26 Oct 2006
It's very difficult to find anything to fault with the Merrily series, and it's impressive that Phil seems to be able to maintain the character-driven intensity of his protaganists so far into the run. Merrily, Jane and Lol are stunningly three dimensional, and, coupled with Phil Rickman's unmatched dialogue, they are brought into the "high definition", making their lives, loves and fears all the more vivid.

Remains of an Altar probably won't surprise any fan of the series, but is also rich and accessible to newcomers (those from "off"). Those wishing for the Celtic goth-horror of the earler novels will be disappointed. Instead, Phil Rickman treats us to a little light around the edges of the door, a muslim shroud of the unexplained which is far more unsettling for its lack of definition and it's everyday nature. Again, the story is rich in geographical and historical detail, but rather than paint a gold-tinted haywain a la Constable, this book in particular pays close attention to the rawness of country life, and the brutal elements lurking within the summer hills like worms in cider apples.

Highly recommended
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Hills Are Alive..........., 15 Oct 2006
By Terry Smith (Burntwood England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
the latest in the Merrily Watkins series is primarily set in around the Malvern Hills where allegedly paranormal normal happenings - a ghostly bike rider seemingly causing drivers to have accidents - and more secular problemss - a local pub has become a venue for music and perhaps other nefarious goings-on. Merrily, comes in to investigate the sightings of the bike rider and finds herself embroiled in local discord, a local vicar who let's her face the situation on her own - and a local composer/choir master and Elgar fanatasist. Meanwhile, back in Ledwardine Jane, Eirion, Lol and Gomer are up against a County Councillor involved in the proposed building of new houses in a local field that may or may not have spiritual significence for the village. As usual, you can rely on Phil Rickman to weave a tale that slowly draws you in and then ensnares you. His use of narrative to make characters real is second to none. For regular readers the themes found in previous books are at the forefront of this novel and they wont be disappointed!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Rickman Goodie
So much has already been written on the plot of this that I won't bore anyone by repeating it.
Rickman is a rare treat as he always comes up with the goods and this book is... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Readalot

5.0 out of 5 stars And the sky is still there as well
It's been a constant in the Merrily Watkins series, unlike some of Mr Rickman's other excellent books, that the supernatural elements take place largely in the background of... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Zander Nyrond

2.0 out of 5 stars Worst Merrily Yet
This is the worst Merrily mystery I've read. All the previous ones have had solid supernatural / exorcism content which made them interesting. This one had zero. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Harsh Critic

5.0 out of 5 stars Another classic enhanced by the reader
Well done, Mr Rickman. Yet another gripping tale.

This time I would also like to compliment the reader, Julie Maisey. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Ms. Catherine Hamilton

2.0 out of 5 stars Time to give Merrily a holiday......
I am a huge fan of Phil Rickman and have enjoyed the Merrily Watkins series of books, but this was dull stuff. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Celtia

3.0 out of 5 stars A sort of contrived book.
I'm usually a bit of a fan of Phil Rickman and his crime fighting diocesan exorcist Merrily Watkins, but I couldn't get into his most recent book, "The Remains of an Altar,"... Read more
Published 23 months ago by J. Bowen

2.0 out of 5 stars Didn't like it
I'm with the naysayers on this one I'm afraid. I loved the Ledwardine series- haunting, elegaic and with characters you really cared about, from the off. Even 'Smile... Read more
Published on 1 Nov 2007 by Kevin Pork

4.0 out of 5 stars Another great book from Phil Rickman
Another great book from Phil Rickman following the Deliverance Minister, Merrily Watkins. This one focuses on ley lines and Edward Elgar, and involves the usual crowd in addition... Read more
Published on 28 Oct 2007 by S. Price

3.0 out of 5 stars good but not great
I've been a Rickman fan since Cure of Souls. I thought he hit a peak with Lamp of the Wicked and Smile of a Ghost. Read more
Published on 8 Aug 2007 by N. Graham

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Chapter
The latest book in the continuing saga of Merrily Watkins, Vicar of Lewdardine and Deliverance Consultant to the Diocese of Hereford, may very well be one of the best. Read more
Published on 11 Jun 2007 by Rob Wilder

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