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Murder Before Evensong: The instant no. 1 Sunday Times bestseller (Canon Clement Mystery) Hardcover – 9 Jun. 2022

4.3 out of 5 stars 1,720 ratings
Editors' pick Hand-selected reads
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THE FIRST NOVEL IN THE REVEREND RICHARD COLES' CANON CELEMENT MYSTERY SERIES

'Cosy crime with a cutting edge'
SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

'Even better than I knew it would be'
INDIA KNIGHT, THE SUNDAY TIMES

'Devotees of Midsomer Murders and Agatha Christie's Miss Marple stories will feel most at home here'
GUARDIAN

'Charming and funny'
OBSERVER, Thriller of the Month

'I've been waiting for a novel with vicars, rude old ladies, murder and sausage dogs ... et voila!'
DAWN FRENCH

'The unlikely heir to Barbara Pym'
DAILY TELEGRAPH

'Whodunnit fans can give praise and rejoice'
IAN RANKIN

'A cunning whodunnit... A sharp but sympathetic portrayal of everyday life in a small community'
DAILY EXPRESS

'You'll want to take a front row pew in Champton while this delicious series unfolds'
JANICE HALLETT

'Coles' murderous take on a quintessentially English parish makes for a likeable, cosy crime caper'
SUNDAY EXPRESS

'Champton joins St Mary Mead and Midsomer in the great atlas of fictional English villages where the crimes are as dastardly as the residents delightful'
DAMIAN BARR


Canon Daniel Clement is Rector of Champton. He has been there for eight years, living at the Rectory alongside his widowed mother - opinionated, fearless, ever-so-slightly annoying Audrey - and his two dachshunds, Cosmo and Hilda.

When Daniel announces a plan to install a lavatory in church, the parish is suddenly (and unexpectedly) divided: as lines are drawn, long-buried secrets come dangerously close to destroying the apparent calm of the village.

And then Anthony Bowness - cousin to Bernard de Floures, patron of Champton - is found dead at the back of the church, stabbed in the neck with a pair of secateurs.

As the police moves in and the bodies start piling up, Daniel is the only one who can try and keep his fractured community together... and catch a killer.

Read more
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  1. Book 1 of 3
    Canon Clement Mysteries
  2. Print length
    368 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Weidenfeld & Nicolson
  5. Publication date
    9 Jun. 2022
  6. Dimensions
    16 x 3.6 x 23.6 cm
  7. ISBN-10
    1474612636
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1474612630
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From the Publisher

Murder Before Evensong, Richard Coles, Cosy Crime, Richard Osman

1474612687

1474612687

1474612687

Murder Before Evensong, Richard Coles, Cosy Crime, Richard Osman

Murder Before Evensong, Richard Coles, Cosy Crime, Richard Osman

Murder Before Evensong, Richard Coles, Cosy Crime, Richard Osman

Richard coles
Murder Before Evensong
A Death in the Parish
Murder at the Monastery
Murder Under the Mistletoe: A Canon Clement Christmas Novella
Customer Reviews
4.3 out of 5 stars 1,720
4.2 out of 5 stars 7,016
4.0 out of 5 stars 4,212
4.2 out of 5 stars 1,776
Price £6.00 £9.96 £9.20 £12.73
Discover the Bestselling Canon Clement Series Welcome to Champion. Where the flower show is the talk of the village . . . and the company is murder. Noisy neighbours, meddling mothers, a mysterious murder to solve .... Back at Champton, Daniel is the subject of village gossip, his mother is up to something again, there's trouble at the dress shop and the puppies are running riot. Can Daniel solve the mystery? Family, friends, feasting and murder under the mistletoe...

Product description

Review

I've been waiting for a novel with vicars, rude old ladies, murder and sausage dogs ... et voila!

― Dawn French

The Reverend Richard Coles gives us a serpent in England's pastoral Eden - and whodunit fans can give praise and rejoice. ― Ian Rankin

Cosy and charming, Murder Before Evensong is less about the shock and gore of murder than its ripple effect on a small, close-knit community. Devotees of Midsomer Murders and Agatha Christie's Miss Marple stories will feel most at home here. -- Fiona Sturges ― GUARDIAN, Audiobook of the week review Published On: 2022-12-10

Britain's favourite vicar might be hanging up the dog collar, but in Murder Before Evensong he proves to be the unlikely heir to Barbara Pym...
Coles is free here to unleash a splendidly caustic wit on those parishioners who deserve it... as Daniel locks horns with his flock over the matter of whether the vintage pews in St Mary's can be moved to make way for a new lavatory, Coles rivals Barbara Pym in his ability to make supremely low-stake conflict gripping... Like all the best cosy mysteries, this is comforting but not anodyne. And the style suits the content perfectly: wonderfully feline when it comes to jokes, but moving easily to unselfconscious wisdom when required. Auden would have admired this novel for meeting his requirements for the classical detective story: but he might also have recognised Coles as being, at his best, a fellow artist with words.

-- Jake Kerridge ― THE DAILY TELEGRAPH Published On: 2022-05-28

Even better than I knew it would be. Really well plotted... beautifully written, charming without being twee, funny, intelligent and mordant too. It's cosy, yes, but waaay better than "cosy crime" suggests. -- India Knight ― SUNDAY TIMES Published On: 2022-06-26

Murder Before Evensong is like a walk in the country on a warm summer's evening... one during which your fellow ramblers can be murdered horribly at any moment. Canon Daniel Clement is an inscrutable and erudite detective, while four-legged sidekicks Hilda and Cosmo are his delightful foils. You'll want to take a front row pew in Champton while this delicious series unfolds. ― Janice Hallett, author of The Appeal

An absolute joy from cover to cover - funny, clever and wonderfully plotted. Praise be! ― Adam Kay

Beautifully written and a warm funny joy from start to finish. ― Sarah Millican

Perfect for those who like their cosy crime to have a cutting edge. ― Ben Aaronovitch

Glorious. ― Robert Webb

Champton joins St Mary Mead and Midsomer in the great atlas of fictional English villages where the crimes are as dastardly as the residents delightful. Canon Daniel Clement must solve mysteries temporal and theological while surviving his parishioners tender ministries. Delightful! And only Richard Coles could pull this off so joyfully and with such style. Biscuit-thieving Cosmo, too, will soon have his own fan club. ― Damian Barr

Coles has a gift for subtle comic writing... beyond the fascinating story with its rich characters, the real discovery here is the sniffing out of the author's formidable talent for writing about English life with English humour. Roll on the rest of the series! -- The Reverend Jonathan Aitken ― THE OLDIE Published On: 2022-06-07

Coles does a wonderful job of bringing his congregation to life... [and] moves seamlessly between humour and something deeper... Charming and funny, it is just what you'd expect from the excellent Coles. -- Alison Flood ― THE OBSERVER, Thriller of the Month Published On: 2022-06-12

Coles' murderous take on a quintessentially English parish makes for a likeable, cosy crime caper. -- Jon Coates ― SUNDAY EXPRESS Published On: 2022-06-05

Cosy crime with a cutting edge. ― SUNDAY TELEGRAPH Published On: 2022-06-05

A good old page-turner with brilliantly drawn characters, from the aristocratic de Floures to Daniel's astute, snobbish mother, and dachshunds so real you can almost smell them. -- Rose Shepherd ― SAGA, Book of the Month Published On: 2022-06-01

[A] cunning whodunnit... This wise and often beautifully written novel remains most memorable as a sharp but sympathetic portrayal of everyday life in a small community and a clergyman's role within it. -- Jake Kerridge ― DAILY EXPRESS Published On: 2022-06-03

Richard Coles is one of the most sparkling, entertaining, clever and lovable people in public life, as rare and precious to British culture as a Norman cathedral. ― Victoria Coren Mitchell

Murder Before Evensong has all the elements that make up a classic detective story: a pitch-perfect setting, a genuine puzzle, a gruesome murder (or more) and engaging characters. I enjoyed it very much. ― Philip Pullman

Coles' rendering of his fictional church, St Mary's, in the village of Champton, twinkles with quirky detail and sharp humour. -- Paul Connolly ― METRO Published On: 2022-05-30

A wry, tongue-in cheek and whimsical debut with more than a trace of G. K. Chesterton's Father Brown... charming. -- Geoffrey Wansell ― DAILY MAIL Published On: 2022-06-10

Violent deaths aside, it's a cosy world of Desert Island Discs, flower rotas and walnut cakes, beautifully written and evocative, run through with the comforting, ancient liturgical rhythms that transport you to Evensong and gentle organ music in a cool country church on a summer's evening. -- Kate Green ― COUNTRY LIFE Published On: 2022-06-01

This has all the ingredients of a brilliant new cosy crime series. -- Susan Watson ― MY WEEKLY Published On: 2022-06-11

A brilliant crime romp set in a village full of gossip and secrets. -- Zoe West ― WOMAN'S WEEKLY Published On: 2022-06-21

A deliciously thrilling murder mystery. -- Susan Watson ― WOMAN'S WEEKLY SUMMER SPECIAL

He's very good on the nitty-gritty of a clergyman's life. His likable protagonist Canon Daniel Clement's struggle to get parishioners to accept the installation of a new church toilet is every bit as gripping as his investigation of the inevitable series of mystifying murders. -- John Williams ― MAIL ON SUNDAY Published On: 2022-06-19

Coles is a sharp observer of human nature, but his observations are tempered with both humour and compassion, and much of the pleasure in the book lies in the incidental asides. -- CAROLINE CHARTRES ― CHURCH TIMES Published On: 2022-06-17

Coles adds another string to his bow with this witty, Barbara Pym-ish village whodunnit about a crime-solving cleric. ― THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, Best Holiday Reads Published On: 2022-07-09

About the Author

Richard Coles is a writer, broadcaster and an Anglican priest. He co-presents Saturday Live on BBC Radio 4 and appears, from time to time, on QI, Have I Got News For You, and Would I Lie To You? He has won Christmas Masterchef, Celebrity Mastermind twice, and captained Leeds to victory in Christmas University Challenge in 2019. A contestant on Strictly Come Dancing in 2017, he scored a lamentably low mark for a Paso Doble. He writes regularly for the Sunday Times, and is the author of half a dozen books, including a bestselling autobiography, Fathomless Riches, and the bereavement bestseller The Madness of Grief, after the death of his partner, David Coles. Murder Before Evensong, the first book in the Canon Clement Mystery series, was an instant number 1 Sunday Times bestseller. Richard is Patron of Greatwell Homes, a Housing Association providing social and affordable housing in east Northants, and is Chancellor of the University of Northampton.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Weidenfeld & Nicolson
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 9 Jun. 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1474612636
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1474612630
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 596 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 16 x 3.6 x 23.6 cm
  • Book 1 of 3 ‏ : ‎ Canon Clement Mysteries
  • Best Sellers Rank: 46,407 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 1,720 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
1,720 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book well-written and good value for money, with interesting characters and a nice cozy murder mystery plot. However, the pacing receives negative feedback, with customers describing it as slow and overly convoluted. Moreover, opinions are divided on the humor, with some finding it funny while others say it's not funny at all.

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Writing qualityValue for moneyReadabilityCharacter varietyPlot qualityCrime levelHumorPacing
23 customers mention ‘Writing quality’21 positive2 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, describing it as brilliant and witty, with one customer noting its tight prose.

"...I thought this was a well written and charming study of life in a fictional Parish and will definitely read the next in the series...." Read more

"This has been fantastically written and read by Richard Cole. I’ve now read two of his books. They are very good at painting a picture with words" Read more

"What a well written book. Yes there are religious references, but it doesn't preach...." Read more

"Brilliantly written, of course." Read more

9 customers mention ‘Value for money’8 positive1 negative

Customers find the book offers good value for money.

"Good value and prompt delivery service" Read more

"Good product at reasonable price and speedy delivery." Read more

"Good read,worth buying" Read more

"Good value for money" Read more

86 customers mention ‘Readability’59 positive27 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's readability, with some finding it a pleasant and enjoyable read, particularly as a holiday book, while others describe it as boring.

"It was an enjoyable read with Rev Richard Coles personality coming out..it felt that he was reading the story to you" Read more

"Good read,worth buying" Read more

"I am a fan of murder mysteries but this was rather odd and boring....not a patch on Ellie Griffiths for example." Read more

"Ordered for my daughter, a trilogy book, she says fantastic read, story so well written, full off red herrings and the plot, brilliant" Read more

34 customers mention ‘Character variety’12 positive22 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character variety in the book, with some finding them interesting while others note that many characters are badly drawn.

"...there are too many characters which do not get an adequate introduction to the story. the language is also unnecessarily pompous, would not recommend" Read more

"Another great tale from Richard Coles, I love these book. Such believable characters love them." Read more

"...The plot was ridiculous and no depth to the characters...." Read more

"...on Twitter but confusing plot that doesn't make any sense, uninteresting characters (kept thinking who is that again) which are not explained,..." Read more

32 customers mention ‘Plot quality’19 positive13 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the plot of the book, with some finding it good while others say it's not quite there.

"Just my sort of novel. Easy to read, some humour and a plot. What more could you want?" Read more

"...The plot was ridiculous and no depth to the characters...." Read more

"...I was very pleasantly surprised. The writing was excellent; good plot, quirky characters and a particularly intriguing denouement...." Read more

"...Far too much detail, too many characters etc and very little actual plot. I’m not sure what it’s trying to be really...." Read more

13 customers mention ‘Crime level’8 positive5 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the crime level of the book, with some enjoying it as a nice cozy murder mystery, while others find it unforgivable.

"...would recommended Rev Richard Coles' books to any one who loves a good mystery, in the same vein as Miss Marple and Midsomer Murders, with whih..." Read more

"...lambed, the map is worse than useless by omissions, and, unforgivable in a murder mystery, one character who has supposedly not seen the body nor..." Read more

"Well written, good murder mystery. Very good." Read more

"...I thought this was a well written and charming study of life in a fictional Parish and will definitely read the next in the series...." Read more

12 customers mention ‘Humor’8 positive4 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the humor in the book, with some finding it funny while others say it's not funny at all.

"...Now I’m reading it and loving it too. Richard Coles has included humour and a sense of identity in this novel. Can wait for the next one." Read more

"...But it didn't. Boring, badly written, and not funny at all. we was so pleased when it ended...." Read more

"Richard Coles is the most delightful man, funny, talented, kind, and the book he has written reflects all of this...." Read more

"Richard Coles writes very well (just as he speaks) with wit, humanity and keen observation and understanding of people’s faults and foibles...." Read more

24 customers mention ‘Pacing’5 positive19 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book slow and overly convoluted, with too many pointless scenes and chapters.

"...It it a quick read or boring. Such a slow book nothing happened by chapter 8 so gave up" Read more

"Such a shame. Convoluted, bored, not showing the real genius of the author. Was on pre-order. First and last" Read more

"...However I found this book slow, dull and full of cliches. Disappointing I thought it was going to be more challenging or edgy." Read more

"I loved the charactors and the setting. I've now pre-ordered the next book. I usually read much sterner books...." Read more

Cover damaged
3 out of 5 stars
Cover damaged
Great service but the cover has what looks and feels like glue all down the right hand side. As this is a present I feel like it will have to be sent back.
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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Just a Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Run out of Midsummer Murders? drive north a county or two!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 June 2023
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    A well crafted ‘cosy’ pitched between Trollope, Chesterton and Caroline Graham. The story flows while nailing the characters without over descriptive character development. There is enough Latin and ecclesiastical terms to be relevant to the churched - not enough to be a stumbling block for others. There is an abundance of story based on well observed humanity. Richard Coles knows his county - the English Civil War boundaries do still stand 400+ years later!
    It’s set in 1988 (another year of Luton Town footballing accomplishment) - a time when even the ‘spare son’ of the landed gentry couldn’t afford to be open about his lasting love affair with another man. But more corrosive was the shame of previous generations born out of marriage and wartime secrets.
    Woven in, seamlessly, are themes of past sins revealing themselves, offence and murder, how the smaller losses of the present may rekindle heartbreaking losses of the past, justice and mercy, forgiveness and coming to a shared peace after such turmoil.
    Fr Daniel’s formidable mother, actor brother and growing friendship with the Detective Sergeant form a solid based for the Rector’s crime solving observations.
    Great holiday reading. As bed time reading, beware the “just one more chapter” trap - you’ll enjoyably read into the early hours.
    17 people found this helpful
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  • S R Mainwaring
    5.0 out of 5 stars Murder and Mayhem in middle England
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 October 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Alerted by a dear friend who was, at the time, reading the third novel in the series but had not read the first two! As i am particularly fond of mysteries and had heard that this was to be made into a series I took a chance and bought the paperback.
    I was very pleasantly surprised. The writing was excellent; good plot, quirky characters and a particularly intriguing denouement. Found the details regarding the Church's hierarchical set-up informative.
    So thoroughly did I enjoy this book that I bought the second in the series, borrowed the third from my friend and am now eagerly awaiting the fourth once they've finished with it!
    Definitely would recommended Rev Richard Coles' books to any one who loves a good mystery, in the same vein as Miss Marple and Midsomer Murders, with whih these have been favourably compared. t
    One person found this helpful
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  • SomeChickInNorthernIreland
    4.0 out of 5 stars It’s a good story but it made me google words
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 May 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I always keep seeing these books about the place so I decided to dive into the series and I loved it, I liked the characters and the setting.
    I do find that there were times that the story did get a bit slow, I also kind of hoped there would be more sleuthing, I was still interested though and I did get a good laugh here and there.
    It did make me google words that I haven’t seen before, it’s a fun little time capsule
    Going to jump to the next book now to see where it goes
    One person found this helpful
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  • clanless
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not my cup of tea with a slice of walnut cake
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 September 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Apologies to Father Coles but I can only give this book 3 stars. There are too many characters - which makes it difficult to keep track of them all. The first murder takes place nearly halfway through the book - up until this point it is all background reading. There aren't enough 'red herrings' to lead the reader to draw their own conclusion as to the murderer's identity..
    Helpful
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  • suzanne blackshaw
    5.0 out of 5 stars Book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 November 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Pleased with my purchase
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  • lyn
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 November 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Great read
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  • Elaine Hector
    5.0 out of 5 stars More tea vicar lol
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 November 2025
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    This arrived in good order. The postal company delivered to me directly. Great item
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  • Jim J-R
    4.0 out of 5 stars Jolly good, but suffered from complexity
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 July 2022
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Rev Richard Coles adds mystery novelist to his annoyingly long list of talents with this tale of a crime solving rector in a village church in the late 1980s.

    The world building is rich and really fun - setting up the village with the classic set of characters, getting fascinating insights into the life of a CofE rector, and seeing all the little conflicts that arise.

    However for the actual plot I felt that the book suffered from having too many characters. There were a lot of suspects and I found it quite hard to keep track of who each one was, how they related to all the others, and thus couldn’t follow the mystery as well as I would have liked.

    This of course will in no way prevent me from reading book two next year.
    6 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Kevin Patrick Kennedy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Debut Novel
    Reviewed in Spain on 14 July 2022
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Really good read for a debut novel! Full of interest right through to the end.
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  • gloria
    4.0 out of 5 stars 4 stelle con un ma
    Reviewed in Italy on 28 July 2024
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Il Rev.Coles possiede uno stile arguto e sottile .Il romanzo va letto con calma se non si è madrelingua e forse manca un poco di suspense e di tensione narrativa.
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  • Mourning Butterfly
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
    Reviewed in the United States on 13 April 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Very well done. The characters were fully developed. The pace of the book held my attention and I never imagined that the person who turned out to be the killer could possibly have been the killer. This was a complete surprise. I am going to read the next book in the series. I found the humor to be appropriate and entertaining.
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  • Alistair Owen
    4.0 out of 5 stars A nice cosy murder mystery
    Reviewed in Germany on 9 April 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Those who are fans of the "Father Brown" series written by G.K. Chesterton will be delighted to hear that Catholic Father Brown has now got an Anglican counterpart, the Reverend Daniel Clement. Set in 1988, the story is a classical whodunnit that comes with the additional benefit of a fine portrayal of Thatcher's UK and its society. The story is the more credible as it is written by an Anglican priest -- which sometimes makes me wonder about the "helper syndrome", when people in such professions (priests, social workers, psychologists) seem to show quite a mocking if not unnerved stance towards their flock. Clement's views of the parishioners are often less than flattering. And the reader wonders whether that also applies to the author, the Reverend Richard Coles. Apart from the complex plot and the nice satire regarding typical English stock characters, the many verbal acrobatics are particularly ingenious that reveal a really comic side to the narrating. A fun read to the attentive consumer of "ecclesiastical murder mysteries".
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  • jasmin d'été
    2.0 out of 5 stars très dificile à accrocher
    Reviewed in France on 23 January 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Je suis fan de toutes les séries cozy et j'en ai lu des centaines de livres en anglais sur ce thème. Mais là ...franchement j'ai déclaré forfait ! J'ai essayé" par 3 fois de recommencer mais c'est confus , c'est vraiment très détaillé sur les coulisses des églises en revanche sur le coté cozy rien du tout . J'ai mis 2 étoiles parce que j'ai vu qu''il y avait des commentaires positifs des anglais ....
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