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The Fever of the World: Merrily Watkins is back, in this chilling and transfixing mystery (Merrily Watkins Series Book 16)

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And when he died in an accident, he left a daughter behind. A single mother, Watkins, who was also a priest, thought she would find solace in Ledwardine. Determined to steer clear of the lights and sounds of life in the big city, Ledwardine promised Watkins a peaceful and quiet existence. Lol Robinson, Huw Owen and DI Franny Bliss all have sufficient roles in this novel to satisfy their fans, as does Gomer Parry, who experiences some of the tragedy too close to home for him to be forgiving. She will become the new Deliverance Minister, a term that was created to give her position a less frightening air. Jane, her daughter, doesn’t approve of her new job. Also fun, but even sillier, is World of Weird (Channel 4), in which reporters and comedians scour the planet in search of OMGs. Kind of Louis Theroux but without any proper exploration or insight. Louis lite, then.

I really liked the atmosphere of the setting. It was dark and foreboding. I doubt I'll ever think of an apple orchard in quite the same way again. The meld of Paganism and Christianity added to the atmosphere. Phil’s Merrily series is being produced into a TV series thanks to a partnership between ITV and SKY. This series has a total of 12 books which will all be produced if the first pilot project goes well. The Wine of Angels, the first book in the series, is about a single mother who is a parish priest in the late thirties. The priestess is strict about what she wants done and not to be done. She walks into a dispute over a play about the seventeenth-century where a clergy is accused of witchcraft which leads her to trouble. Merrily finds herself struggling with her own past and the effect the new vicarage has upon her haunting her dreams. Her daughter has her own struggles to fit in and becomes friendly with a local woman Lucy Devenish who knows a great deal about the historical significance of the orchard. I often felt as if I was reading a combination of Henry James and Jane Austen (neither of whom I enjoy), but if you do you might enjoy this book. There are some intriguing landmarks and myths in the novel, as ever with a supernatural flavour and this time a druidic element. Alfred Watkins makes a welcome return too.

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Jane works alongside an assortment of quirky characters to make Watkins’ life harder than it needs to be. Note that this was written in the 90s and there are a few small politically incorrect moments, but nothing to flip out about. Anthea White batting for the side of light for her little clergyperson and condescending that perhaps a blessing would not cause offense. Bravo ITV, I cannot remember the last time I saw a new drama from ITV that was even remotely creepy or as dark as this.

O'Donovan, Gerard (23 September 2015). "Midwinter of the Spirit, episode one, review: 'gripping' ". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235 . Retrieved 3 October 2019. This is number 5 in the series and the characters are developing and growing. A lot has happened in the village of Ledwardine and its environs in the year or so since Rev Merrily Watkins arrived! It's the sort of place you may not want to move to, a bit like Midsomer!! In fact this series could probably be made into a TV series, although I hope they would do it justice, and some of the grisly scenes may not be ideal for daytime viewing! So I am trying to figure why people like this series. I am guessing they like the English countryside life stuff, which I do not. (No Downton Abbey for me.) I would rather read Stephen King. If you don't like King, you might like this book. The series focuses on Merrily Watkins, a pretty, middle aged deliverance minister for the diocese of Hereford-shire and the Church of England. Deliverance is merely a diplomatic term that hides her true vocation – she is the church sponsored exorcist, the only female one in a long time. A single mother, she spends most of her time engaged in verbal jousts with her daughter Jane and brooding over her love affair with an ageing musician with severe agoraphobia – Lol Robinson – while juggling her night job – offering spiritual succor to the residents of a countryside that hides several legends (some not so pleasant) under its innocent green facade. It all becomes clear right at the end of the book, and incidental characters who you may not really think much about, or wonder why they are there, come into their own at the end. They are all there for a reason it seems.Merrily's daughter Jane still comes across as a stronger character... tho then suddenly vulnerable while intoxicated, and again the women are weaker/weakened 😕😬 This story is what I call a slow burn. The intensity of the story starts off gradually and builds to a crescendo. Think Ravel's Bolero. In fact, I think I will listen to the 17 minute clip of it on YouTube while I write this review. It will probably take me that long to write it. Where next for Merrily: she is cut adrift and vulnerable. She is clinging by a thread, but sometimes that is enough. Perhaps the woman needs a glimpse of good fortune. How much lower can she be taken? and reminded me how little of my time I spend reading fiction that's aimed at a more conventional and/or mainstream readership.

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