The Prayer of the Night Shepherd (Merrily Watkins Mysteries Bo...

The sixth Merrily Watkins mystery finds her daughter embarking on a first job, and running into a dark local legendA crumbling hotel on the border of England and Wales, a suggestion of inherited evil, a strange love affair, and the long-disputed origins of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles. Fascinating for young Jane Watkins, flushed by the freedom of her first weekend job. But the sinister side becomes increasingly apparent to her mother, Merrily, diocesan exorcist for Hereford. Then come memories of a child-killer, blood in the fresh snow.

From Publishers Weekly

When unemployed TV producer Ben Foley discovers that running murder-mystery weekends at Stanner Hall, an old Herefordshire mansion turned hotel he’s purchased, isn’t as profitable as he anticipated, he determines to prove his theory that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had in mind a tale from the Welsh border region, not Devon, for the background to The Hound of the Baskervilles. In British author Rickman’s chilling fifth entry in his occult crime series (The Lamp of the Wicked, etc.) featuring Merrily Watkins, the single mom, Anglican priest and exorcist gets involved in sinister doings rooted in actual legend, as the author explains in his afterword. Merrily’s independent 17-year-old daughter, Jane, takes a job with the hotel and enthusiastically supports Foley’s plans, until the local legend of a black dog that foreshadows death becomes all too real. A pre-Christmas snowstorm provides a shivering backdrop to events at Stanner Hall that lead Merrily, boyfriend Lol Robinson and Jane into a night none of them will forget. Human greed and evil, plus the healing properties of faith, combine to create a fascinating and fast-paced read. Sherlock Holmes fans, especially members of the Baker Street Irregulars, will be intrigued by an organization called "The Baker Street League."Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From the Publisher

At Stanner Hall, a Victorian mansion–turned–hotel, Ben Foley, unemployed TV producer, hosts unprofitable murder–mystery weekends and nurtures his dream—to prove that Stanner Hall is the house on which Arthur Conan Doyle based his immortal Baskerville Hall. It’s a local tradition that the origins of The Hounds of the Baskervilles lie not in Dartmoor, but in the Herfordshire legend of a black dog foreshadowing death. Young Jane Watkins, whose first weekend job is at the hotel, is intrigued. But Jane’s mother, the Reverend Merrily Watkins, Deliverance Consultant to the Diocese of Hereford, is unhappy when she learns how Ben Foley proposes to prove his theory. As the days shorten and the weather worsens, Foley’s dabbling uncovers more than he can handle. For the history of Stanner Hall is linked not only to the Victorian fascination with spiritualism and the legacy of a terrifying medieval exorcism—but with a chain of death that is far from fictional.

From AudioFile

Phil Rickman profiles Ben Foley, who lives on the Welsh border. Foley is trying to prove that Arthur Conan Doyle got his inspiration for THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES there, rather than on the moors of England. His belief draws all sorts of theorists and eccentrics; mysticism, superstition, and folklore also abound. Narrator Emma Powell masterfully distinguishes each character, her best being Merrily Watkins, exorcist for the Diocese of Hereford, and her endearing young daughter, Jane. The tale is full of fascinating storytellers who touch on spiritualists, child killers, and Sherlockiana, all expertly retold by Powell. This atmospheric gem is perfect for mystery and horror buffs, as well as those who enjoy superior writing and narration. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

About the Author

Phil Rickman has won awards for his TV and radio journalism. After five acclaimed novels, he introduced a new fascinating spiritual procedural mystery series, starring the Reverent Merrily Watkins, a single mother and Anglican priest. Phil is married and lives on the Welsh Border.

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