Product Description

Having extricated himself from the embarrassment of murdering his lady parishioner, the Rev. Oughterard is now plunged into the traumas of art theft. Forced by the shady Nicholas Ingaza into being a fence for stolen paintings, he endures the investigative probings of terrifying female novelist and amateur sleuth, Maud Tubbly Pole, hell-bent on portraying him in her next novel. Haunted by the recent murder and fearful of exposure in his new role of ‘receiver’, the Reverend blunders haplessly in a mesh of intrigue and risible deceit. As before, his antics are commented upon by his cat, the acidic Maurice, and redoubtable bone-grinding ally, the dog Bouncer.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #418441 in Books
• Published on: 2008-06-26
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

Review
A vicar needs the help of his pets to stay out of prison. Francis Oughterard, the vicar of Molehill, has been tormented by anxiety since he accidentally strangled one of his parishioners (A Load of Old Bones, 2008). He'd be languishing in jail if not for the timely aid of his clever cat Maurice and his playful dog Bouncer, who managed to remove evidence from the crime scene that could have led to their master's arrest. Now, however, he's being gently blackmailed by Nicholas Ingaza, the old college pal who provided his alibi. Nicholas wants the vicar to house some stolen paintings. A comedy of errors ensues as the frantic vicar moves them from the belfry to his sister's house to the church crypt. Things go from bad to worse when one of the paintings turns up at a church fundraiser and is purchased by a parishioner. Fortunately for the vicar, the buyer's love of art is blissfully unaccompanied by any knowledge of art. The ever more nervous vicar tries to get the paintings out of his possession before the police discover that he's involved in a crime yet again. Maurice and Bouncer steal the show in a mildly amusing tale that lacks any real mystery. --Kirkus Reviews

The prose is delicious ... highly recommended. --Mystery Women

About the Author
Suzette A. Hill taught English Literature for many years at Reading College before retiring to Ledbury, Herefordshire.

Customer Reviews

Brilliant!
I bought a copy of "B.I.B" at the Bristol crimefest and gave myself up to a real treat of a read. The follow up to last year's "A Load Of Old Bones" this series is surely going to be numbered among the real classics. Brilliantly well written, the cat, the dog and the vicar all deal with the after-affects of last year's murder mixed in with the theft of valuable paintings. It's such a pleasure to read a funny book which never descends into farce or cynicism but engages us throughout with characters we really care about. It could be twee but never is. The cat's acerbic comments and the dog's loyal if slightly puzzled reflections mixed in with the Vicar's attempt to keep the lid on an impossible situation with an irrepressible Dorothy L.Sayers-type detective novelist make a heady mix. Highly recommended

Back for More Bones
Very eagerly awaited return of Maurice, Bouncer and the Vicar caused consternation in this household as all three generations fought to get at it first! There is so much I want to share with you but just daren't.... it would spoil your fun. That a book can span generations is perhaps enough said, and you have probably already read 'Load of Old Bones' so know that you are in for a real treat. If you like your humour wry and based on sharp observation, this is a MUST read.

The prose is delicious, and I enjoyed every word of it.
This is the second book set in the Surrey village of Moleshill. The Vicar the Reverend Francis Oughterard is still jumpy following the untimely demise of his parishioner Elizabeth Fotherington, but matters have to some extent calmed down, the police like the Arabs have folded their tents and gone away. True he seems to have acquired a dog and a cat, but they don't pose too much of a problem for him. But just when he thinks that he is safe and can get some peace, into his life comes one Maud Tubbly Pole, and her dog Gunga Din. Maud Tubbly Pole is an author who having read about the murder is keen to put FO in her next book.

As if that were not enough for him to contend with, up pops Nicholas Ingaza of shady disposition, who asks FO to look after some paintings which turn out to have been stolen, and so FO finds himself up to his neck in it. Every time he thinks that he has it sorted, it leaps up and bites him on the bum. The Mavis Briggs episode being a perfect example.

The story is told from the points of view of the supercilious Maurice the cat, the irrepressible dog Bouncer, and the Vicar FO.

As well as some well-beloved characters, such as Horace Clinker, the bishop, introduced in this tale is FO's sister Primrose, who has two chinchillas, who don't take to Bouncer.

As as matters spiral out of FO's control, he becomes entangled in intrigue and imposters.

The prose is delicious, and I enjoyed every word of it. Highly recommended.
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Lizzie Hayes