The Reaper

Peter Lovesey

Formats & Editions

Otis Joy is a very good vicar - he attracts record-breaking congregations, is admired and respected by all, and the village of Foxford is delighted to have him. What the citizens of Foxford don't realise, though, is that their beloved parish priest is a murderer.

When the bishop gets suspicious of Joy's channelling of church funds into his own bank account, Joy kills him - after all, such a trifling misdemeanour should not prevent him from carrying out his duties. However, this isn't the first time he's despatched 'busy-bodies' and rumours are beginning to circulate. So when the husband of his new treasurer is found dead, perhaps he's taken one life too many . . .

Peter Lovesey amply demonstrates that he is the acknowledged master of the whodunnit in this deliciously complicated and satisfying mystery.

Read More

Praise for The Reaper

  • A mystery lover's dream - Mail on SundayOtis is a wonderful creation . . . The plotting is devilish, the writing a pleasure - Sunday TimesFeatures one of the finest creations in crime fiction - the unforgettable Otis Joy . . . Lovesey tells an almost Trollopian tale, satisfyingly complex and suspenseful but with wonderfully amusing insights into English village life - Daily MailThe flavour here is part Patricia Highsmith in her Ripley series and part Ealing comedy . . . It's a hard act to pull off - tone is everything - and Lovesey is a master practitioner - Washington PostIf you've never read any of his 20-plus books this wickedly clever, beautifully written story of a murderous clergyman who earns our sympathy while dramatically whittling down his flock should make you an instant convert - Chicago TribuneLovesey is such a master of black humour and macabre plot twists that the attitudes of Foxford's parishioners are no more predictable than Otis's outrageous behaviour . . . In this author's unorthodox church, there must be a pew for Patricia Highsmith - New York Times Book Review

Read More
Peter Lovesey

Peter Lovesey

Born in Middlesex In 1936, Peter Lovesey was the author of 43 novels and seven collections of short stories. He is best known for his eight Victorian crime novels featuring Seargent Cribb and his flagship Peter Diamond series, which began with his Antony-award winning novel, The Last Detective, in 1991. Lovesey was the recipient of numerous awards over his lifetime, including the CWA Silver Dagger, multiple Macavity and Antony awards. He was one of a select number of writers to have been awarded both the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Special Edgar and the Crime Writers' Association's Cartier Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement. He died in 2025 at the age of 88.

More about Peter Lovesey

Related books