Murder in Advent

Well i have read crime novels where the amateur detective is a retired academic, antique investment fund manager, and even an estranged couple. But in the case of this book by David Williams, the detective is an investment banker who is involved with the church, the superbly named Mark Treasure.

A cathedral which is short of cash is looking to sell it's copy of the Magna Carta. As Treasure is involved with the decision making he heads down to the cathedral town. However, when he gets there he finds there has been a terrible accident. A fire in the library has killed the old verger and destroyed the Magna Carta...

Or is it an accident? Treasure begins to unravel a complicated plot involving forgeries, theft and even incest. The story doesn't really have anything to do with Christmas despite the title, though this is just as well considering the dark crimes that have been committed.

A good read with a plot full of threads. The only thing i didn't like is that not all of the threads were tied up at the end. Some of the characters maybe needed a bit more building up because at times they merged into one and it could get a bit confusing. But otherwise well written.