In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming is my December selection. I first heard of Julia Spencer- Fleming and her Rev. Clare Ferguson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery series from Annette Dashofy (the best-selling author of the Zoe Chambers Mystery series).
In the Bleak Midwinter is the first novel in the series. Clare Ferguson is an ex-Army helicopter pilot and a recently ordained Episcopal priest assigned to Millers Kill in upstate New York. Russ Van Alstyne was an Army MP before returning to his hometown to become the chief of police. He and his wife Linda have been married for 16 years. They have no children and have reached the point in their marriage where they have become comfortable – maybe too comfortable. Linda is used to his irregular hours and the demands of his job. Her drapery business keeps her occupied.
While trying to settle into her duties as the first female priest at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, she finds an abandoned newborn baby on the rectory doorstep. Russ and Clare’s paths cross at the hospital as they wait to find out the condition of the abandoned baby. Luckily, the little boy identified in a note as Cody is unharmed despite being left outside on a cold December evening. The note requests that Cody be adopted by a childless couple in the parish, Geoffrey, and Karen Burns. Clare is ready to assist the Burnses in any way she can, but Russ wants to find the parents of the infant to make sure they are giving up their child voluntarily.
When the body of a young woman is found, her autopsy reveals she has recently given birth. Russ believes she may have been killed to prevent her from keeping her baby. He immediately suspects the Burnses. Clare disagrees and they butt heads over the case. Clare risks the rath of her church’s vestry committee by allowing Russ and his deputies to show photos of the dead woman after Sunday service to help identify her. A young parishioner recognizes the woman as Katie McWhorter, a recent graduate of the local high school who is supposed to be away at college. Russ looks for a link between Katie and the Burnses while trying to find the baby’s father who could be the killer or another victim.
Strangely enough, the more they spar, the more they begin to get along and work together. Russ is attracted to her kindness and no-nonsense demeanor and amused by her total lack of preparation for an upstate winter in the Adirondacks – ankle length suede boots, a leather bomber jacket and a convertible sports car are hardly suitable. Clare feels a special affinity for Russ’ military background and his commitment to duty.
When Clare gets too close to the truth, the killer sends her on a wild goose chase in the Adirondacks that could be deadly. Will Russ find her in time, or will her Army survival training save the day? No spoiler alerts here, you’ll have to read the book and find out.
Spencer-Fleming weaves a tight story full of suspense and peppered with relatable characters. The attraction between Clare and Russ builds slowly and seems natural. Spencer-Fleming handles their relationship with compassion and tact. Because Russ is married, they never cross the line though they come close. I will definitely read the next book and the series to see just how Clare and Russ maintain their friendship and their working relationship. Can Clare and Russ be friends and colleagues without becoming romantically involved?
Julia Spencer-Fleming was born in Plattsburgh, New York and lives in Buxton, Maine. She has degrees from Ithaca College, George Washington University, and the University of Maine School of Law. There are currently nine books in the Rev. Clare Ferguson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery series. Spencer Ferguson won an Agatha Award in 2002 and an Anthony Award, a Macavity Award, a Dilys Award, and a Barry Award in 2003 for In the Bleak Midwinter. In 2007, she won a Nero Wolfe Award and a Gumshoe Award for All Mortal Flesh.
Works by Julia Spencer-Fleming in the Rev. Clare Ferguson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery Series:
In the Bleak Midwinter (2002)
A Fountain Filled with Blood (2003)
Out of the Deep I Cry (2004)
To Darkness and To Death (2005)
All Mortal Flesh (2006)
I Shall Not Want (2008)
One was a Soldier (2011)
Through the Evil Days (2013)
Hid from Our Eyes (2020)
Photo Credits:
Image of Julia Spencer-Fleming:
By Peter Hedlund - IMGP7808.jpg (original image), CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=86083860
Image of Book jacket scanned from personal copy