Jane Anstey

The Bells of St Martin's Jane Anstey

Unhappy wife Rose, her unfaithful husband Clive, and lonely bachelor Simon form a classic love triangle during annual celebrations marking the feast of St Martin's in a Hampshire village. But the disappearance of Rose's son Robert, the discovery of a man's body near the village, and the ensuing police murder investigation usher in a series of events that break the love triangle and throw the lives of the villagers into turmoil. Clive, suspected of murder, finds his life and values turned upside down as he comes to terms with the consequences of past actions and attitudes. Jeremy, the local vicar and lover of mysteries, gets involved in solving the mystery, while his wife Liz does her best to support Rose, but in the process both find their commitment to their own path in life tested to destruction. Only the steadfast love of Simon, the inventiveness of Robert, and the courage of Rose herself can bring peace and eventually happiness to all. The story never flags from beginning to end, whilst exploring, among other matters, the intricacies of campanology, the progress of a spiritual epiphany, and the morality of adultery and desertion.