The appointment of Londoner Stuart Latimer as the new dean of Malbury Cathedral sends shock waves through the cathedral close from the bishop's stately mansion down to the tasteful Georgian row houses. Everyone in this old cathedral town assumed the position would pass to Canon Brydges-ffrench, a genteel gent with a sweet tooth and a sentiment for tradition. Instead, this small community, which fancies itself a second Eden sealed off from the outside world, braces itself for trouble in paradise.In mere days, Dean Latimer reveals plans to turn the historic grounds into an office complex. And that's just the beginning. With his social-climbing wife urging him on, the Londoner attacks centuries-old traditions with religious fervor, looking to cut costs and make profits. The serenity of Malbury is shattered. But who can foresee that growing unease will escalate to the point where blood will be spilled?Lucy Kingsley, daughter of Malbury's canon John Kingsley, has a talent for the fine arts and the fine art of sleuthing. Now she is again joined by her lover, solicitor David Middleton-Brown, to probe the secrets of a place where nothing is as it seems. They soon discover that the church architect is building more than new houses, the widow who runs the Friends of the Cathedral is less conservative than she seems, and the mousy wife of the handsome precentor is hiding a secret or two under her drab brown clothing. Have any of them committed crimes they would kill to conceal? Or has someone else in Malbury Cathedral paved the path to hell with good intentions...and unholy homicide? Read Less