Fisher of Men by Pam Rhodes

This is a novel in the style of the Mitford series. Neil Fisher arrives in the small village of Dunbridge and promptly manages to lock himself in St. Stephen's Church. He sustains himself with the communion wine and wafers as he is not discovered for hours. Nonetheless, they still hire him for the curate's job. He has a year of experience to gain before his ordination.

Neil settles into his job, meeting all of the quirky people in the village. He is an eligible bachelor and several women have their eyes on him. He meets crabby people and loving people. He meets his neighbor Claire, an avowed atheist. And he endures the phone calls from his mother who laments his not going into a prestigious and high paying job.

This is a delightful novel. Neil is a gentle man who comes to love those he is serving. And while Wendy, the choir director, has her sights on Neil, I'm really rooting for Claire. Now, if she would just come to the point of admitting that there is a God...

Pam Rhodes has presented the world's number one religious television program, Songs of Praise, for many years. She has written five previous novels. Find out more about her and her books at http://www.pamrhodes.co.uk/about.html.

Lion Hudson (distributed in the U.S. by Kregel Books), 256 pages.