Idol Bones

by D. M. Greenwood

*"We need new blood here, Miss Braithwaite. We decay, we grow rancid. New blood, I say," Canon Millhaven went on. "But whether as transfusion or sacrifice, I do not pretend to know."* Reverend Theodora Braithwaite arrives at the rural cathedral of Bow St. Aelfric to find it a maelstrom of petty clerical politics. The parish has a history of nasty clashes between the townspeople and the clergy, and with an unpleasant new dean assuming control of the cathedral, the age-old feud is poised to re-ignite. The spark comes in the form of a statue -- an ancient pagan idol unearthed on church property. With a face on both the front and the back of his head, Janus is the Roman god of gateways of beginnings and ends. His sudden appearance marks the reawakening of the town's interest in paganism, and proves the end of Dean Vincent Stream, who is murdered at the idol's feet. It falls to Theodora to discover who would offer such a sacrifice, and the canny sleuth is more inclined to look for enemies o