The Wounded Thorn

In this strong first in a new series from Sampson (Beneath the Soil and five other Suzie Fewings genealogical mysteries), mayhem rocks Glastonbury, the traditional heart of British Christianity and now a center for more esoteric cults. Retired teacher Hilary Masters, whose husband is doing volunteer work in Gaza, and her recently widowed friend, Veronica Taylor, are on holiday in Glastonbury when they discover an abandoned knapsack containing a bomb at one of the town’s main attractions, the Chalice Well. They later become key witnesses when a blast in the High Street kills seven. Are the bombs an organized attack on Christianity, a protest against the presence of other faiths in a staunchly Christian community, or a terrorist act by followers of an ancient pagan rite? Hilary’s keen intelligence and Veronica’s intuition guide them to the unexpected conclusion. Anglophiles will appreciate that Sampson doesn’t stint on physical description of this beautiful but less well-known area of Britain. (June)