PECKOVER JOINS THE CHOIR

The two newest members of the Sealeigh Choral Society—Chief Inspector Henry Peckover (fresh from his last undercover assignment in 1993's Kill the Butler!) and his sidekick Constable Jason Twitty- -clamber aboard, without benefit of auditions, just in time for a concert tour of Ghent, Gap, Bra, and Andorra—where they expect a continuation of the rash of thefts of religious artifacts (so far, a madonna, a chalice, and a bit from a crown of thorns) from sites the choir has been visiting. On landing in Ghent, though, Peckover and Twitty find an embarrassment of felonies: not only a missing candlestick, but a contralto who's been bludgeoned to death with it. What's the motive behind the amateurish thefts, and what's their connection to a nefarious plot to start a rabies epidemic on Peckover's tight little island? The answers will involve considerably less lighthearted foolery than Peckover is used to—though his banter with a dozen choristers and his occasional verse are as droll as ever. Grave matters like theft, homicide, sabotage, and germ warfare are no match for Peckover's indomitable levity.