Richard Coles

Richard Coles is a British musician, Church of England priest, broadcaster, and author whose unique combination of careers has made him one of the most distinctive and beloved public figures in Britain. Born in Northampton in 1962, Coles was one half of the Communards — the pop duo with Jimmy Somerville that had a number one hit with Don't Leave Me This Way in 1986. After the Communards disbanded, Coles studied theology, was ordained as an Anglican priest, and served as the vicar of Finedon in Northamptonshire for over a decade. He has presented Saturday Live on BBC Radio 4 and appeared on Strictly Come Dancing. His Canon Clement mystery series — Murder Before Evensong, A Death in the Parish, and A Death on Location — combines cozy crime with sharp social observation, set in a fictional Northamptonshire village where the vicar solves murders with wit, compassion, and a keen understanding of human nature. The series is warm, funny, and gently satirical about English village life and the Church of England. His memoir, Bringing in the Sheaves, and The Madness of Grief (about the death of his civil partner David) are honest, moving, and written with the same warmth and intelligence that characterise his fiction. Coles embodies an unusual combination of experiences — pop stardom, priesthood, broadcasting, and bereavement — and brings all of it to his writing. The audiobook editions of Coles's books, many narrated by the author, are delightful. His books and audiobooks are perfect for fans of cozy crime, memoir, and one of Britain's most interesting and warm-hearted public figures.