Richard Coles writes about crime, memory and the people who make a community. Readers of his parish mysteries can hear the novelist alongside another crime writer, while younger readers had their own way into his storytelling. His festival programme welcomed both interests during the year.
Quick facts
Best known for
The Canon Clement mysteries
Genre or subject
Crime fiction, memoir and children’s true-crime stories
Coles is a writer and broadcaster whose books include memoir, crime fiction and writing for children. The Canon Clement novels give his adult fiction a recurring parish and a central figure whose work puts him close to the lives around him. The church setting is part of the pleasure for readers who enjoy returning to a community, then discovering what its calm surface conceals.
His non-fiction includes Fathomless Riches and The Madness of Grief. They sit beside the mysteries as a different form of writing: a remembered life and an encounter with loss. That breadth gives a listener several ways to know the author before sitting down for a festival conversation.
Wren & Rook published his latest book for younger readers on 9 April 2026. It gathers unusual true-crime stories, providing the subject of his family event. W&N published A Carol and a Killing on 22 October 2026. That later Canon Clement publication is part of the continuing fiction, distinct from the family storytelling that featured earlier in the festival year.
Where to start with their books
Murder Before Evensong
Canon Daniel Clement is rector of Champton, where a plan to install a church lavatory divides the parish and threatens to uncover old secrets. Start at the beginning to meet the community, his mother Audrey and the two dachshunds who share his home.
A Death in the Parish
The parish joins with Upper and Lower Badsaddle while the community is still recovering from murder. The return lets readers spend more time with the rector as church politics and the next mystery disturb his attempts to steady the people around him.
Murder at the Monastery
The third mystery takes the canon back to the monastery where he was a novice. A death during his retreat becomes another case, this time without the usual help of Detective Sergeant Neil Vanloo.
Festival appearances
For tickets, use the host festival’s official box office. Confirm the date, venue and access details before paying.
At Stratford on 10 May, Church and the Couch to Cosy Crime paired Coles with Philippa Perry. They appeared together again at Cheltenham’s Garden Theatre on 14 October. Coles’s parish fiction and his fellow novelist’s therapist character gave the shared conversations two different routes into crime writing.
Hay’s Meadow Stage welcomed him on 24 May for A Heist Before Bedtime. This was a family event about unusual true-crime stories, giving younger readers a conversation of their own. Someone following the adult detective novels could therefore choose differently from a family drawn to surprising real stories.
For a fan, that variety is part of the attraction. A writer known through one form can turn out to have another shelf to explore. You could go for the cosy crime, or take a young reader for the storytelling, without needing either visit to cover the whole writing career.
Where to see them next
No 2027 appearances announced yet. Check the festival guides for programme dates.
Plan your trip
For an adult crime conversation, a companion who enjoys the people in a village as much as the puzzle can be good company. Leave time afterwards to compare which characters caught your interest and what makes you want to return to a fictional place.
For a family outing, let the younger reader’s age and curiosity lead the booking. Ask the box office about the audience guidance and accompanying-adult tickets. Plan a comfortable gap for food and a chat, and use the festival guide to work out the route from your base to the conversation.
The 2026 programmes featured Richard Coles at Cheltenham Literature Festival, Hay Festival, Stratford Literary Festival; follow those guides for event information and practical visit details.
Does Richard Coles write only cosy crime?
No. His books also include memoir and non-fiction, as well as storytelling for younger readers. If you know the parish mysteries, an author conversation can be a route towards that wider work. The book suggestions below begin with the continuing fiction.
Should children go to his crime-writing conversations?
Choose a family session using its own age guidance. The younger-reader event had a different subject from the shared adult crime conversations. If you are unsure whether a ticket will suit your child, ask the organiser before booking the journey.
Where can I buy tickets for Richard Coles?
Use the official festival box office for the conversation you choose. Ask about seating, access support and any book signing at the time of booking. The guide links below help you turn that ticket into a day out or a longer festival stay.
