In The Company Of Others: A Father Tim Novel by Jan Karon

After a 3 year absence Father Tim is back.  I was heartbroken when the Mitford series ended. I felt like I knew the residents of Mitford. I even have a Mitford mug from Hallmark. It’s a beautiful fall scene and whenever we travel in the fall, I’m always searching for Mitford. There are small towns that can almost give you the feeling that you’ve found it.

Anyway…in this novel Tim and Cynthia travel to Ireland for a vacation. What starts out to be a quiet stay in a quaint bed & breakfast, turns into an adventure. When Cynthia startles a thief in their room, she reinjures a problem ankle. This curtails any exploring of the Irish countryside for her and confines her to their lodging. Father Tim meanwhile is trying to solve the burglary and doing what he does best, being a confidant and offering advice to various people (even if he is officially retired).

What I enjoyed about this book was the fact that even though the Mitford series is over, some of the characters are still mentioned. Tim is in contact with his son Dooley who is having problems in the field of romance with his girlfriend Lace. And Tim’s former secretary Emma is connected to him via email.

I enjoyed this book and look forward to any future books in the Father Tim series. And since we are so close to Christmas…I’d suggest Shepherds Abiding from the Mitford series. The story is centered around a battered old Nativity set that Tim finds and decides to lovingly restore as a Christmas gift for Cynthia. It’s sure to put you in the holiday spirit.