The Minister and the Murderer

An extraordinary book... It follows no known laws, fits no existing genre. Risk-taking but rigorous, it offers at once a history of the Church in Scotland, a meditation on the natures of faith and sin, and a searching enquiry into the soul and conscience of its own author -- Robert Macfarlane
Fascinating [and] impressive... A literary critic to the end, Kelly embraces [...] ambiguities, and his book is the richer for it... The book demands patience, concentration and even forgiveness. But it's worth the effort -- Blake Morrison * Guardian *
Profound topics are tackled by Kelly in a wholly fresh and exciting way [and] unlike normal writers, he never mistakes solemnity for seriousness, and refuses to think along prescribed lines... He is also wonderfully subtle and clear on the subject of faith... A remarkable thinker -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *
Eloquent not only on the details of the case but also on its author's own life's path... The book is remarkable, demanding study of excursions into the nature of faith, guilt, remorse and expiation -- John Lloyd * Financial Times *
A labour of love of a unique nature... Beautifully written, [...] Kelly is at his best on the intellectual histories of the Kirk... Described [with] wit, pith and clarity... An extraordinary read -- Euan Ferguson * Observer *
[An] extraordinary analysis by Stuart Kelly, who is by turns a historical and cultural commentator, a theological and literary sleuth... [A] disturbingly entertaining book [about] the mystery of humanity itself, which faith cannot resolve but only endure -- Angela Tilby * Literary Review *
A colossal achievement. This is one of the most moving and profound books I have read in a long time -- Richard Holloway
This is a remarkable book... A good book is a voyage of exploration for both author and reader [and] this is a sparkling and times disturbing book -- Alan Massie * Catholic Herald *
The Minister and The Murderer is wickedly, reverently good. Stuart Kelly explores the fascinating case of James Nelson, a convicted murderer who sought to be ordained, with polymathic intelligence, empathy, and wit. His ingeniously prismatic and allusive approach - part history, part homily, part Biblical exegesis, and part confession - touches every field of the humanities; it is also enormous fun to read, unfolding almost like a postmodern thriller. I loved it -- Eleanor Catton
Remarkable... Kelly very deliberately and very brilliantly [...] is detailed and often provocative... The minister and the Murderer sustains its suspense to the very end [and] Stuart Kelly is a master storyteller -- Brian Morton * Herald *
An unusual book: wide-ranging, sprightly, tangential [...] rigorous with detail, fiercely articulate, elegant in argument, fiendishly well-read... Often fascinating [it is an] exhilarating ride -- Susan Mansfield * Scotsman *
Part true crime, part Theology of Despair, The Minister and the Murderer explores the hard borders of faith in the real world. A beautiful, deeply thought-provoking exploration of the history and purpose of faith -- Denise Mina
Kelly circles the vast unseen ballast of knowledge attached to religious practice, which is sometimes self-devouring, urgent and altruistic at its best -- Eoin McNamee * Irish Times *
Stuart Kelly has written a remarkable book... Lexical richness is one of the book's joys [and it's] one of those books that you know is going to be with you for the rest of your days... The themes it deals with are urgent and current... This is a knotty, intellectually thrilling book but it is also humble, brave, patient and truthful -- Frank Cottrell-Boyce * New Statesman *
Engaging, challenging and entertaining...Read it -- Selected by Frank Cottrell-Boyce as a book of the year * New Statesman *