The Wine of Angels by Phil Rickman

It’s all about the cider. Well, actually, that’s not altogether true, although cider does feature quite prominently! The first of the Merrily Watkins series, this novel asks some serious questions about how the church should handle issues of a supernatural nature. Merrily is the new vicar grappling with the hostility in the village – towards her, towards fellow villagers, towards progress… She’s an appealing figure, flawed and exhausted, a struggling single mum and servant of God. The novel is a good mix of reality and other-worldliness. Oh, and did I mention the cider?