The Alto Wore Tweed: A Liturgical Mystery, by Mark Schweizer, is the first in a new mystery series about Hayden Konig, the police chief and part-time Episcopal church choir leader who dreams of writing the next great gumshoe story.

The author cleverly weaves the story that Konig is writing with the novel. As you turn the pages, each chapter begins with a new installment of Konig's opus. He mimics the style of Raymond Chandler, the famous mystery writer of the '30s and '40s, but Konig's prose doesn't begin to compare. As Konig's girlfriend is happy to point out, few would read it, much less purchase it.

Fortunately, Konig has a day job. He is the chief of police in the town of St. Germaine, located in the North Carolina mountains. Not much happens in the way of crime, but the colorful residents more than make up for the lack.

For example, the town's mayor also runs a popular restaurant known as the Slab Cafe. It is your typical small-town place for good food and even better gossip.

When a body is found at St. Barnabas Church, Konig is called away from his work on his masterpiece of a novel. After discovering that the body is the janitor, he must sniff out who among the townspeople did the deed.

In between his policing duties, he leads choir rehearsals at the same religious institution. With a stuffy new female in charge of the church, there is a delicate balance between pleasing "Mother Ryan" and staying true to his musical principles.

Add to that competing nativity scenes and inflatable dolls that show up in some in the most interesting places and you have a recipe for a quick and enjoyable read. The killer is not the only surprise waiting inside these pages...

Those who enjoy Jan Karon's Mitford series are going to enjoy this book.