Sydney Chambers and the Perils of the Night

This book by James Runcie contains half a dozen short stories rather than being one complete novel.

Three men are climbing one of the university buildings in Cambridge when one falls to his death.  One of the other two has disappeared in suspicious circumstances.   Canon Sydney Chambers is asked to speak to to remaining lad and liaise with Inspector Geordie Keating of the Cambridge police.

When the missing student's room is examined it is discovered to be clean; too clean.  Keating is sure it is a professional job, but why?  Are the KGB and SIS involved?

The second story involves arson.  Who are the potential suspects?  A young man and his girlfriend or the local taxidermist?  The method of arson is surprising once Sydney works it out.

In the third story a young professor has a heart attack and then drowns in his bath.  Concerns are raised about his death.  An electrician who had been re wiring the college is sure that the professor was bumped off.  Hildegard, Sydney's girlfriend sides with him, so Sydney sets out to investigate.

With the now fired electrician and Hildegard, Sydney discovers that the bath was wired to cause an electrocution.  It is just a matter of pinning the crime on the culprit.

The fourth story commences with a cricket match.  Following the match there is a fete, which results in a number of people coming down with food poisoning.  An East Indian, who has been seeing a local girl, eventually dies as a result of the food poisoning.  Is it because of his race and religion that he is dead?  It turns out that the young man was poisoned.  The method of delivery of the poison is a surprise to the reader.

In the fifth story, Sydney doesn't trust the man his friend Amanda has chosen to marry.  His investigation into the man proves his instinct correct.

The final story finds Sydney in Berlin about to meet his girlfriend, Hildegard.  Unfortunately her mother has become sick, and she has gone to Leipzig.  Sydney sets out for there after getting all the papers necessary to travel in East Germany.  On the train he runs into one of the students involved in the first story.  The young man passes on an envelope to Sydney.  Later Sydney is arrested by the police on suspicion of being a spy.  Fortunately for him, Hildegard has connections which result in his freedom.  However, their adventures don't end there.

A quick read.