A contemporary rural English town is the setting for this warm-hearted story, which focuses on the progress of a new curate in the church and his efforts to avoid upsetting the flower arrangers while he settles down to marry. IF YOU FOLLOW ME is the third of the Dunbridge Chronicles and new readers don't get much time before being plunged into the pool of characters. A cast list at the start will be of help to those not familiar with the names.

Reverend Neil Fisher is the young man who takes his appointed task very seriously, and he is sort-of engaged at the start to Claire. This lady had a previous relationship but that man walked out leaving her to bring up their son Sam on her own. Abruptly that absent father returns to town. What is Claire to make of this, and can she avoid a bitter scene with him? Neil steps aside from involvement in the matter, but his attempts to prepare the Harvest Festival are interrupted when he needs to counsel an unfortunate battered wife. Next minute the flower arranging ladies are at loggerheads. Life is never quiet.

I did think the curate was too trusting when he told the battered wife she would be safe in her home. The sheer nastiness of some of the pettier matters is startling though. Neil has the balanced attitude that everyone suffers losses in life but we should not take this out on other people. He's also answerable to his Bishop. More humorously, the local firefighters agree to pose for a cheeky calendar in aid of charity, scandalising the respectable people and raising rather a lot of money. So the earthy tale continues as author Pam Rhodes weaves sauce and staid together to portray a country Christmas and daffodil time, concluding in summer.

IF YOU FOLLOW ME will suit people who like to read about troubled young people as well as dilemmas for older people. The curate's life is not easy as the weight of breaking bad news falls to him, besides taking the troubles of his parishioners on his inexperienced shoulders. Underlying the whole however is a robust attitude and determination to see the best in people. We can all learn valuable lessons from Neil and Dunbridge - if just about getting along with volunteers or not leaving shy youngsters out of matters.