This interview with Canon Thomas Rice takes place in the late winter of 1993, approximately eighteen months after the Unholy Alliance case in which he made his series debut.
JULIET: I’m very glad that you could make it, Canon, since your duties at St Luke’s cathedral must keep you busy.
CANON RICE: (Smiles) It’s not a problem, Juliet. Yes, I am extremely busy with work at the cathedral, as well as learning to be a husband again, but I always take time out for things that matter.
JULIET: Do you regret leaving the police force?
CANON RICE: Well, I didn’t feel I had much choice at the time. I was deep in depression after my wife, Charlotte’s untimely death and her death was the one case I could not investigate because of my personal involvement. But God offered me His hand and pulled me out of the darkness into which I had cast myself.
JULIET: Have you always believed in God or did you have a Damascus road experience?
CANON RICE: I went to Sunday school as a child and even sang in the church choir for a time, but once I turned thirteen girls and rock music suddenly seemed so much more interesting than the next life so I forgot about God and joined the police as soon as I was old enough. When Charlotte was killed I realised He was there and had never in fact left me.
JULIET: Do you think it would have been difficult to be a Christian in the modern police force?
CANON RICE: What you see and experience as a copper does make one question the existence of a loving benevolent Deity. But my good friend, DI Andrew Redfern, seems to be able to strike a balance between the two although he admits it can be difficult at times.
JULIET: How did you feel when you were enlisted by Ashbeck CID to help with the Reverend Martin Hayes’ murder investigation?
CANON RICE: I knew that the police would need someone to help them with the case as it involved the clergy and, as I’d had a foot in both camps, it seemed only natural for me to offer my services. I had no anticipation then of the dangers I would face or the friends I would make, but God knew.
JULIET: What were the best and worst aspects of that investigation for you personally?
CANON RICE: It tested my faith to the limit, which can be looked at as both good and bad. I made lasting friendships and I came close to being martyred. The physical scars I bear serve to remind me that God was there throughout the worst although I couldn’t always see His hand. I really identified with Christ’s sufferings. I think the best aspects are that I lived and that I finally found peace in learning who had killed my wife. I have since been able to move on and remarry. Shirley & I are both too old to have children now, but we have God and we have each other.
JULIET: Did you feel that your instincts as a copper were returning?
CANON RICE: I had forgotten the thrill of the chase and the trawling for clues and it gave me a new lease of life for a while. I was privileged to be able to work with some dedicated police officers who put the victim’s families and their need for justice above everything else. But I’ll leave the catching of criminals to DI Lyle & his team in future as it’s what they do best.
JULIET: How do you relax when you’re not on cathedral duties?
CANON RICE: I like to cook, watch old films and read detective novels. My wife, Shirley, also enjoys these activities, which means we get to spend quality time together.
JULIET: Do you think you will assist Ashbeck CID again in future?
CANON RICE: If they need my help they know where I can be found. DI Lyle & DI Redfern are good friends of mine, although DI Lyle and I will never agree on religion.
JULIET: Well, thanks for talking to me Canon.
CANON RICE: Thank you for having me, Juliet and thanks for portraying me as a man who happens to be a clergyman, rather than just a stereotypical weak Christian.
You can read about Canon Rice’s Assistance in the Unholy Alliance case
JULIET: I’m very glad that you could make it, Canon, since your duties at St Luke’s cathedral must keep you busy.
CANON RICE: (Smiles) It’s not a problem, Juliet. Yes, I am extremely busy with work at the cathedral, as well as learning to be a husband again, but I always take time out for things that matter.
JULIET: Do you regret leaving the police force?
CANON RICE: Well, I didn’t feel I had much choice at the time. I was deep in depression after my wife, Charlotte’s untimely death and her death was the one case I could not investigate because of my personal involvement. But God offered me His hand and pulled me out of the darkness into which I had cast myself.
JULIET: Have you always believed in God or did you have a Damascus road experience?
CANON RICE: I went to Sunday school as a child and even sang in the church choir for a time, but once I turned thirteen girls and rock music suddenly seemed so much more interesting than the next life so I forgot about God and joined the police as soon as I was old enough. When Charlotte was killed I realised He was there and had never in fact left me.
JULIET: Do you think it would have been difficult to be a Christian in the modern police force?
CANON RICE: What you see and experience as a copper does make one question the existence of a loving benevolent Deity. But my good friend, DI Andrew Redfern, seems to be able to strike a balance between the two although he admits it can be difficult at times.
JULIET: How did you feel when you were enlisted by Ashbeck CID to help with the Reverend Martin Hayes’ murder investigation?
CANON RICE: I knew that the police would need someone to help them with the case as it involved the clergy and, as I’d had a foot in both camps, it seemed only natural for me to offer my services. I had no anticipation then of the dangers I would face or the friends I would make, but God knew.
JULIET: What were the best and worst aspects of that investigation for you personally?
CANON RICE: It tested my faith to the limit, which can be looked at as both good and bad. I made lasting friendships and I came close to being martyred. The physical scars I bear serve to remind me that God was there throughout the worst although I couldn’t always see His hand. I really identified with Christ’s sufferings. I think the best aspects are that I lived and that I finally found peace in learning who had killed my wife. I have since been able to move on and remarry. Shirley & I are both too old to have children now, but we have God and we have each other.
JULIET: Did you feel that your instincts as a copper were returning?
CANON RICE: I had forgotten the thrill of the chase and the trawling for clues and it gave me a new lease of life for a while. I was privileged to be able to work with some dedicated police officers who put the victim’s families and their need for justice above everything else. But I’ll leave the catching of criminals to DI Lyle & his team in future as it’s what they do best.
JULIET: How do you relax when you’re not on cathedral duties?
CANON RICE: I like to cook, watch old films and read detective novels. My wife, Shirley, also enjoys these activities, which means we get to spend quality time together.
JULIET: Do you think you will assist Ashbeck CID again in future?
CANON RICE: If they need my help they know where I can be found. DI Lyle & DI Redfern are good friends of mine, although DI Lyle and I will never agree on religion.
JULIET: Well, thanks for talking to me Canon.
CANON RICE: Thank you for having me, Juliet and thanks for portraying me as a man who happens to be a clergyman, rather than just a stereotypical weak Christian.
You can read about Canon Rice’s Assistance in the Unholy Alliance case