Victor Whitechurch, a clergyman who became a mysterious writer, well known for his detective story Railroad Stories, was admired by Ellery Queen and Dorothy L. Sayers for impeccable conspiracy and factual accuracy: he was one of the first authors to submit his manuscripts to Scotland Yard to check for a police procedure. Downlands echoes analyze the life of a small village and the interaction of all the characters who live in it in everyday situations, from the funeral to the visit of the bishop.