Customer Reviews

Bishop As Pawn

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"Bishop as Pawn" is the 3rd Father Dowling mystery by Ralph McInerny. Billy Murkin appears at the St. Hillary's rectory in Fox River, Illinois. He is the husband of Marie Murkin, the rectory's housekeeper, even though she hasn't seen him in 15 years. Later that night he is found dead of a gunshot wound in the rectory. It becomes apparent to Father Dowling and his friend Phil Keegan, captain of the Fox River Police Department, that Murkin had been living in Fox River all along under the name of James Dunbar. Then, Bishop Arthur Rooney is kidnapped from the rectory where he is staying on church business. Father Dowling wonders if he may have been the target of both crimes since they both happened at the rectory. Are the murder of Billy Murkin and the kidnapping of the Bishop related? Father Dowling works with Phil Keegan in solving the crimes. As always in this series, all loose ends are tied up. "Bishop as Pawn" is a good read.

This is great light reading. Good mystery story. I am reading this in 2011. It is amazing to see how literature has changed o much in the last 25 years. Without the use of sex and violence someone was still able to tell a good story and keep your interest. It is also possible to get a lesson in basic morals and values when reading an entertaining story. The author also quotes from the Baltimore Catechism. I highly recommend it as a break from other stories.

This book is a mystery novel. It is written by Ralph McInerny. In this novel there is a kidnapping, blackmail, but it mostly surrounds a murder. Father Dowling plays the role as a detective and he throughout the book he is trying to crack the case. What happens is a lady by the name of Marie Murkin starts off by opening the door to a stranger who turns out to be Billy Murkin, her husband. He had left her 15 years ago while going out to get a pack of cigarettes, and he never came back. She calls up Father Dowling for advice on how to handle this situation with her husband finally showing up at her house after all this time. Later when they go up stairs to talk to Billy he is found dead on the ground. She than begins to find out more about her husband than she ever known like how he was living in the same town as her the entire time! I somewhat enjoyed this book. I disliked some parts of the book where it was really slow. The book could have used a lot more action in it. I dislike most mystery novels but it was somewhat enjoyable. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy reading mystery novels.