Customer Reviews

The Greatest Evil (Father Koesler Mystery)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've read all of Kienzle's books and would definitely rate this one towards the top of the list. I would agree with the previous review that if someone is expecting a good mystery (ie. The Rosary Murders or Death Wears a Red Hat) they will be greatly disappointed. I would not consider this book a mystery at all but rather an excellent character study of an interesting family. Being Catholic, i also was fascinated with the descriptions of the priesthood and Church pre and post Vatican II (though, someone who is not Catholic might not be interested at all in these passages). The only minor criticism i have is that most of the characters we've come to know in Kienzle's other books were not here (or if they were then only briefly). Im looking forward to his next book!

As a faithful follower of the detective priest, I found this book totally different in style and focus. Instead of enlightening on aspects of the priesthood as background to solving a murder or two, this book concentrates on the priesthood and casually dangles a possible crime at the reader. When I finished I knew a great deal about the struggles of the modern priest and a changing society.

A devoted fan of the author will be disappointed by this book.

This is a good book, but bogs down in a lot of church teachings. All in all a good quick read.

I didn't like the subject matter or the slow manner in which the plot progressed.

Very sad story about the couple married outside the church.

I put the book down and returned it to the library.

JGR

I enjoyed the way the flashbacks which at first seemed irrelevant turned out to be very helpful. I wasn't disappointed by the book as others who've reviewed here were, because it was interesting to see Fr. Koesler use a different facet of his intelligence - in this case, his long-term knowledge of a person's life - to build a case. As usual the glimpses of Catholic Church life and problems, and how humans have to deal with them, was priceless. The interview with William Kienzle at the end of the book also answered some questions I had long had.

This book was quite different from Kienzle's earlier books. It was not so much a mystery as a character study. I agree with the previous reviewer that anyone expecting a good mystery (such as The Rosary Murders or Death Wears a Red Hat) will be disappointed. Having said that, though, i still really enjoyed this book. I found all of the characters interesting (especially the Dellvechio family) and really enjoyed the way the author introduced them to us through flash back stories. I would have liked to see more of the familiar characters that we have been introduced to in the previous books but that's only a minor criticism. I also enjoyed the usual Catholic references; reading one of Kienzle's books is like going to Sunday school though much more enjoyable! I would definitely not classify this book as a mystery... more like a good work of fiction. I look forward the next Kienzle book!

I read The Rosary Murders over four years ago and decided I need read no more by William X. Kienzle. But this book was mentioned to me with some awe and I decided I would see whether the author has become a better writer since The Rosary Murders, which was his first published endeavor. I am sorry to report that there has been no improvement in the writing. The author's plot is even more incredible, and the denouement has the villianous bishop revealed to have done something which a man with his supposed characteristics could not psychologically have done, and the author's feeble attempt to relate it to the principle of double effect, one intended, the other permitted, fails entirely. The author has an agenda, apparently, to show that the established Church needs to think like the author and do what the author thinks it should do. He has a perfect right to pursue that agenda but I hope his readers (I don't expect to read another of his books) read him knowledgeably and not think of him as an unbiased witness informing them of Church beliefs and practices objectively.