Happy Are the Oppressed (A Father Blackie Ryan Mystery) [Hardcover]

Andrew M. Greeley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1997

In a riveting novel of sins and secrets, Bishop Blackie Ryan, the hero of Happy Are Those Who Mourn and Happy Are the Poor in Spirit, investigates the Cardin family--heirs to an unmatched legacy of wealth, prestige and murder. Bishop Ryan must solve a murder from the past to prevent one in the near future.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In addition to his manifold duties as rector of Holy Name Cathedral and as able assistant to Sean Cardinal Cronin, Bishop Blackie Ryan is a crackerjack detective with an uncanny ability to uncover both the spiritual motives and the temporal means for murder. Approached by Chantal Cardin, a wealthy and elegant Catholic matron who firmly believes her life is in grave and immediate jeopardy, Blackie must reach into a bygone era and untangle a previously unsolved crime in order to prevent a contemporary homicide. As he researches the infamous curse of the Cardin family, he discovers that each succeeding generation of that unfortunate clan has been beset by inexplicable tragedy. Intrigued by the letters of a young Irish housemaid who served in the turn-of-the-century Cardin mansion, Blackie pieces together a puzzle that breaks the cycle of anguish and furnishes the key that unlocks the current mystery. Greeley adeptly interweaves past and present, providing a complex, multilevel thriller with a nifty historical twist. Margaret Flanagan --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 247 pages
• Publisher: Thomas T Beeler (December 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574900838
• ISBN-13: 978-1574900835
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,315,499 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A native of Chicago, Father Andrew M. Greeley, is a priest, distinguished sociologist and bestselling author. He is professor of social sciences at the University of Chicago and the University of Arizona, as well as Research Associate at the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. His current sociological research focuses on current issues facing the Catholic Church-including celibacy of priests, ordination of women, religious imagination, and sexual behavior of Catholics.Father Greeley received the S.T.L. in 1954 from St. Mary of Lake Seminary. His graduate work was done at the University of Chicago, where he received the M.A. Degree in 1961 and the Ph.D. in 1962.Father Greeley has written scores of books and hundreds of popular and scholarly articles on a variety of issues in sociology, education and religion. His column on political, church and social issues is carried by the Chicago Sun Times and many other newspapers. He stimulates discussion of neglected issues and often anticipates sociological trends. He is the author of more than thirty bestselling novels and an autobiography, Furthermore!: Confessions of a Parish Priest.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Happy are the Oppressed, November 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Happy Are the Oppressed (A Father Blackie Ryan Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

I Have just discovered Andrew Greeley and I am busy devouring everything I can get my hands on. I throughley enjoyed the book, I thought it was interesting and informative, it kept me on the edge of my seat.

3.0 out of 5 stars the ice princess, June 18, 2007

By 

L. Webb (Fayetteville, AR United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Happy Are the Oppressed (A Father Blackie Ryan Mystery) (Hardcover)

Yes, Andrew Greeley once again finds a way to make me look at my fellow creatures quite differently than my socialized prejudices. Who would think that a beautiful billionaire wife who works our daily with her personal trainer is actually oppressed by her mother-in-law and in need of Father Blackie's immediate attention to prevent her murder? I did not figure out the culprit until the end -- a sign of an able mystery! I read the book in two days, because I wanted to know who did it! Worth your time. :-)

5.0 out of 5 stars Happy are the Opressed, October 9, 2005

By 

James W. Self "Jim Self" (Visalia, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Happy Are the Oppressed (A Father Blackie Ryan Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

I have never read anything that Father Greeley has written that was not excellent.