Irish Gilt: A Mystery Set at the University of Notre Dame (Mysteries Set at the University of Notre Dame) [Hardcover]

Ralph McInerny (Author)

Book Description

Series: Mysteries Set at the University of Notre Dame | Publication Date: September 15, 2005

When South Bend, Indiana, Detective Phil Knight meets Boris Henry, an enthusiast of the historic Father John Zahm, a Notre Dame priest who was once involved in theoretical disputes during the 19th century, he wants to introduce Boris to his brother, Notre Dame's Professor Roger Knight, who shares a passion for this legendary man. As expected Boris and Roger have much to discuss. But then some of Boris's collection of rare Zahm artifacts go missing and Boris turns up dead, and the Knight brothers team up to uncover the truth behind the murder in Irish Gilt, an absorbing addition to this series by the author of the beloved Father Dowling mysteries.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In McInerney's ninth Notre Dame mystery (after 2004's Green Thumb), professor Roger Knight and his detective brother, Philip, seek the missing diaries of Fr. John Zahn, an almost forgotten 19th-century theologian, which purport to shed light on the search for El Dorado. Their investigation takes a deadly turn after the murder of an alumnus on campus. Rare book dealers, academic curmudgeons and others with conflicting loyalties and assorted agendas enliven a sleuthing exercise short on suspense and imagination. (Oct.)
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From Booklist

Father John Zahm, a nineteenth-century Notre Dame priest and scholar, is of particular interest to corpulent professor Roger Knight. Boris Henry, a Notre Dame alum who dissipated his family fortune at the gaming tables, has come into possession of a significant cache of Zahm writings that he is willing to sell to the university should it decide to memorialize the iconoclastic scholar. The stakes escalate quickly when Zahm's diary is stolen from Henry, and another alum, Xavier Kittock, who was doing research on Zahm in the university archives, is found murdered on campus. The local police do their best, but Professor Knight and his private--investigator brother, Phillip, are better able to unearth arcane motives from the university community. McInerny, author of the Father Dowling novels as well as this series about the Knight brothers, entertainingly combines elements of the Nero Wolfe mysteries with the modern police procedural, all while poking fun at the insular, self-important world of academia. McInerny has taught at Notre Dame for 40 years. Perhaps he has a PhD in whodunnitry. Wes Lukowsky
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (September 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312336888
• ISBN-13: 978-0312336882
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,587,071 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A neutral *** of *****, February 8, 2006

By 

Lisa Small - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Irish Gilt: A Mystery Set at the University of Notre Dame (Mysteries Set at the University of Notre Dame) (Hardcover)

I was excited about the setting and eager to get into this book, but found it hard to stay focussed. There were a great many characters introduced, and an undertone of misogyny that distracted from the book as a whole, as the hissing and popping of omnipresent scratches would distract from enjoying an old vinyl record. Most of the women except the always-serene love object (and she's always described exactly that way, too) are devious, disloyal, highly flawed schemers, petty and competitive in shallow ways for unworthy ends.

Still, the major problem was that there were so many characters with so little to do that the whole book felt choppy. This is the ninth book in the Notre Dame series, but the first I've read, and maybe that's the problem. Experienced aficionados of these books might welcome the return of old friends, instead of feeling assaulted by an onslaught of unlikable strangers. Having fewer characters and spending more time making them distinct individuals might have made a stronger book and a better read, for old fans as well as newcomers. On the plus side, the Notre Dame lore was a pleasure; more of that would have been most welcome.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Notre Dame Book, May 12, 2007

By 

zachary80 (Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Irish Gilt: A Mystery Set at the University of Notre Dame (Mysteries Set at the University of Notre Dame) (Hardcover)

This is no fast-paced thriller but rather a gradually unraveling mystery featuring the surroundings of Notre Dame combined with literacy superior to most mysteries. Notre Dame alumni and fans will find it gently amusing, with some excellent turns of phrase. The occasional poor joke or pun should just be ignored because the overall read is enjoyable.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars pleasant read in an amiable series, September 28, 2005

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Irish Gilt: A Mystery Set at the University of Notre Dame (Mysteries Set at the University of Notre Dame) (Hardcover)

South Bend, Indiana is known as the home of the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. Brotherly private investigators Roger and Phil Knight love the college atmosphere, the sports, and the occasional intrigue.

Roger, recently appointed to the Huneker Chair in the Catholic Studies Department, teaches a course on the renowned Father John Zahm, a Renaissance man who many believe found the legendary El Dorado Mine. However, Roger nd his students are not the only people interested in Zahm. Alumni Boris Henry possesses Zahm's diaries that provide clues to the El Dorado Mine. He wants to mount an expedition that he hopes will lead to a center based on Zahm's works. Another alumnus Xavier Killock is also interested in finding the El Dorado Mine; Boris believes Xavier stole the diaries from him, but if he did he will not be able to confess as someone killed him.

The tour of the famous university will be enjoyed not just by alumni, but also fans of teams who until recent years spent many a defeat in Rockne Stadium. The who-done-it is fun to follow as Ralph McInerny provides lots of misdirection, which also turns into to many dead ended sidebars. Still this is a pleasant read in an amiable series.

Harriet Klausner