Marked for Murder [Hardcover]

William X. Kienzle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 12, 1990

The time is always the same -- Sunday afternoons. The victims are the same -- older prostitutes who cruise Detroit's seedier streets. The method's the same -- a gruesome ritual that shocks the city. Most chillingly of all, the killer seems to be the same -- a quiet man in the black garb and high white collar of a Catholic priest. Father Koesler may never forgive himself for what he is about to uncover . . .


From the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Father Robert Koesler is back to cast his knowing eye over a series of murders that might implicate the Catholic Church. A man in clerical dress is killing, eviscerating and branding elderly prostitutes in Detroit's inner city. When priest Richard Kramer is found in circumstances that appear to be leading up to another murder, homicide lieutenant Alonzo Tully is certain he is guilty. Koesler, a friend of the priest, is not so sure and begins to investigate at the urging of Kramer's assistant, Sister Mary Therese. Meanwhile, morgue attendant Arnold Bush, considered rather strange by fellow workers, develops a morbid fascination with the case. Recent changes in the Church bureaucracy and anecdotes about past prelates as well as some of the seamier aspects of Detroit provide Koesler with clues in his hunt for the killer. Kienzle (Deadline for a Critic) comes up with another solid story. While his plot gapes at times, in this case the denouement takes place totally offstage, his depiction of the Church coping with the often uninterested modern world and of those still devoted to the faith makes up for these lapses. An interracial and adult love story involving the black Tully is especially appealing.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

The time is always the same -- Sunday afternoons. The victims are the same -- older prostitutes who cruise Detroit's seedier streets. The method's the same -- a gruesome ritual that shocks the city. Most chillingly of all, the killer seems to be the same -- a quiet man in the black garb and high white collar of a Catholic priest. Father Koesler may never forgive himself for what he is about to uncover . . .


From the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Random House Value Publishing (December 12, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517059770
• ISBN-13: 978-0517059777
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,045,756 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down, April 20, 2000

By 

Mike Schroeder - See all my reviews

This review is from: Marked for Murder (Mass Market Paperback)

This is probably Kienzle's best book yet. From the very start, you're engrossed in the novel, trying to guess whodunit. The ending is surprising, and as always, I enjoy Kienzle's references to the Detroit area of which I'm familiar.