PRODIGAL FATHER [Paperback]

Ralph McInerny (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Unknown (2002)
• ASIN: B0028Q4QUY
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Father Dowling flock will enjoy, July 8, 2002

By 

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

This review is from: Prodigal Father: A Father Dowling Mystery (Father Dowling Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Father Roger Dowling leaves St. Hilary's Parish for his annual retreat with the Athanasians, a Catholic religious order that includes seven aging priests with no new blood in years. Though the long-term outlook appears to be the same as what happened to the Shakers, the small order owns the rights to Marygrove, a grand estate near Chicago given to the Athanasians by a late business mogul.

However, the very value of the property makes Marygrove in demand by avarice phonies including the grandson of the order's late benefactor. All of these souls want to use the estate for personal gain. Though each one of these outsiders will do almost anything to obtain an advantage, one of them resorts to murder, killing two people. Father Dowling investigates the homicides in an effort to determine who broke the Commandment and to thwart any other slayings.

The insight into a small dying religious order and their secular squabbles provide interesting depth to the who-done-it story line. Though Father Dowling remains a charming character he seems less sharp in PRODIGAL FATHER than usual perhaps because Mrs. Murkin is not around much to murky the waters. Still the Father Dowling flock will enjoy his latest amateur sleuth tale.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best Father Dowling mysteries, June 15, 2004

By 

Daniel L Pratt (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prodigal Father: A Father Dowling Mystery (Father Dowling Mysteries) (Hardcover)

This novel has all the plot you'd want in a mystery and all the ancillary features you'd want from Father Dowling. Much of the action takes place away from the Athanasians; aside from that, the other reviews tell you all you'd want to know before reading, and perhaps a bit more.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Foucaultian Analysis: The Literary Character Father Dowling Was A Closeted Gay Guy, July 7, 2011

By 

Peter P. Fuchs (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prodigal Father: A Father Dowling Mystery (Father Dowling Mysteries) (Hardcover)

What with all the theme of oppressions and violence and punishment in this book, it seems appropriate to apply some Foucaultian analysis to this little bit of boilerplate, and reveal that the literary character of Father Dowling was a closeted gay man, and probably into sadomasochism. How else do you explain all the violence in these novels?? I am not fan of Foucault's, but such literary output as this surely deserves him.