The Patron Saint of Desperate Situations [Paperback]

John Harrigan " (Author), Until I met Sonia (Author), I never questioned the plane crash that killed Paul Wellstone." (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 28, 2007

An immigrant single mom from Brazil, Sonia, suspects foul play in the 2002 plane crash that killed the progressive U. S. Senator Paul Wellstone. Spurned by the police, she seeks help from Jake, a reserved businessman who shares none of her beliefs about Wellstone but who falls for her Latin charms. Soon the two of them are fleeing for their lives across the frosty landscape of Minnesota, and Sonia needs all the guidance her patron saint can give.

Editorial Reviews

Review

an exciting debut that uses the Minnesota landscape wisely. . . . The death of U. S. Sen. Paul Wellstone is at the heart of this debut mystery from a St. Paulite who was a foreign-service officer and a political science professor. --Mary Ann Grossman, Book Critic, St. Paul Pioneer Press

Characters are vivid, often flawed and always exciting. The action is taut and unpredictable. . . . Compelling. --Romantic Times, March 2007

I was engrossed in the book from the beginning. . . . Patron Saint is a . . . mystery that keeps the reader reading, and (more importantly) [is] a book that dares to approach the subject of the late Senator's death --Suzanne Nielsen, Whistling Shade Literary Journal, Spring 2007

About the Author

John Harrigan, author of widely acclaimed textbooks on urban and U. S. politics, served as Foreign Service Officer in Brazil and as Political Science Professor at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Product Details

• Paperback: 302 pages
• Publisher: Bridge Books Press; 1st edition (February 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964256819
• ISBN-13: 978-0964256811
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,487,538 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing mystery with lots of Minnesota and a warm Brazilian glow., April 25, 2007

By 

Jeffrey J. Hanson "Brazilianized American" (Minnesota, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Patron Saint of Desperate Situations (Paperback)

The mystery of John Harrigan's new book is intriguing, gripping and meant to be read straight through. The intimate detail of its setting in Minnesota is fun to relate to. But the true charm of The Patron Saint of Desperate Situations is the insights it provides into the life and drama of Jake, a recovering alcoholic, and Sonia, a determined Brazilian woman and die-hard fan of Paul Wellstone.

I can not attest to the accuracy of Harrigan's portrayal of Jake because I have never lived that drama. But Harrigan's detailed characterization of Sonia as a Brazilian woman making her life in Minnesota is spot on. He truly captures many aspects of the Brazilian spirit, expressions and difficulties relating to Minnesotans. I could see a lot of my wife, a wonderful Brazilian woman who moved to Minnesota with me, in the character of Sonia. I could not stop smiling.

Read the book! It is a most enjoyable and revealing read.

Jeffrey Hanson

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Solid, Entertaining, May 5, 2007

By 

Avid Reader (Franklin, Tn) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Patron Saint of Desperate Situations (Paperback)

Disclaimer - I received a copy from the author who asked for a review (thanks, John). Reading is a holistic experience encompassing elements like title, cover, font, characters, plot, mood, language and dislogue. In this case I mentally gave an A+ to the title (perfect) but an F to the cover. It shrieks "Harlequin", a put off for many readers. Then there is the plot - can it capture the attention of the average reader? In this case, the answer would have to be "No".

A Google search on "Wellstone murder" got 118,000 hits. In Conpiracy Land, assassination chatter is downright normal with residents firmly convinced ("inside sources...") that evildoers caused the accident by a host of nefarious means - EMP, long-range sensors, inside payoffs. The problem is that outside Minnesota he was unknown. His legacy is (sadly) that tacky funeral cum political rally. He waxed more Populist than hard Leftist and his colleagues put up with his pantry of unpopular causes, humorously suggesting they were as much a matter of publicity as conviction.

Anyhoo, his plane crashed and Sonia, our Brazilian bombshell, is convinced that it was an iside job after overhearing comments by a business man. Caricature is a hallmark of mysteries (we like regularity) so there's the evil rich guy, the liberal crusader, the noble foreign outsider with a handicapped child, the befuddled male who is drawn in despite himself, the odl friend who betrays, etc. Some romantic actions made no sense - Sonia's anger at her rescue (twice) because our hero shot someone. Why leave him now after danger has passed? And worse, why return at the end so that we could have a "and they all lived happily ever after" conclusion?

The twin tales never really merged. A quirky investigation into a possible assassination would have been a good thriler on its own. So would a story about stopping a powerful businessman and his machinations to develop virgin land for greedy purposes. Their linkage was tenuous at best and seemed forced. The other problem was authenticity - parts of the story (the Minnesota parts) rang true, others sounded like classic Novelese, that filler language seen in mysteries. The second half was a huge improvment with the chase scenes, romance, final confrontation and at last, the discovery of the REAL secret. At the end, all the characters recede into the background, forgotten, except for the young boy. Rodrigo's childlike innocence remains with the reader, haunting, asking for more.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Professor hits a home run, October 9, 2007

By 

Christopher P. Hoven (Arlington, VA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Patron Saint of Desperate Situations (Paperback)

John Harrigan was one of my political science professors at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. I read many of John's text books and articles. When he told me about his fiction project, I was intrigued. I bought John's book and read it over the Columbus Day weekend. What a treat. As with Garrison Keillor and David McCollough, I heard John's voice as I read the book. The twists and turns of the plot kept me at edge as I couldn't put the book down. I even imagined a movie along the same lines as a Grisham novel. I cannot wait to read another of John Harrigan's novels. Great job, John!