Customer Reviews

Stained Glass (Thorndike Basic)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Father Dowling returns in this series to head the cast of characters whose lives revolve around St. Hilary's, a Roman Catholic church in the small town of Rox River, Illinois. While he copes with rumors that St. Hilary's will be closed by the Bishop--not to mention the shenanigans of his anxious parishioners, Father Dowling is peripherally involved in the investigation of a young woman's murder.

McInerney's characterization of the Church and its inner workings is right on the money, which lends a credibility to the story that I enjoyed. He also has a dry sense of humor that makes some of his dialogue and narrative unexpectedly humorous.

The book is populated with numerous sub-plots and secondary characters and, unfortunately, I found myself more drawn to some of them than I was to the plight of Father Dowling and St. Hilary's. I also found the book's format of successive short scenes frustrating: each scene involved different characters and, just as I became absorbed, the scene ended and we switched to another set of characters. Some of the best scenes in the book, however, involved Agnes and Cy, the detectives investigating the murder. The twists and turns in that sub-plot were excellent.

Although I kept hoping to be more drawn to the characters and engaged by the author's writing style, I did enjoy the book.

Ralph McInerny died this winter so this is most likely the last Father Dowling mystery. Suffice it to say that right up to the end, McInerny never lost his touch for story-telling. A good final read!

The Archdiocese decides to close down several parishes whose congregation has diminished. Among them is St. Hilary's of Fox River, Illinois. The priest Father Dowling understands the economics behind the decision, but worries for his flock. The St. Hilary's members and Father Dowling hope (and pray) they can save their church and begin an effort to do so, the "Save St. Hilary's movement.

A nude female body is found hanging from the cross strut of a garage door. The police believe a ritual perhaps satanic homicide occurred. As the cops, reporters Tetzel and Rebecca and Father Dowling investigate they find a link to the divided Devere family. The nonagenarian matriarch Jane has used trust fund money to hire an author to write a book on Menotti's church art to include a stained glass window provided to St. Hilary's by her family; other Devere kin are outraged by her generosity, which apparently surfaces with more murders occurring.

This is the best Father Dowling mystery in several years as the amateur sleuth struggles with the impact of the economy most likely closing his church and the homicides that seem tied to the one of the deadly sins, avarice. The story line is intelligent although Father Dowling follows his usual method to solving felonies, but the back stories of the impact of the economy and the changing demographics of Fox River provide a terrific fresh look at St. Hilary's and the church surviving in a modern world.

Harriet Klausner

This my first Father Dowling mystery. It seems to be based on a faulty interpretation of Illinois paternity law and so the whole book seems moot to me.

The scenes are short, keep changing characters and tone, and I ran out of steam long before I read the last chapter to see if there was any resolution.

Do suburban priests really have female housekeepers living with them?

good seller of a good book written by the best author. It doesn't get any better