The Story Knife (Father Mark Townsend Mystery) [Mass Market Paperback]

Brad Reynolds (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1996 | Series: Father Mark Townsend Mystery

Blood Flows Northward

A man lied dead in a Settle convention center--a lawyer with questionable ethics, brutally slain by a ceremonial knife from a village a thousand miles to the north. . .

As a Jesuit priest. Father Nark Townsend has spent much time among the native peoples who inhabit the merciless Alaskan tundra. He recognizes the deadly artifact--and knows the Eskimo tribe that carved the intricate pictures on its ivory handle. Now conscience and duty are calling him back to that place of harsh, frozen beauty and ancient spirits; a land where Inuit, environmentalists and corporate power structures collide. For there are secrets there that the blade can reveal--and a story it must tell of greed, betrayal. . .and murder.

BLOOD FLOWS NORTHWARD

A man lied dead in a Settle convention center--a lawyer with questionable ethics, brutally slain by a ceremonial knife from a village a thousand miles to the north. . .

As a Jesuit priest. Father Nark Townsend has spent much time among the native peoples who inhabit the merciless Alaskan tundra. He recognizes the deadly artifact--and knows the Eskimo tribe that carved the intricate pictures on its ivory handle. Now conscience and duty are calling him back to that place of harsh, frozen beauty and ancient spirits; a land where Inuit, environmentalists and corporate power structures collide. For there are secrets there that the blade can reveal--and a story it must tell of greed, betrayal. . .and murder.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Beginning with a sensational murder in Seattle, this tale moves to the frozen tundra of Alaska and plunges amateur sleuth Father Mark Townsend into another mystery. The clues linking the two locations are "story knives," small ceremonial knives that have a story carved into their intricate handles. Joining Father Townsend in Alaska is a Seattle detective working his first murder case. Together, they encounter a librarian who might hold the key to the killings, an environmentalist who will go to any lengths to protect the tundra, and a hotheaded priest who resents the "intruders" from Seattle. However, as the body count begins to rise, Father Townsend is forced to make some difficult decisions in order to save the lives of those around himAas well as his own. Reynolds is an active Jesuit priest and brings to his stories a degree of authenticity and depth that adds to their interest. Reader Kevin Foley does well with the main characterization and with the tongue-twisting Eskimo words. Most public libraries will find this a popular item to add to their audio collections.AJoseph L. Carlson, Lompoc P.L., CA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Review

"Well done Father Reynolds. I'd like to read the next one soon please." -- -- Sue Henry, author of Sleeping Lady

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Avon (December 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380784009
• ISBN-13: 978-0380784004
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,525,071 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This book was a suspensful mystery with many facts., May 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Story Knife (Father Mark Townsend Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book was a very good mystery, but it took a while to get into the suspense and excitement. I thought the author could've maybe gotten into a better mood and started things faster. The author also added a lot of unneeded information. Most of the facts about the Eskimos were interesting, but pretty much useless. The author definitely showed his knowledge about Eskimo lifestyle, but a lot of the Eskimo speaking and reference to it was not needed. If you read this book you will know a lot more about Eskimos, but a lot of the time you will just want to get to the story. I did like the author's description and I thought that it made this story interesting. The story was very exciting and kept you on the edge of your seat when the author stayed on the story line. I think that during the first one hundred pages, the author could've maybe made a small reference to who the exact killer could be so the reader could be thinking. I know that after the explanation of the murder and characters the book went no where for a while. A little hint or clue in these first pages could have improved this book enormously. After reading the book and getting a resolution to it, I think that it was pretty good. I think that the book could have been a little more exciting and shorter without as many Eskimo facts and information. The end feeling of this book is pretty good though, once the book got started it was very good. The only bad parts were at the beginning. I would recommend this book to people who like mysteries and would like to know a little Eskimo culture. If you want a book that gets right into the plot and reads fast, I think you should try a different book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Average writing but interesting insights into modern Eskimo, January 12, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Story Knife (Father Mark Townsend Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is an average mystery. Somehow the suspense never builds and the characters are a little flat. But the book is worth reading for the insights into modern Eskimo life and problems

3.0 out of 5 stars Etched in Ivory, September 9, 2001

By 

Kathleen Griffin (New York, New York United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Story Knife (Father Mark Townsend Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

For a first mystery, this is extremely good. The story drags at times, and more editing would have helped, but the author has vivid descriptions, lively action, and an unusual setting. The local touches are occasionally overdone; one more description of someone as "white" was about to make me scream, especially as I never thought of Eskimos as "non-white"! But the language, arts, and culture are handled well.