Stained
Glass
A
Father Dowling Mystery
Ralph
McInerny
St.
Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-312-58264-1 (0312582641)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-58264-7 (9780312582647)
Publication Date: October 2009
List Price: $24.99
Synopsis (from
the publisher): Tough times and the unsolved murders of anyone with
ties to the Deveres -- a family of wealthy parish patrons -- back
Father Dowling up against a wall in his struggle to save his church
from the chopping block.
With too many churches and not enough people to fill them, the
Archdiocese has to make some cuts, and many of them, including the
proposed closing of St. Hilary’s, are dangerously close to
the bone. Father Dowling rushes to drum up support from church
officials and parishioners, including the Deveres, who don’t
want to see the stained glass windows they donated go anywhere other
than the church they were meant for, but they can hardly be of help
when those closest to them start turning up dead.
Church politics, long-kept family secrets, and a determined killer come
together to put St. Hilary’s -- a church that countless
characters and devoted readers have come to love -- and its
parishioners in peril.
Review:
Father Dowling fights to prevent the closure of his church while
solving a series of perplexing murders in Stained Glass,
the 28th mystery in this series by Ralph McInerny.
In these financially challenging times, there is, sadly, a shrinking
number of parishioners attending church, and parishes that have been
isolated by demographic change are the most affected. The Chicago
Tribune has posted a list of churches expected to be closed by the
Cardinal, and St. Hilary -- Father Dowling's church -- is one of them.
Father Dowling appeals to his congregation and supporters of the church
to join him in fighting its closure. He is grateful to discover that
one of his most outspoken supporters is Margaret Ward, matriarch of the
wealthy Devere family. August Devere, her grandfather, was a
parishioner when the church was built, and had commissioned the
renowned artist Angelo Menotti to design and assemble the stained glass
windows for the church. Margaret Ward believes the building is
beautiful and historic, and hires Carl Bartoff, editor of the Sacred
Heart Monthly to create a book illustrating the stained glass windows,
not only of St. Hilary's but also of other small endangered churches.
She gives Bartoff a check for $100,000 to start the project. But then a
woman is found dead, murdered, and the police determine she has a
connection to Margaret Ward. And when several other people are killed,
all indirectly associated with the Devere family, Father Dowling
realizes he must solve this series of crimes to protect not only the
reputation of a parishioner, but quite possibly too the church itself.
Fans of the series will take comfort in the familiar style of Stained Glass,
like old friends or family that one doesn't spend enough time with but
should. Father Dowling is in top form here, at his deductive best, in
solving this intricately plotted mystery, the resolution of which will
likely come as a surprise to many readers. Even after 28 novels, there
is a freshness to this series that is quite delightful, and most
welcome.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Stained Glass and to St. Martin's Minotaur for providing a copy of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read Stained Glass? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series …
Her
Death of Cold
Vanguard (Hardcover), February 1977
ISBN-10: 0-8149-0781-4 (0814907814)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8149-0781-8 (9780814907818)
Bishop
as Pawn
Vanguard (Hardcover), October 1978
ISBN-10: 0-8149-0806-3 (0814908063)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8149-0806-8 (9780814908068)
The
Seventh Station
Vanguard (Hardcover), October 1977
ISBN-10: 0-8149-0787-3 (0814907873)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8149-0787-0 (9780814907870)
Lying
Three
Vanguard (Hardcover), July 1979
ISBN-10: 0-8149-0819-5 (0814908195)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8149-0819-8 (9780814908198)
The
Second Vespers
Vanguard (Hardcover), September 1980
ISBN-10: 0-8149-0837-3 (0814908373)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8149-0837-2 (9780814908372)
Thicker
Than Water
Vanguard (Hardcover), December 1981
ISBN-10: 0-8149-0858-6 (0814908586)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8149-0858-7 (9780814908587)
Loss
of Patients
Vanguard (Hardcover), November 1982
ISBN-10: 0-8149-0864-0 (0814908640)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8149-0864-8 (9780814908648)
The
Grass Widow
Vanguard (Hardcover), October 1983
ISBN-10: 0-8149-0866-7 (0814908667)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8149-0866-2 (9780814908662)
Getting
a Way with Murder
Vanguard (Hardcover), October 1984
ISBN-10: 0-8149-0894-2 (0814908942)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8149-0894-5 (9780814908945)
Rest
in Pieces
Vanguard (Hardcover), October 1985
ISBN-10: 0-8149-0905-1 (0814909051)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8149-0905-8 (9780814909058)
The
Basket Case
St. Martin's Press (Hardcover), October 1987
ISBN-10: 0-312-00997-6 (0312009976)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-00997-7 (9780312009977)
Abracadaver
St. Martin's Press (Hardcover), February 1989
ISBN-10: 0-312-02533-5 (0312025335)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-02533-5 (9780312025335)
Judas
Priest
St. Martin's Press (Hardcover), October 1991
ISBN-10: 0-312-06375-X (031206375X)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-06375-7 (9780312063757)
Desert
Sinner
St. Martin's Press (Hardcover), November 1992
ISBN-10: 0-312-08177-4 (0312081774)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-08177-5 (9780312081775)
Seed
of Doubt
St. Martin's Press (Hardcover), May 1993
ISBN-10: 0-312-09381-0 (0312093810)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-09381-5 (9780312093815)
Cardinal
Offense
St. Martin's Press (Hardcover), November 1994
ISBN-10: 0-312-11283-1 (0312112831)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-11283-7 (9780312112837)
The
Tears of Things
St. Martin's Press (Hardcover), November 1996
ISBN-10: 0-312-14746-5 (0312147465)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-14746-4 (9780312147464)
Grave
Undertakings
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), November 2000
ISBN-10: 0-312-20309-8 (0312203098)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-20309-2 (9780312203092)
Unbound
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), April 2001
ISBN-10: 0-312-70145-4 (0312701454)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-70145-1 (9780312701451)
Prodigal
Father
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), July 2002
ISBN-10: 0-312-29129-9 (0312291299)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-29129-7 (9780312291297)
Last
Things
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), July 2003
ISBN-10: 0-312-30899-X (031230899X)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-30899-5 (9780312308995)
Requiem
for a Realtor
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), July 2004
ISBN-10: 0-312-32417-0 (0312324170)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-32417-9 (9780312324179)
Blood
Ties
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), July 2005
ISBN-10: 0-312-33690-X (031233690X)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-33690-5 (9780312336905)
The
Prudence of Flesh
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), August 2006
ISBN-10: 0-312-35144-5 (0312351445)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-35144-1 (9780312351441)
The
Widow's Mate
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), August 2007
ISBN-10: 0-312-36455-5 (0312364555)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-36455-7 (9780312364557)
Ash
Wednesday
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), July 2008
ISBN-10: 0-312-36456-3 (0312364563)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-36456-4 (9780312364564)
Stained Glass
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), October 2009
ISBN-10: 0-312-58264-1 (0312582641)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-58264-7 (9780312582647)
Omnimystery
keywords for Stained Glass
...
Location(s) referenced: Chicago,
Illinois.
