Stained Glass

Father Dowling #31

by Ralph McInerny

Art is long…

And life is short. Word has come to Father Dowling that his beloved St. Hilary's is about to be closed. While the popular parish priest manages to take the curveballs of life—and death—in stride, his flock is in an uproar. Especially the church's most influential benefactor. Her grandfather commissioned a famous artist to create St. Hilary's gorgeous stained-glass windows generations ago. Now she's using her family fortune to pay a writer to showcase the artist's work and hopes to save the church.

But skeletons in the family closet start rattling with the discovery of a body hanging in a garage. The victim is misidentified until surprising details link her to the church benefactor's family. Will Father Dowling and the St. Hilary's community unearth the deepest secrets of a family, a community and a church in time to save them all?

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

298 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Ralph Matthew McInerny was an American Catholic religious scholar and fiction writer, including mysteries and science fiction. Some of his fiction has appeared under the pseudonyms of Harry Austin, Matthew FitzRalph, Ernan Mackey, Edward Mackin, and Monica Quill. As a mystery writer he is best known as the creator of Father Dowling. He was Professor of Philosophy, Director of the Jacques Maritain Center, and Michael P. Grace Professor of Medieval Studies at the University of Notre Dame until his retirement in June 2009. He died of esophageal cancer on January 29, 2010.

Reviews

[Marloes D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Father Dowling is de pastoor van St. Hilary's in Chicago. Op een dag hoort hij dat zijn kerk misschien gesloten gaat worden en uiteraard probeert hij dit te voorkomen. Ondertussen reageren al zijn parochianen anders. Zo is de familie Severe, die de glas in lood ramen heeft betaald, faliekant tegen omdat de ramen in de kerk horen waar ze voor ontworpen zijn. Wat vaste personages Marie Murkin (huishoudster) en Edna Hospers (senioren centrum) vinden, laat zich raden. Dan worden er moorden gepleegd. Zal Father Dowling de moorden op kunnen lossen terwijl hij op het besluit van de kardinaal wacht?

Er zijn veel personages en ze zijn allemaal plat. Hoe
zij met elkaar en met de situatie omgaan is een belangrijk deel van het verhaal, net als kerkelijke politiek. Daarom denk ik dat dit boek vooral leuk is voor mensen die zelf praktiserend rk zijn.

***Spoiler*** er zijn eigenlijk maar twee serieuse verdachten: een man die een boek over Menotti schrijft en een van Menotti's kleinzoons. Het is me uiteindelijk niet duidelijk wat het motief is. Uiteindelijk speelt Father Dowling geen rol bij het oplossen van de misdaad maar vertelt een aangetrouwde Devere hem wel een familie geheim: ze heeft een affaire met Menotti gehad en denkt dat hij de vader van haar kind was, waardoor haar kleindochter Susan en Menotti's kleinzoon (tweelingbroer van de dader) niet met elkaar mogen trouwen. Gelukkig blijkt het niet waar te zijn. Als Father Dowling weer thuis komt, krijgt hij een telefoontje met goed nieuws.

[Lucretia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick read and somewhat entertaining. There are a lot of characters and the action is confusing, but it does have some humorous parts and good puns. It's an older book and lacks what we now expect of character development. Admittedly, it is #31 in the series and might have been more comfortable for a reader who'd read more of them.

[David Meyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a hard read for me. The pages just didn't fly for such a small book. I feel bad because I loved watching Father Dowling on TV.
It was very predictable fo solve, but it took forever to get there.

[Angela]

Just as much fun as the tv series about the United Kingdom Rector. Well developed quirky characters skillfully woven to a satisfying conclusion.

[Travelmaven · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slower pace. Lots of characters. Didn't grab me. Plot was pretty easy to figure out.

[Becky Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good book.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just a little too much like the rest of the series; the Catholic is never the guilty one. Kind of predictible. That being said I enjoy his writing style and the interesting insights into how the Catholic hierachy works. One thing that really bugs me is the large emphasis on drinking and smoking. Do that many people still drink and smoke? Or is the priest just obsessed with it?

[Beverley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good read for a lazy afternoon. The plot revolves around a church closing and the effect on the surrounding community. The plot seems simple until the murders occur. It has a perfect ending.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Father Dowling mystery. Peopleattached to the wealthy Dveres family are been killed and Father Dowling investigates which struggling to save his church.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting book with a great story line. It just doesn't seem like classroom material for me, but a possibility to have on the book shelf.

[V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lazy afternoon read - Father Dowling Mystery . . .

[Indie Book Reviews · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was so incredibly boring and predictable that I am glad I didn't waste my time reading any of the others in the series.