Ritual Death

Father Mark Townsend Mystery #2

by Brad Reynolds

A LEGACY OF LIES AND BLOODSHED Beneath the serene surface of LaConner, Washington--a popular and picturesque small town on the Northwest's Puget Sound--trouble is brewing between the local and Native American communities: a growing storm of suspicion and violence incited by long-standing prejudice. . .and recent murder.

As he does every week, Jesuit priest Father Mark Townsend has come to LaConner to visit his grandparents during the annual Tulip Festival in the Skagit Valley. But this time a corpse awaits him--the body of his grandfather's best friend, Dutch Olsen, a man well known for his hatred of Swinomish Indian fishing practices, and for his passion for illegal treasure-hunting on tribal lands. Now Father Townsend is caught in the middle of a volatile conflict involving stolen artifacts and vanishing salmon crops. And it's up to him to solve a mystery that could mark his grandfather as a murderer. . .and bring deadly crimes of the past to life again.

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook

242 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 1997

About the author

Brad Reynolds, S.J. is a Jesuit priest at Portland, Oregon, where he served as the executive assistant to the Provincial for the Jesuits. Like his creation Father Mark Townsend, he used to live in Alaska, and writes about native life there with real understanding. He is the author of the four books, and has had over 300 articles published in numerous magazines and newspapers, including National Geographic, America, Alaska and American Scholar. These are often illustrated by his own photographs. In Fall 2006 he was artist-in-residence at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. His work for National Geographic helped form the basis for his first book, The Story Knife. He has described himself as "introvert and melancholic".

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

"A LEGACY OF LIES AND BLOODSHED

"Beneath the serene surface of LaConner, Washington -- a popular and picturesque small town on the Northwest's Puget Sound -- trouble is brewing between the local and Native American communities: a growing storm of suspicion and violence incited by long-standing prejudice . . . and recent murder.

"As he does every year, Jesuit priest Father Mark Townsend has come to LaConner to visit his grandparents during the annual Tulip Festival in the Skagit Valley. But this time a corpse awaits him -- the body of his grandfather's best friend, Dutch Olsen, a man well known for his hatred of Swinomish Indian fishing practices, and for his passions for illegal treasusre-hunting on tribal lands. Now Father Townsend is caught in the middle of a volatile conflict involving stolen artifacts and vanishing salmon crops. And it's up to him to solve a mystery that could mark his grandfather as a murderer ... and bring deadly crimes of the past to life again.'
~~back cover

I enjoyed this book very much. The descriptions of the landscape were very accurately done, and the characterization was very well developed: the various characters all seemed like someone you might know in y our own neighborhood. The plot was quite well done ... making solving the murder impossible. Until the end, of course.

A very solid read, and one that was difficult to put down.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took a little while to catch my interest, but once it did, it didn't let go. It was a birthday gift from a friend a while ago and I hung onto it because I enjoy mysteries and this one is set in Washington State, where I used to live. I kind of liked the discussion of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, which I have visited.

There were a couple minor issues with the book, most notably the description of one character as Oriental as opposed to Asian. Otherwise the story of rez life vs white suburban life rang true in many ways. The mystery aspect was well done and even the faith aspects of the story, including Native cultural points, was handled well. A good book to finish up the year with.

[Kathy KS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jesuit priest Father Mark Townsend is visiting his grandparents in their small town on Washington's Puget Sound, during the annual Tulip Festival. But when the body of his grandfather's best friend is found, tensions mount between the locals and the nearby Native American community.

I'll be reading the third volume in the series.

[Vic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this book throws around the geography of the region and talks about the Native American culture, it does not explain much, and there are a number of story threads that are left dangling. A quick read, but not the greatest.

[Barbara Bengston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Father Townsend visits his grandparents in LaConnor, WA.

[Georgene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like "local" mysteries, even though "local" in this case is 200 miles away. While not a "edge of your seat" story, it was well written & well researched. Sorry. No spoilers here!

[Stsh88 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book was okay but enjoyed reading about the Washington state area.