The Vanishing Woman: A Father Gabriel Mystery

Father Gabriel #2

by Fiorella De Maria

In this next book in the mystery series by the popular British author, Fr Gabriel has been sent by his Abbot to assist at a church in a small town where the parish priest, Fr Foley, is recovering from a heart attack.

Enid Jennings is the most hated woman in town, a retired headmistress and embittered war widow, who has a talent for causing conflict and distress wherever she goes. When Enid's downtrodden daughter, Agnes, sees her mother vanish into thin air virtually in front of her, she is widely assumed to have been mistaken or to have lost her mind - her story is simply too far-fetched to be believed. Enter Fr Gabriel, working on the principle that some stories are too strange to have been made up, who sets out to discover the whereabouts of Enid Jennings, the cause of her seemingly miraculous disappearance and the person or persons responsible.

With help from the town's physician and hostility from the irascible Inspector Applegate, Fr. Gabriel delves deeply into Enid Jennings' tragic past, searching for any clue that might lead him to find her. But one mystery only leads him to a darker, more inexplicable disappearance from the days of the Phony War, when invaders lay in wait across the Channel and crimes were just a little easier to hide...

Genres: Fiction, Mystery

250 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2018

About the author

Fiorella De Maria is an Anglo-Maltese writer, born in Italy and currently living in Surrey. She grew up in rural Wiltshire and attended Cambridge University, where she received a BA in English Literature and an MPhil in Renaissance Literature. A winner of the National Book Prize of Malta, she has published nine novels, specialising in historical and crime fiction. Fiorella’s novels have received endorsements from veteran author and journalist, Piers Paul Reid, and her most recent novel was described as “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie meets I Capture the Castle.”

Besides writing novels, Fiorella is a qualified English Language teacher and a respected bioethicist. She has delivered lectures and papers at conferences all over the world. Her book The Abolition of Woman was described by former Cosmopolitan journalist Sue Ellen Browder as “a daring revelation of the shocking exploitation of women around the world”. Fiorella has appeared on British radio and TV programmes such as ITN 24-Hour News, BBC Woman’s Hour and Premier Radio’s Woman 2 Woman. Fiorella lives with her husband, four children and a dog called Montgomery (Monty).

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

My excitement at seeing a new Father Gabriel book from Fiorella de Maria was akin to how some people I know will react when the new season of Stranger Things drops on Netflix.

First, there was the anticipation before it arrived by mail. (Why didn’t I just go for total instant gratification and get the Kindle version? I knew I’d want the actual book. There’s a joy in that. I embraced it.)

Then there was the opening of the package.

And then, then, there was the gazing upon it as I bustled along with my work, getting things done before my week off for the county fair.

Ah, the joy of reading it. The sweltering barn, the feel of straw permeating every strange part of my foot (socks and shoes can’t keep it out), the leaking of my tea onto my leg, the grime-covered and whiny-faced toddler…none of this could detract the sheer pleasure of once more following the adventures of Father Gabriel.

He’s the sort of man you want to bring over to dinner and maybe smack in the face. You get the feeling, at first, that maybe Fr. Gabriel’s not the brightest bulb, but don’t be fooled.

He’ll have you laughing even as you scratch your head. He’s not a character who’s really there to amuse you; he’s the main character in a mystery, so let’s not forget that we are solving important things here, figuring out the path of the plot, following along with what he’s had for dinner.

Because Fr. Gabriel likes his food. (And I do not blame him one little bit.) And he also just can’t seem to help it, getting muddled up in the midst of things.

There’s just so much to love about Fr. Gabriel.

This is a lovely and delightful read, and I couldn’t help but bask a bit as I read it (despite the discomfort of the fair setting). Want to understand mercy and charity? Forget the theological books: Read a good story. (Dare I suggest this one?)

Highly recommended…and you may even be able to resist the temptation to stay up all night reading it… 😉

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the seventh book by Fiorella de Maria that I have read over the last few months. Six of the volumes are in print and easy to access. Nd there are two others that are out of print as well. After I read A Most Dangerous Innocence, I picked up all the eBooks available of works by Fiorella De Maria and set to work tracking down the three that do not have electronic editions. And all of them have been excellent reads. There are very few authors who have so completely captured my attention and driven me to track down all of their books I could lay my hands on. The others were J.F. Powers, Alice Curtayne, and Theresa Linden, all three Catholic authors like Fiorella. And unlike the first two passed away long before I encountered their works, I can expect more to read from Linden and de Maria. There is such power in the narratives that Fiorella writes that even after I have read all of them I know that I will return and read some of them over and over again.

This is the second of the Father Gabriel mysteries I have read. And it continues some time after the first. The priest is on lone from his monastery to assist a nearby small-town priest who is recovering from heart surgery. And in this instance, he is practically invited to investigate a mystery. For he is called by the brother of one of his parishioners, after their mother has disappeared, and the woman believes she saw her, and she vanished almost instantly on the way home to their cottage.

At first it is just a missing person. But once a body is found, several miles down river then Inspector Applegate is called in. It seems that there is no one in town who will truly miss the victim, including her own son and daughter. And many who have grievances with her. The inspector suspects one person whom Father Gabriel is certain is innocent. And thus the two clash once again.

During this story Father Gabriel uncovers the secrets of several people in this small town. A local author, the bookstore owner, and even the young woman at the center of the story. There are several excellent twists and turn in the plot. The characters are one of the best things in de Maria’s writing.

Coming back to a Father Gabriel story after two months was like a visit with an old friend. The book was incredible hard to put down, and I can only hope we will have many more father Gabriel stories in the future.

This is an intriguing mystery set in a small town in England. The book was incredibly addictive and very hard to put down. I stated of the first Father Gabriel Mystery that “ in some ways feels like a cross between a Blackie Ryan mystery by Andrew M. Greeley and a the Inspector Tom Tyler series by Maureen Jennings”. And that sentiment remains, but as much as I enjoyed both those authors and series, this book Far surpasses them. This is the first of two currently available father Gabriel Mysteries, and as stated I hope there are many more to come. A great historical fiction mystery, an excellent read.

Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by JFiorella de Maria. As well as an author profile and interview with Fiorella.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2019 Catholic Reading Plan!

[Jeff Koloze · Rating 5 out of 5]

For sheer escapism, Fiorella De Maria's mystery is well worth the time to read. The novel leads the reader with clues and "casual" comments which manifest their significance later in the work, all of which lead to a delightful "I knew the murderer was...!" towards novel's end.

The setting (post-war Britain, 1947) conjures images of Sherlock Holmes (the Basil Rathbone version of all those famous black-and-white 1940s films he made) and Miss Marple, and the hero, Father Gabriel, is the Father Brown for the twenty-first century reading audience.

Best of all is the denouement where the "vile old bat" (181) is justly condemned for her meanness; the murderer (if the term applies) get his or her justice; the laughable sexual reference to "short and painfuls" (197) would appeal to the guys; and the boy-gets-the-girl conclusion to one pair of characters (Father Gabriel is a sly little matchmaker) would bring tears to the gals, especially if this novel is made into a film.

It's too bad that we readers can't stay in De Maria's world a little longer, but the politics of 2026 await.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s enjoyable and it aspires to the study of human nature like Father Brown books and Agatha Christie. The writing is a bit lacking in the character development. Father Gabriel is a bit flat. He doesn’t need to be a struggling and tormented character, I just wish he was more interesting, since the mystery was so straightforward.

[Brace1737 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This mystery novel is a cozy set in post World War II England. The nastiest woman in Father Gabriel's village disappears and only he seems to really care.

Comment:
Readers would be better off with the Wind River mysteries by Margaret Coel.

[R. Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great mystery with the backdrop of Christianity and/or the Church. It was a great plot. I wasn't able to guess the "who done it" part. Loved the characters, the times, everything about it.

[Reed Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good choice of a book for the St. Mary's book club.

[October671 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite good. I wish I had read the first one in the series first.

[Jeff Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed this and will be looking up the other entries in this series. Solid mystery and a believable priest as an accidental detective.

[Laura Aumen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-told, complex, and moving mystery by a Catholic author. Looking forward to reading more.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started off fine, but when Father Gabriel began drawing his conclusions about what had happened, it felt like he was pulling things out of thin air.

[Sarah Morel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Many facets to the case and it was all tied together nicely. The beginning was a tiny bit slow, but once I got into the story it was hard to put down.