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The Search for Saint Valeria
Life is never dull in William Biersach's mythical city of Los Angeles. In The Search for Saint Valeria, the third entry in the series, cop-turned-priest Fr. John Baptist and his faithful sidekick, gardener and chronicler, Martin Feeney, are once again on the trail of the unusual and strange. Why is someone stealing discarded religious objects - relics, altars, chalices - from the city's antique shops? And why on earth would modern-day grave robbers want to steal the remains of a 4th century Saint from New Golgotha Cemetery? In this fast-paced story, replete with a cast of memorable characters, a healthy dose of red herrings, and a generous helping of humour, there is always more than meets the eye, whether in means, motives, or methods. What with the hallowed history of the mystery genre, some readers might be tempted to suppose that it has all been done. In his Father Baptist series, William Biersach disproves this notion with a vengeance. These stories are fresh, intricate, vibrant, and a heck of a lot of fun! The Search for Saint Valeria is indeed a noble addition to the canon.
- GenresFiction
210 pages, Paperback
First published August 21, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 12, 2013
traditionalist, satire, detective
The Good: fast-paced story; big plot twists
The Bad: N/A
The third book in the Father Baptist Series
Characters:
With the plot written so expeditiously, there is less focus on happenings with the characters. Nevertheless, there are some fantastic characters added to the list that spice things up.
Sybil Wexler has been transferred from forensics to the burglary department in the LAPD. She is not Catholic, although she is friendly, and harbors no bias against Catholic beliefs. With all the recent robberies of religious objects, she wants to learn about Catholic relics. Sybil had been involved in the previous two books, but only as a phone presence, talking to Fr. Baptist. Finally, Biersach unleashes her on the readers, and boy, what an unleashing! Here is Martin's initial reaction to her: The shoes were red, and they were attached to a pair of shapely leg – legs that were bisected by the most beautiful set of female fulcra I had ever seen. Martin is a self-proclaimed "philofulcrapher," so he is always on the lookout for great fulcra. Anyhow, Martin continues:
In that simple action of her head and hair, the whole scenario of "Martin and Sybil" whirled past my eyes; the love, the tenderness, the hopes, the dreams, the wedding, the honeymoon, the in-laws, the pregnancy, the birth, the midnight feedings, the diaper service, the in-laws, the pregnancy, the birth, the in-laws, the pregnancy, the birth of twins, the in-laws... Yes, it all went roaring by; and when I snapped back into focus I remembered why I had never married, and probably never would. Still ... she was gorgeous.
As you can see, Martin is quite smitten with Ms. Wexler. However, he is not so smitten with her partner, Lieutenant Tragg Holcomb. His description of Tragg has a slightly different connotation:
The man shaking my hand looked as though he had been molded of sopping wet clay and left under a UV lamp to dry. He was fifty or so, balding, with large drooping ears. His suit hung crookedly from his stooped shoulders.
It's funny to see how Martin's hatred of Tragg manifests itself into such vicious descriptions.
Lieutenant Holcomb has no charm, courtesy, or humor. He is one of those smug, unpleasant cops that are a pain to deal with. As Martin says, he's the type of person where you realize, the more they smile, the less they mean it. Holcomb is especially suspicious of Fr. Baptist for certain historical reasons concerning Guillaume du Crane. All in all, Holcomb is very effective as an antagonist.
Roderick Roundhead, heir of the Roundhead Manhole Cover fortune, has an aura, and a presence around him that no other character has yet to achieve in the Father Baptist series, in that you feel that he is a supreme behind-the-scenes force to be reckoned with. His power trumps that of Archbishop Morley because although powerful, Morley is depicted as an idiot and therefore can be manipulated by his vulnerabilities. On the other hand, Roundhead is cool-headed, an adept diplomat, and skilled in all the ways that you'd expect a person of great power to be. He's a somewhat complex character in that he's not a villain, and yet not a hero. All that matters is that he is a major player in the Catholic world.
The usual cast of characters are all back. Monsignor Havermeyer finally has his chance to give confessions and say a Latin Mass. The Tumblars are still out and about with their lively antics. And Millie still banging her pots and pans into oblivion.
Plot:
Cardinal Fulbright has ordered the transfer of the relics of Saint Valeria from her resting place under the high altar in the cathedral to the mausoleum in New Golgotha Cemetery. It's one step in his plan to tear down the old cathedral so he can build a "modern monstrosity" as Martin calls it, in its place. This coincides with the spirit of Vatican II: out with the old, in with the new. Following in step, other modernist parishes are junking all of their relics, selling them to pawnshops. But coincidentally, there has been a string of pawnshop robberies with so many of these old relics being stolen.
The Cardinal calls Fr. Baptist in for help because a golden chalice of his has been stolen. He greatly values it, as it was a gift from Professor Murkenstein, a mentor from his university. Several other priceless relics of saints were stolen in the same robbery, but the Cardinal places no value on them, regarding them as junk.
Despite the fact that theft of religious objects isn't as attractive as occult murders or vampirism, Biersach still finds a way to make things tense. The story is quite engaging, as both Fr. Baptist and the Tumblars find themselves in serious jeopardy with the law. The cop-turned-priest and his faithful sidekick are eventually forced to delve deep into the criminal underworld of the mystical city of Los Angeles to solve this mystery.
Style:
There is always at least some nonfiction quality to Biersach's books where the reader learns something new about the Faith. In this book, the reader learns all about relics such as the different classes of relics and why they're important. It should be noted that, in his author note preceding the story, Biersach states that St. Valeria is an amalgamation of several virgin martyrs of the early church.
With its length standing at a modest 212 pages, the best word to describe the style for The Search for Saint Valeria would be "expeditious." When embarking on Biersach's other novels, you had to strap in, realizing that all non-essential life duties would be put on hold until the book was finished. While that's also the case with The Search for Saint Valeria, it's for a much smaller time span, so you don't feel the same amount of pressure. So sit back, relax, and enjoy yet another outstanding monument erected by Biersach in defense of Catholic tradition.
The Good: fast-paced story; big plot twists
The Bad: N/A
The third book in the Father Baptist Series
Characters:
With the plot written so expeditiously, there is less focus on happenings with the characters. Nevertheless, there are some fantastic characters added to the list that spice things up.
Sybil Wexler has been transferred from forensics to the burglary department in the LAPD. She is not Catholic, although she is friendly, and harbors no bias against Catholic beliefs. With all the recent robberies of religious objects, she wants to learn about Catholic relics. Sybil had been involved in the previous two books, but only as a phone presence, talking to Fr. Baptist. Finally, Biersach unleashes her on the readers, and boy, what an unleashing! Here is Martin's initial reaction to her: The shoes were red, and they were attached to a pair of shapely leg – legs that were bisected by the most beautiful set of female fulcra I had ever seen. Martin is a self-proclaimed "philofulcrapher," so he is always on the lookout for great fulcra. Anyhow, Martin continues:
In that simple action of her head and hair, the whole scenario of "Martin and Sybil" whirled past my eyes; the love, the tenderness, the hopes, the dreams, the wedding, the honeymoon, the in-laws, the pregnancy, the birth, the midnight feedings, the diaper service, the in-laws, the pregnancy, the birth, the in-laws, the pregnancy, the birth of twins, the in-laws... Yes, it all went roaring by; and when I snapped back into focus I remembered why I had never married, and probably never would. Still ... she was gorgeous.
As you can see, Martin is quite smitten with Ms. Wexler. However, he is not so smitten with her partner, Lieutenant Tragg Holcomb. His description of Tragg has a slightly different connotation:
The man shaking my hand looked as though he had been molded of sopping wet clay and left under a UV lamp to dry. He was fifty or so, balding, with large drooping ears. His suit hung crookedly from his stooped shoulders.
It's funny to see how Martin's hatred of Tragg manifests itself into such vicious descriptions.
Lieutenant Holcomb has no charm, courtesy, or humor. He is one of those smug, unpleasant cops that are a pain to deal with. As Martin says, he's the type of person where you realize, the more they smile, the less they mean it. Holcomb is especially suspicious of Fr. Baptist for certain historical reasons concerning Guillaume du Crane. All in all, Holcomb is very effective as an antagonist.
Roderick Roundhead, heir of the Roundhead Manhole Cover fortune, has an aura, and a presence around him that no other character has yet to achieve in the Father Baptist series, in that you feel that he is a supreme behind-the-scenes force to be reckoned with. His power trumps that of Archbishop Morley because although powerful, Morley is depicted as an idiot and therefore can be manipulated by his vulnerabilities. On the other hand, Roundhead is cool-headed, an adept diplomat, and skilled in all the ways that you'd expect a person of great power to be. He's a somewhat complex character in that he's not a villain, and yet not a hero. All that matters is that he is a major player in the Catholic world.
The usual cast of characters are all back. Monsignor Havermeyer finally has his chance to give confessions and say a Latin Mass. The Tumblars are still out and about with their lively antics. And Millie still banging her pots and pans into oblivion.
Plot:
Cardinal Fulbright has ordered the transfer of the relics of Saint Valeria from her resting place under the high altar in the cathedral to the mausoleum in New Golgotha Cemetery. It's one step in his plan to tear down the old cathedral so he can build a "modern monstrosity" as Martin calls it, in its place. This coincides with the spirit of Vatican II: out with the old, in with the new. Following in step, other modernist parishes are junking all of their relics, selling them to pawnshops. But coincidentally, there has been a string of pawnshop robberies with so many of these old relics being stolen.
The Cardinal calls Fr. Baptist in for help because a golden chalice of his has been stolen. He greatly values it, as it was a gift from Professor Murkenstein, a mentor from his university. Several other priceless relics of saints were stolen in the same robbery, but the Cardinal places no value on them, regarding them as junk.
Despite the fact that theft of religious objects isn't as attractive as occult murders or vampirism, Biersach still finds a way to make things tense. The story is quite engaging, as both Fr. Baptist and the Tumblars find themselves in serious jeopardy with the law. The cop-turned-priest and his faithful sidekick are eventually forced to delve deep into the criminal underworld of the mystical city of Los Angeles to solve this mystery.
Style:
There is always at least some nonfiction quality to Biersach's books where the reader learns something new about the Faith. In this book, the reader learns all about relics such as the different classes of relics and why they're important. It should be noted that, in his author note preceding the story, Biersach states that St. Valeria is an amalgamation of several virgin martyrs of the early church.
With its length standing at a modest 212 pages, the best word to describe the style for The Search for Saint Valeria would be "expeditious." When embarking on Biersach's other novels, you had to strap in, realizing that all non-essential life duties would be put on hold until the book was finished. While that's also the case with The Search for Saint Valeria, it's for a much smaller time span, so you don't feel the same amount of pressure. So sit back, relax, and enjoy yet another outstanding monument erected by Biersach in defense of Catholic tradition.
Read
October 30, 2024I have stuck with this series....so I must like them. However, they get a little tedious and "over explanatory" for me.
I am also VERY frustrated that Vol. 5 just "ends with no ending" and there is no follow up. Is Mr. Biersach dead? There is nothing since 2014, or am I missing something?
I am also VERY frustrated that Vol. 5 just "ends with no ending" and there is no follow up. Is Mr. Biersach dead? There is nothing since 2014, or am I missing something?
March 3, 2020
Brilliant
So glad it did not go where I feared it would, but where it lead me was enthralling and noble.
So glad it did not go where I feared it would, but where it lead me was enthralling and noble.
April 19, 2010
In his book, The Search for Saint Valeria, author William L. Biersach brings to the reader a creative mystery hunt for lost-and-found ancient relics where Fr. Baptist and his sidekick gardener, Mr. Feeney, find themselves searching for the dead among the living.
The book cover shows a young woman sitting near an open window praying silently while there is a silhouette approaching her room outside her house. These elements are part of the scheme of the Knights Tumblar, along with other unexpected collaborators and perpetrators, to return a valuable relic to the rightful owner.
The story begins with the first encounter of Fr. Baptist, Mr. Feeney and Burglary officer, Sybil Wexler, regarding recent robberies of antique shops that are selling discarded Catholic accouterments to collectors, such as tabernacles, altar bells, and vestments, among other items of interest. Known for his keen ability to solve unusual cases, Ms. Wexler comes to Fr. Baptist looking for answers and to have a better understanding of the value of the relics, their authenticity, and possible motive for the robberies. These robberies, however, seem to coincide with Cardinal Fulbright's order to transfer the relic of Saint Valeria from the cathedral's high altar to an unidentified niche within the lower alcove in the mausoleum at New Golgotha Cemetery.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Fulbright's Murkenstein cup and other reliquaries are stolen from his private collection located in his office. He calls Fr. Baptist to help him locate and return this precious chalice to him, as the Cardinal does not trust Ms. Wexler to do this job.
During the remaining of the story, Fr. Baptist and Mr. Feeney's parallel investigation with Ms. Wexler and her insolent partner causes some friction among them and creates suspicious, as the number of robberies in various antiques shops' in the area continue to escalate with no clue of the identities of the perpetrators, and the motives remain a mystery to them all. Nevertheless, Fr. Baptist's web of connections in all levels of society from his former cop days give him a cutting edge advantage over the unexperienced Ms. Wexler. Fr. Baptist contacts Ernie, who gets him in touch with “Some Guy” in his efforts to find the ultimate buyer. This will take Fr. Baptist and Mr. Feeney to the underground world, where only the bold and the brave dare to go alone to far away dark places, hoping to find the missing link to all the unpredictable circumstances surrounding this case.
At the end of the book, Fr. Baptist is fathom at the role of the Knight Tumblar, Arthur's narcoleptic sister, Beth, and other respectable figures in the Church, who were collaborating to find the relic of their beloved Saint Valeria and return it to its rightful place of rest.
One of the elements that make Mr. Biersach's stories so entertaining, intriguing, and fascinating is his ability to weave together elements from his previous books into the current story. Everything is a continuation in some form or another of a previous case solved by Fr. Baptist and Mr. Feeney. On this particular story the reader will be delighted by the new and unexpected state of affairs between Millie, the cook, and Monsignor Havermeyer.
I highly recommend this book to readers looking for an avid detective relic hunt and who think they are capable to solve the case as the clues are presented through Fr. Baptist's insights and analytical mind, Mr. Feeney gardener's tips, and Ms. Wexler's inept methods of investigation.
The clever and astonishing end would leave the reader wondering, 'is this possible'?
The book cover shows a young woman sitting near an open window praying silently while there is a silhouette approaching her room outside her house. These elements are part of the scheme of the Knights Tumblar, along with other unexpected collaborators and perpetrators, to return a valuable relic to the rightful owner.
The story begins with the first encounter of Fr. Baptist, Mr. Feeney and Burglary officer, Sybil Wexler, regarding recent robberies of antique shops that are selling discarded Catholic accouterments to collectors, such as tabernacles, altar bells, and vestments, among other items of interest. Known for his keen ability to solve unusual cases, Ms. Wexler comes to Fr. Baptist looking for answers and to have a better understanding of the value of the relics, their authenticity, and possible motive for the robberies. These robberies, however, seem to coincide with Cardinal Fulbright's order to transfer the relic of Saint Valeria from the cathedral's high altar to an unidentified niche within the lower alcove in the mausoleum at New Golgotha Cemetery.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Fulbright's Murkenstein cup and other reliquaries are stolen from his private collection located in his office. He calls Fr. Baptist to help him locate and return this precious chalice to him, as the Cardinal does not trust Ms. Wexler to do this job.
During the remaining of the story, Fr. Baptist and Mr. Feeney's parallel investigation with Ms. Wexler and her insolent partner causes some friction among them and creates suspicious, as the number of robberies in various antiques shops' in the area continue to escalate with no clue of the identities of the perpetrators, and the motives remain a mystery to them all. Nevertheless, Fr. Baptist's web of connections in all levels of society from his former cop days give him a cutting edge advantage over the unexperienced Ms. Wexler. Fr. Baptist contacts Ernie, who gets him in touch with “Some Guy” in his efforts to find the ultimate buyer. This will take Fr. Baptist and Mr. Feeney to the underground world, where only the bold and the brave dare to go alone to far away dark places, hoping to find the missing link to all the unpredictable circumstances surrounding this case.
At the end of the book, Fr. Baptist is fathom at the role of the Knight Tumblar, Arthur's narcoleptic sister, Beth, and other respectable figures in the Church, who were collaborating to find the relic of their beloved Saint Valeria and return it to its rightful place of rest.
One of the elements that make Mr. Biersach's stories so entertaining, intriguing, and fascinating is his ability to weave together elements from his previous books into the current story. Everything is a continuation in some form or another of a previous case solved by Fr. Baptist and Mr. Feeney. On this particular story the reader will be delighted by the new and unexpected state of affairs between Millie, the cook, and Monsignor Havermeyer.
I highly recommend this book to readers looking for an avid detective relic hunt and who think they are capable to solve the case as the clues are presented through Fr. Baptist's insights and analytical mind, Mr. Feeney gardener's tips, and Ms. Wexler's inept methods of investigation.
The clever and astonishing end would leave the reader wondering, 'is this possible'?
August 16, 2012
Probably the weaker of these novels. I remember reading somewhere that Mr. Biersach said that his last work the Darkness Did Not was truly a LABOR of love and took him forever. This one he said took him maybe a few weeks and in certain areas it shows. The story is interesting and I love the characters but it's not the strongest plot, nor are the moments as gripping as the Darkness Did Not. I still recommend it highly! A good quick read because it's rather short.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews