"very entertaining amateur sleuth"
Father Roger Dowling, the priest of St. Hilary's church in
Fox River, Illinois, is rather shocked when Eleanor Wygnant
who is not a member of his congregation, asks him to stop
Jessica Bernardo from writing a book about her family.
Realizing that Jessica's doings are not his concern, he
refuses to talk to the woman. The Bernardos are going
through a difficult time of it right now with the patriarch
of the family hospitalized and not expected to survive. His son Raymond, who he hasn't seen in a decade, returns
home knowing that his father despises him for leaving the
priesthood and running away to California with a woman he
later marries. Eleanor is worried that once Raymond's
father dies, the love letter she wrote him during an affair
will become public and hurt her sister-in-law. Raymond's
younger brother Andrew, a college teacher with tenure is
being held in jail on a homicide charge. Father Dowling
doesn't think Andrew is guilty and sets out to prove it. LAST THINGS is a very entertaining amateur sleuth novel
starring a protagonist who is so likable readers will feel
an immediate bond with him. Much of this novel is a
relationship drama starring the Bernardo family and it is
only the last quarter when the mystery really takes off.
In fact, this is one Father Dowling mystery in which the
popular priest plays a secondary albeit important role.
Ralph McInerny has written another pleasing who done it. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted June 8, 2003
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