"Kienzle's twenty-first Father Koesler novel is distinguished by a unique twist that will appeal to seasoned mystery fans tired of prefabricated formulas and timeworn plots." —Booklist"Kienzle's grasp and detailing of church problems is impressive. Well-conceived characters . . . add depth to the conflicts. And the structure of the book is unusual. . . . The plot thus plays itself out neither as a whodunit or a whydunit, but as a tragedy and morality play that develops slowly and inevitably to a violent climax." —Publishers Weekly From William X. Kienzle, author of the classic mystery, The Rosary Murders.Father Robert Koesler has retired from St. Joseph's parish—"old St. Joe's downtown" as it was familiarly known—where Father Zachary Tully has become his successor. Upon his return from vacation, Father Koesler finds a message from an old friend, Patrick McNiff, now a bishop and rector of St. Joseph's Seminary. McNiff asks...

"The clever plot, the subtle clues, and above all, the ideas make this well worth reading." —West Coast Review of BooksFrom William X. Kienzle, author of the classic mystery, The Rosary Murders.When Father George Wheatley decided to convert from the Anglican Church to the Roman Catholic, he thought he had painstakingly considered the sacrifices he would have to make. He knew his celebrity status as a beloved Anglican priest, evidenced by his newspaper column and radio show, would be in jeopardy. He understood the strain the change would put on his wife and children and the challenges he would face to be accepted as a married Roman Catholic priest. He even acknowledged that reactionaries in both camps would oppose such a spiritual changeover. But he never dreamed that his decision would breed such waves of ambition, jealousy, and hatred that the ultimate human sacrifice—murder—would be the result. Nor did he appreciated how much of a...

"The realistic setting, discussions of theology and humanism add to the appealing the author's new urbane, witty mystery.—Publishers Weekly"Score another direct hit by Father Koesler and William Kienzle." —Kansas City StarIn Deathbed, the eighth book in a series by acclaimed mystery writer William X. Kienzle, Father Robert Koesler takes on a temporary tour of duty as chaplain in a Detroit hospital whose dark passageways lead eventually to murder. But along the way, the antics of a security guard, a few nurse's aides, and a bumbling volunteer lead to madcap mayhem in a deft (and daft) counterpoint to the unfolding mystery.Deathbed follows the tracks of at least four people in St. Vincent's Hospital in Detroit whose rancor toward a single individual is so great it could translate into violence. The object of their wrath is an indomitable, unsinkable nun in her late sixties who almost single-handedly...

"Kienzle's books have built a strong following of dedicated readers. Besider their engrossing plots (more twists than a French braid), each offers insight into Catholic tradition and doctrine. The character development is at its very best when Koesler converses with other clergy. . . . In Requiem, it's the hilarious joke-telling and oddly thought-provoking conversation with a rabbi." —Deseret News"Kienzle, whose Father Koesler mysteries have been consistent bestsellers, has done his usual fine work here. In Requiem for Moses, he presents us with an intriguing puzzle, makes us labor alongside his hero to solve it, and ties up all the loose ends in an eminently satisfying way." —West Coast Review of BooksFrom William X. Kienzle, author of the classic mystery, The Rosary Murders.Everyone at the wake seemed to agree on one thing: The deceased, Dr. Moses Green, was a totally reprehensible person. As they confide in Father Robert...

"This nineteenth Father Koesler mystery is packed with Kienzle's signature twists and turns, but is different from the previous mysteries. In this story, Father Koesler takes a vacation from his parish and the sleuthing is carried on by his replacement, Father Zachary Tully." —London (Ont.) Free PressFrom William X. Kienzle, the author of the classic mystery, The Rosary Murders."What if he were killed? What if someone killed him? She shuddered. But . . . it would go a long way to solving her problem. She wondered idly if such a thing could be . . . arranged?"An unplanned, unwanted pregnancy. The grand opening of a branch bank in a dangerous part of town. A vacation for Father Robert Koesler. Half-brothers who have never met, one a visiting priest, the other a hometown cop. A dinner party with unsuspecting guests. A philanthropic bank president described as a man who love God. And that's just the beginning of the intrigue in William X....

"Readers will be turning the pages into the wee hours of the night, trying to solve the mystery along with Tully and Koesler." — West Coast Review of Books Has the Detroit Police Department found the perpetrator of one of the most gruesome serial murders in Detroit's history—the brutal mutilation of prostitutes? Father Robert Koesler has a special interest in solving one of the most challenging cases in his career. In this tenth Kienzle mystery, Koesler—Detroit's most famous Catholic priest—may be facing his toughest test yet. On Sunday afternoons, in Detroit's inner city, older prostitutes are being picked up by someone described by witnesses as a man dressed in clerical garb. By the time that Detroit's Homicide Division enters the picture, the victims have been strangled, mutilated, and finally, branded—in a strange place—with a strange marking.

"A nice, tidy mystery . . . with characters who are plausible, intelligent, about whom we can care and with whom we might even empathize."—West Coast Review of Books"This tale should once again entertain the many fans of Kienzle's sleuth, Father Robert Koesler." —BooklistWhen Father Koesler agreed to serve as consultant at a mystery writers' conference, he—and the students—get more than they bargained for: a real murder mystery.Marygrove College's choice of the Reverend Klaus Krieg as the featured speaker at its conference was no surprise. The popular televangelist and publisher of sleaze was sure to draw a crowd. The real mystery was the choice of the other speakers—a rabbi, a nun, a monk, and an Episcopal priest—all successful mystery writers with another thing in common: They hated Krieg. Father Koesler's misgivings about serving as consultant to the conference were heightened when the speakers gathered without...

"Kienzle's ninth may be hailed as his most complex and finest mystery." —Publishers Weekly"... good character analysis and a tantalizing story make this one of Kienzle's best." —Library Journal"As Kienzle addresses serious modern issues, he stops to digress and tell his wonderful stories. He always plays fair with readers, though, providing a neat solution with a twist." —Chicago TribuneIt's curtains for Ridley Groendal. When the performing arts critic for the Detroit Suburban Reporter dies suddenly, insiders know he could have choked on his own rage. Having returned to Detroit from a vituperative career at the prestigious New York Herald, Groendal was known to have destroyed more than a few reputations with his vicious criticism. Was his death an act of revenge?If so, at least four of his victims had ample motive. Was it Dave Palmer, whose concerts after Groendal's review would forever be heard in a minor key?...

"This is the good old Dorothy Sayers/John Dickson Carr school of homicide with civilized people doing what civilized people do best: dispatching each other." —Los Angeles Times"Bill Kienzle does have a way with a tale. And a nifty way of mixing Church dogma and gossip into the plot." —New York Daily News"Each Kienzle novel seems to top the last. As we have said before, give us this day our daily Kienzle." —West Coast Review of BooksFrom William X. Kienzle, author of the classic mystery, The Rosary Murders.Auto executive Frank Hoffman is on his way up at The Company. Someone would like him out of the way—permanently. Father Robert Koesler discovers at least four people who would benefit personally and professionally from Hoffman's death, but can he pinpoint the villain before it's too late? Mystery writer William X. Kienzle take his Father Koesler beyond the church walls into the boardrooms and back rooms...

"Another Kienzle top seller. Excellent in style and story. Original and timely." —Lucy Freeman, Mystery Writers of AmericaFrom William X. Kienzle, author of the classic mystery, The Rosary Murders.A bizarre plot to destroy the papacy seems to be the motive for murder in this fifth thriller from best-selling mystery writer William X. Kienzle. One cardinal is brutally murdered in his own church. Another is slain in the Vatican. A clue is left at the scene of each crime. What is the connection? Who is behind these sinister attacks? When Kienzle's crime-solving hero, Father Robert Koesler, and his friends intervene to catch the criminals, they find themselves targets for assassination. And the plot takes an unexpected twist toward an ending that brings Koesler's past back to haunt him.Kienzle's fans will cheer the return of all their favorite characters as they make a treacherous journey to Rome, London, and Ireland, where this series of murders...

"Kienzle's sharp knowledge of diocesan politics and the sights, sounds, and stresses of both priestly and lay Catholic life in a changing world enriches his story significantly. His plotting has never been more intricate or suspenseful than in the new book. which future historians can probably study for evidence of the way we live now."—Los Angeles TimesIt's 1960 and Agnes Ventimiglia, a plain young woman working at the Wayne County Clerk's Office, is suddenly swept off her feet by a kind, gentle, handsome young man. After a month-long whirlwind courtship, the special nigh comes when she expects he will pop the question. Instead . . .Dead Wrong, William X. Kienzle's fifteenth entry in the million-selling Father Koesler mystery series, explores a thirty-year-old unsolved homicide, and uncovers thirty years of repressed anger that explodes in revenge.Kienzle's venerable priest and reluctant detective, Father Robert Koesler, is called to the side of...

"Bishop as Pawn provides a splendid showcase for Kienzle's skill at contriving a whodunit and for his insider's view of archdiocesan politics."—Chicago Sun-TimesFrom the author of the mystery classic, The Rosary Murders.The murder couldn't have been more ill-timed. Father Ernie Bell, slightly in his cups, staggers into the priests' quarterly gripe session, angry at the new bishop. Recently arrived Father Don Carleson also takes a jab or two at the bishop, who treats the sixty-something Carleson like a servant. The conspiratorial conversation continues around the table, as many of the Detroit clergymen agree that Bishop Ramon Diego uses others as pawns in a chess game.By the next morning, several of the detractors are prime suspects in the murder of Bishop Diego. A team of detectives and a particularly ambitious assistant prosecuting attorney descend upon the relative calm of Ste. Anne's Parish, where the murder occurred, and quickly build their...

"As regular as the solstice, Kienzle annually provides a new Catholic whodunit, inviting the readers to shut out the rest of the world and spend a few absorbing hours watching his venerable alter ego, Koesler, peel back the layers of a puzzle to plumb the tortured depths of the human should and elegantly solve a murder." —Chicago Tribune"Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. I killed a priest." So begins Father Robert Koesler's fourteenth compelling involvement in a murder mystery. Echoing the moral dilemma of William X. Kienzle's classic mystery The Rosary Murders, Father Koesler is bound by the storied seal of the confessional. But is he? By odd coincidence, a new priest-in-residence, Father Nick Dunn, overhears the confession and Dunn, a product of the modern church, contests Father Koesler's need for silence. To his further distress, Father Koesler discovers that Father Dunn has joined him in his rectory not only to study at the University of Detroit, as...

"Readers will be turning the pages into the wee hours of the night, trying to solve the mystery along with Tully and Koesler." —West Coast Review of BooksHas the Detroit Police Department found the perpetrator of one of the most gruesome serial murders in Detroit's history—the brutal mutilation of prostitutes? Father Robert Koesler has a special interest in solving one of the most challenging cases in his career.In this tenth Kienzle mystery, Koesler—Detroit's most famous Catholic priest—may be facing his toughest test yet. On Sunday afternoons, in Detroit's inner city, older prostitutes are being picked up by someone described by witnesses as a man dressed in clerical garb. By the time that Detroit's Homicide Division enters the picture, the victims have been strangled, mutilated, and finally, branded—in a strange place—with a strange marking.