The Bishop and the Missing L Train

Blackie Ryan #11

by Andrew M. Greeley

Millions of Blackie Ryan fans will be thrilled with his return in this exciting novel of mystery and suspense. Bestselling novelist Andrew M. Greeley has captured the imagination of the mystery reading public with the improbable Bishop Blackie Ryan, who works for the aristocratic, haughty, sometimes arrogant but often slyly good humored Sean Cardinal Cronin, the Archbishop of Chicago. The Vatican has just assigned auxiliary Bishop Gus Quill to the Archdiocese of Chicago over the violent protests of Archbishop Sean Cronin, and the not so silent protests of Bishop Blackie. Bishop Quill is under the illusion, one might say delusion, that he has been sent from Rome to replace the good Cardinal when in fact Rome was dying to get rid of him because of his incompetence. Immediately on arriving in Chicago, he manages to disappear while riding the L Train and it is up to Blackie to find him. As the Cardinal says, "The Vatican does not like to lose bishops, even auxiliaries." And thus begins the search for the missing bishop who no one really wants to find. Of course, none of this is too much for the intrepid little Bishop Ryan. He faces these problems squarely and, with the kind of deductive mind reminiscent of G.K Chesterton's Father Brown, manages to find solutions to some of the most baffling mysteries he has ever encountered. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Book Club, Crime, Catholic, Audiobook

305 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Andrew Greeley was a Roman Catholic priest, sociologist, journalist, and author of 50 best-selling novels and more than 100 works of nonfiction. For decades, Greeley entertained readers with such popular characters as the mystery-solving priest Blackie Ryan and the fey, amateur sleuth Nuala Anne McGrail. His books typically center on Irish-American Roman Catholics living or working in Chicago.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/andrew...

Reviews

[Thomas Harwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The funny thing about this book is that it starts with a very intriguing mystery, but then it doesn't progress the mystery until the end of the book. Instead it spends most of its time on the various characters. It shifts viewpoints and voices, sacrifices the actual mystery for character development, and ties the mystery up in a rushed manner at the very end, with the villain being a peripheral character. These are all things that might normally annoy me, but for this book it just works. Greeley's characters are flawed, broken,unpredictable, and occasionally absolutely frustrating; which is why I loved them so thoroughly. When the mystery ended I found myself wanting to see more of the characters and their world. I will probably read more in this series just to see more of Greeley's character development skills.

[Al Gritten · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and highly readable take on detective work. Perhaps I am biased because of my own profession, but it is entertaining to read about a pastor who moonlights solving crimes. Greeley's writing is engaging and often tongue in cheek, but much like Agatha Christie this is more about the characters and the mystery ties them together. Ryan is very low profile in his character and in his mystery solving. Greeley crafts a priest who is neither typical or expected and the characterizations are both believable and readable. I have enjoyed Greeley's non-fiction and his other fiction - though this is my first Father Ryan, it probably will not be my last.

[Jeff Clausen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Andrew Greeley novel was a pleasant introduction. Blackie seems like a fella I’d like to know, a mystery-solving pastor. Toss in one bad egg from the diocese, a Notre Dame connection, and all the Chicago characters you’ll need, and it’s a scenario ripe for drama, fun, and romance. I’m not a big mystery fan but this is light and entertaining, and serves well as my entry into more Blackie Ryan stories.

[Bernard Norcott-mahany · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's always good to be back in Chicago and on the "L," and the "L" here was the Ravenswood line (now the Brown Line). I learned some of the history of the line and its current situation. The mystery was so-so, and the theology was RC lite. There is a cuteness about the Irish in Greeley's work that is OK -- I am of Irish stock myself -- but it gets a bit cloying here.
Sara Paretsky Greeley is not, and he'd be the first to admit it. I figured I should read at least one of the Bishop Ryan novels, and this one (with the "L" involved) seemed a natural. I probably won't be visiting the Bishop again, not because it wasn't pleasant enough, but I think there are better mystery authors out there.

[Marc de Brujo de Pronosticador Deportivo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book on a lark and wasn't disappointed. I chose to read it after GOT much the reason one takes ginger between sushi choices, to 'cleanse the palette'. This book did more than that, it is a catholic feel good mystery with depth and teeth. I think it is fun, spunky, and written in an old fashioned way that resonated well with me. Hope my kids look at the author when they choose another story to read.

[Alayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enticing mystery and mostly enjoyable to read. The format was what I had difficulty with: the chapters were all written in the first person, but the person doing the telling changed often, and the only way to know was by the heading at the top of the chapter. If I missed it by being caught up in the story, I ended up quite confused and had to go back to see who was speaking.

[Cynthia Grove · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book early in the Blackie Ryan series. It gives us our first glimpse of Crystal and a prototype of Dermot Coyne from the Nuala Anne McGrail series. It is a lovely exposition of how human sexual love is an image of God's love for humankind. The mystery is good too.
24/12/20. Even on a re-read it took me till about 2/3 way through to remember who had done the deed.
Just as good as ever.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blackie Ryan is a fun read.

[Harry Lane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is it possible for a mystery to be both amusing and warmly romantic. Greeley pulls it off.

[Robert Lariviere · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read in an interesting series.

[Anne Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in the mood for some light, head-clearing fiction. This fitted the bill very nicely. The heavey -very heavy - emphasis on characterisation as opposed to plot was ok, but I'd have liked to have seen more of a balance. Several of the suspects were featured in such a way we knew most of their life history, while we only learned incidentally of the background to the mastermind behind the plot to discredit the obnoxious Bishop Quill. In fact, the main character Blackie Ryan seems to take a back seat to the subsidiary characters.

Bishop Quill, nicknamed Idiot since his student days, is the last person on the L train when it, along with the driver and the bishop, disappears. Bishop Quill has been in Rome for several years and has returned to the Chicago diocese, firmly of the belief he is there to replace the current Archbishop, Sean Cronin. Apparently Bishop Quill's delusional beliefs tend to come to pass simply because he acts as if they will and everyone in his path is either too confused or too unsure to stand up to him. He has made enemies by reversing every single annulment granted by the church that crossed his path during the appeal process in Rome. It's suspected even Rome had had enough.

Cronin sends him to an outer parish where he creates havoc by firing everyone in sight within the first few days.

When Quill is found, he's in an alley, wearing only his shorts and having been injected with heroin. The L train is discovered in a siding in the suburbs. The driver is also discovered, in a different alley, also drugged.

There are plenty of people who would like to see Quill's career at an end, but who would want to harm him in such an elaborate, almost baroque, way? Who is the mastermind behind such a strange and intricate plot?

Bishop Blackie Ryan doesn't know. But he's sure of one thing: the vanity of the mastermind will be his undoing. Somewhere, Blackie is sure, there's a clue waiting to be discovered.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read this author before, but found this book on my bookshelf. It is #11 in the series and all of the characters are introduced, although not always right away.
As I read the book, I found two pairs of characters that we follow throughout the book - I had no idea why until 3/4 of the way through the book. They don’t seem to be related to the mystery of the “Idiot” bishop’s disappearance.
Greeley also took the time to explain the Catholic church’s teaching on annulments. I was surprised he put it in there, but it was not very long and could be considered appropriate since a couple of people in the book had had annulments.
I would put this more in the class of a cozy mystery, ut nevertheless it was enjoyable.

[Marty · Rating 2 out of 5]

. I’m disappointed in this book. I loved the previous book (Bishop in the West Wing) and found a couple more of the series in our library. ... This book , however, has none of the fun and personality of Blackie Ryan that was in the previous book. It was hard to follow the plot: each chapter centered on a different character. The L Train mentioned in the title was totally unimportant and rarely came into the story. Mainly the story focused on a extreme right-wing dogmatic Bishop who felt he had the Pope’s OK to take the church back to hard-line Catholicism of many years ago. In his “absolute” manner he was alienating almost everyone. His “come-uppance was welcome – but illegal. I would not have read another book of this series if I had read this one first

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

If an (auxiliary) Bishop disappears along with a car of the L (elevated) train, and is later found in his underwear, rolled in a tarp and injected with heroin--would that automatically disgrace him enough to be removed from service? The mysterious mastermind seemed to think so, unless they could also predict said bishop's subsequent psychotic break.
Ah well, another funny and intelligent book by Andrew Greeley, who as a bishop, "Arguably" knows more about the politics of the church of Rome than I.

[Cathie Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. I really loved the plot and the storyline. Much of the information was familiar since I live near Chicago. It was fun read. Lots of twists and turns, but I really liked how he pulled all the different action together at the end. Well done. Highly recommend.

[Susan Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mom read this as a selection in her Catholic reading group, so I thought I’d read it as well. I actually like that some theology makes it into the text. Otherwise, a standard mystery. My first read of the author who is quite prolific. I’d read another.

[Judith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story, my first Blackie Ryan story, but sometimes it was hard to follow.

[AngelaGay Kinkead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Liked Bishop Blackie in “The Bishop Goes to the University ” but this one, not so much. Not giving up.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

short simple mystery, nothing special with happy ending.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first Andrew Greeley read. It dragged a bit for me though I did like Blackie’s deductions and how he finally came to solve the case.

[Wilma · Rating 2 out of 5]

The language was unnecessary

[Milt Jacobs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Relationship, relationship, blah, blah, blah.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light mystery. Chapters are dedicated to individual characters, which I found confusing. Certainly not obvious “who done it”

[Jean Louise | bookloure · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aggressively average whodunit mystery with a lot of ick.

[Paige Kuether · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided I liked this book at the end, Three different stories that were finally tied together in the last two chapters. Complicated

[Lynn Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent. Two sub-plots which were tied up nicely in the ending.

[Roberta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sort of Fr Brown, if you minus the sex and psychotherapy parts

[Monica Willyard Moen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I find this book repulsive on many levels. First, the profanity and graphic sexual content came as a shock to me. I was expecting the book to be like G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown or maybe like Father Dowling. I thought this because of the book jacket description. This couldn't be further from the reality of the book.

The language is very raunchy, with the "f" word in liberal use. The sex seens are pretty graphic, and the book refers to God as "she." The picture of the Catholic church is synical and jaded. I'm not Catholic, but that still bothers me a lot. I was so disgusted that I quit reading after around 130 pages. I concluded that the book wasn't going to get any better.

I do like the concept of the character of the bishop. He is interesting. It's the garbage around him that is so disgusting. I felt like I needed a bath after reading the book.

I would not recommend this book, and I won't read any of the others in this series. I regret picking it up at all.

[Don · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a mess!

My first Blackie Ryan mystery and, arguably, my last. This one first drew me in with the unique writing style in multiple first-person voices as well as the vivid descriptions of Chicago neighborhoods that I know and love. Several characters are fairly unbelievable, but I understand now that these are meant as representations of a larger message. Though I'm not entirely sure what that message is).

The parallel romances of Tommy and Jenny kept me reading on, knowing that these would somehow tie in with the mystery. They do tie in, but only inasmuch as the two characters a parishoners of the church. Instead of having anything directly to do with the mystery, the romances are there to signify God's love for us. So, in effect, 2/3 of the book has absolutely nothing to do with the mystery. Add to that the fact that Blackie's solution relies on something utterly improbable, and you've got yourself one shoddy mystery.

Oh, and the lioness thing was WAY overdone.

[Karl Schaeffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really, really like Andrew Greeley. Again, as a passive reader, I don't get into solving the mystery. I enjoy the story and characters. Greeley's characters are very Catholic, Irish and Chicago. I like his vision of the Catholic Church. I think I learn more about the Catholic Church from Andrew Greeley books than from more official, legitimate sources. He has a positive image of Church. A less cynical image. God is love, God is peace, God is justice and equality. Why doesn't the church ordain women and married men. The only issue I have with this book is that Greeley doesn't have a good word to say about Stanford... and the Band.