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Father Anselm Mysteries #4
The Day of the Lie
They came for me in November nineteen fifty-one and took me to Mokotow prison. Cambridge, the present day. And out of the past, a cry for help: Father Anselm, the brilliant Benedictine, receives a visit from an old friend with a dangerous story to tell - the story of a woman betrayed by time, fate, and someone close to her ...someone still unknown. As a young woman, Roza Mojeska was part of an underground resistance group in Communist Poland. But after her arrest, a Stasi officer makes her a devil's bargain - and in the dark of a government prison, a terrible choice is made. Now, fifty years later, Anselm is called upon to investigate both Roza's story and a mystery dating back to the early 1980s, in the icy grip of the Cold War. And as he peels back years of history, decades of secrets, a half-century of lies, he exposes a truth that an entire generation was killed to keep hidden.
374 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2012
25 people are currently reading
387 people want to read
About the author
William Brodrick
14 books92 followersWilliam Brodrick was born in Bolton, Lancashire in 1960. Having lived in Canada since he was eleven, he went to school in Australia and England, and went on to take a BA in Philosophy and Theology, then a MTh (Master of Theology) and a Degree of Utter Barrister. Brodrick worked on a logging camp in British Columbia, Canada, before joining the Augustinian Friars (1979-1985). He began his life as a friar in Dublin, Ireland, based on a farm that deployed Iron Age techniques bringing him very close to nature. After several years as a friar, he left the order to help set up a charity at the request of Cardinal Hume, The Depaul Trust, which worked with homeless people. In 1991 he became a barrister. He holds British and Canadian citizenship and is married with three children with whom he lives in France
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
October 5, 2019
This book is deeply reflective as the other Father Anselm books I have read, but this one presents some information challenges to those of us not entirely familiar with the history of Poland. One must use the grey matter more than usual when reading this mystery. The Father is a former lawyer and that knowledge and experience is put to the test in this tale of reckoning.
We come to know some primary victims and perpetrators of atrocities during very difficult times of strife in Poland. The Father gets swept up in some very deep waters as acts of violence are brought to light and further acted on. Think Nazis then Totalitarianism with brutal torture for information.
"'You've always wanted to understand the criminal as much as you've longed to help the victim,' he (the Prior) said, in a low, kindly voice. 'That's why I let you go to Warsaw. It's why I'll always let you help people who've fallen between the cracks on the pavement to justice. You look beyond crime and punishment. You're a lawyer in a habit, a man who asks different kinds of questions, who seeks different kinds of answers. And in that unusual position you'll always hear things that others could not, should not and will not hear..sometimes from the victim, at others from the criminal, but always from someone who'd never say them to anybody else...It means every once in a blue moon you just might be able to say something of importance to the person who is rightly condemned...who can hear it, precisely because it comes from the mouth of someone who understands better than they judge.'"
Library Loan --Note: It is called a thriller by the publishers. I think you will find this slow going.
We come to know some primary victims and perpetrators of atrocities during very difficult times of strife in Poland. The Father gets swept up in some very deep waters as acts of violence are brought to light and further acted on. Think Nazis then Totalitarianism with brutal torture for information.
"'You've always wanted to understand the criminal as much as you've longed to help the victim,' he (the Prior) said, in a low, kindly voice. 'That's why I let you go to Warsaw. It's why I'll always let you help people who've fallen between the cracks on the pavement to justice. You look beyond crime and punishment. You're a lawyer in a habit, a man who asks different kinds of questions, who seeks different kinds of answers. And in that unusual position you'll always hear things that others could not, should not and will not hear..sometimes from the victim, at others from the criminal, but always from someone who'd never say them to anybody else...It means every once in a blue moon you just might be able to say something of importance to the person who is rightly condemned...who can hear it, precisely because it comes from the mouth of someone who understands better than they judge.'"
Library Loan --Note: It is called a thriller by the publishers. I think you will find this slow going.
May 4, 2017
When I go looking for a good mystery I usually want a Father Anselm story by William Broderick. Why? For starters because of the person of the protagonist. Anselm is a lawyer-turned-monk and as such has a foot in both worlds. He desires (and already largely possesses) the holiness of a life lived for God alone, yet he has the skills which get him sent out to do things the others in his abbey cannot do. Yet it is his humility, his willingness to question himself, to admit his mistakes, apologize and indeed the author's portrayal of a less-than-perfect-sleuth which makes him ‘perfect’ in my book.
And if Anselm isn’t enough there is his prior with wise counsel. These are mysteries for the philosophical rather than the thrill-seeker. The two quotes below were the abbot to Anselm.
Broderick says the novel began with an interest in the three million SB files currently held by the IPN (Instytut Pamięci Narodowej or the Polish Institute of National Remembrance) and the activity of underground printing which compelled untold numbers of confiscations of illegal publications. For anyone with an interest in history, words, justice and/or life, this is a compelling mystery. There was layer upon layer of puzzles to solve going back to the 40’s and 50’s, the late 70’s to 80’s and present day. The long life of one extraordinary woman, Róża Mojeska, held everything together.
And yet for me it wasn’t the plot, however intricate, and I think this is the best by Broderick yet. It was that Fr. Anselm was again so human and so real. No Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes here. Once Anselm tries to be the super interrogator and just can't pull it off. He felt so badly about it after, he brought the woman flowers and apologized. Just one of his blunders. This is a mystery with a difference.
This is my fourth Anselm mystery. I ration myself.
And if Anselm isn’t enough there is his prior with wise counsel. These are mysteries for the philosophical rather than the thrill-seeker. The two quotes below were the abbot to Anselm.
Broderick says the novel began with an interest in the three million SB files currently held by the IPN (Instytut Pamięci Narodowej or the Polish Institute of National Remembrance) and the activity of underground printing which compelled untold numbers of confiscations of illegal publications. For anyone with an interest in history, words, justice and/or life, this is a compelling mystery. There was layer upon layer of puzzles to solve going back to the 40’s and 50’s, the late 70’s to 80’s and present day. The long life of one extraordinary woman, Róża Mojeska, held everything together.
And yet for me it wasn’t the plot, however intricate, and I think this is the best by Broderick yet. It was that Fr. Anselm was again so human and so real. No Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes here. Once Anselm tries to be the super interrogator and just can't pull it off. He felt so badly about it after, he brought the woman flowers and apologized. Just one of his blunders. This is a mystery with a difference.
This is my fourth Anselm mystery. I ration myself.
August 24, 2018
This one was a bit convoluted for me. And really, I just wanted to go to Three Pines. There’s no substitute for Louise Penny.
April 10, 2013
I suppose this novel won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I have to say I enjoyed it immensely. It is set in three distinct time-zones: the early 1950s in post war Poland; the early 1980s on the eve of reform in Poland; and the present day as a member of the communist secret police is at last brought to trial for the crimes of the past.
Only this is a Brother Anselm novel, and there is a morality evident here which is no longer fashionable or much in evidence in recent fiction, but which, nonetheless, would still be important to a respectable number of people.
The narrative structure is complex and requires the reader's close attention, at least for the first half, after which things begin to become clearer. The characterisation is superb. The plot lacks graphic scenes of violence but paints a picture of the consequences of evil in a way that few recent novels can match. There is the suspicion of a thesis that dwelling on the evils of the past is not always the best way to build a happier future. What is especially remarkable is how the evil of the authoritarian regime in Poland created a tapestry of corruption throughout all elements of society, often for self-preservation, even for the protection of loved ones. There is also the interesting idea that the guilty, no matter how entrenched in their wrong-doing, can still be offered at least the opportunity of repentance and redemption. Above all, this is the story of ordinary people who attempt to make the best of their situation and to rise above their plight with dignity and preservation of decent values.
Only this is a Brother Anselm novel, and there is a morality evident here which is no longer fashionable or much in evidence in recent fiction, but which, nonetheless, would still be important to a respectable number of people.
The narrative structure is complex and requires the reader's close attention, at least for the first half, after which things begin to become clearer. The characterisation is superb. The plot lacks graphic scenes of violence but paints a picture of the consequences of evil in a way that few recent novels can match. There is the suspicion of a thesis that dwelling on the evils of the past is not always the best way to build a happier future. What is especially remarkable is how the evil of the authoritarian regime in Poland created a tapestry of corruption throughout all elements of society, often for self-preservation, even for the protection of loved ones. There is also the interesting idea that the guilty, no matter how entrenched in their wrong-doing, can still be offered at least the opportunity of repentance and redemption. Above all, this is the story of ordinary people who attempt to make the best of their situation and to rise above their plight with dignity and preservation of decent values.
October 22, 2017
First Father Anselm book I have tried to read and think it will be my last.
I just could not continue with this book and I was bored to tears.
Very slow and not my cup of tea.
Shelved for another day maybe.
I just could not continue with this book and I was bored to tears.
Very slow and not my cup of tea.
Shelved for another day maybe.
January 11, 2020
I persevered to the end, but I felt that the story dragged on and on, never really gripping me. I wonder if it's worth reading another Father Anselm book.
October 21, 2012
Two orphans in WWII Warsaw separate while escaping from invading German forces through the sewers. They meet again as adults when one arrests and persecutes the other, and much later again in a war crimes court room where the other is being prosecuted.
At it's heart this is a grim story but there are many reasons to enjoy it.
First: Father Anselm. In particular his enjoyment of the German language. He too revels in how one (long) word can embrace a complex concept - "vergangenheitsbewaltigung" - the assumption of one's past.
Second: There must be a stack of stories around this topic but I haven't read nearly enough of them yet - of how after all the moral hazards faced and compromises made, one might protect the life you've built in peace time. (Let alone that thorny subject of what you might want your children or grandchildren to know.)
Thirdly: this particular book has a touch of "Smiley's People" about it with plenty of wonderfully long-lived connections and barely there traces of leads that had very nearly been lost to time.
All in all, I'm a William Brodrick fan.
At it's heart this is a grim story but there are many reasons to enjoy it.
First: Father Anselm. In particular his enjoyment of the German language. He too revels in how one (long) word can embrace a complex concept - "vergangenheitsbewaltigung" - the assumption of one's past.
Second: There must be a stack of stories around this topic but I haven't read nearly enough of them yet - of how after all the moral hazards faced and compromises made, one might protect the life you've built in peace time. (Let alone that thorny subject of what you might want your children or grandchildren to know.)
Thirdly: this particular book has a touch of "Smiley's People" about it with plenty of wonderfully long-lived connections and barely there traces of leads that had very nearly been lost to time.
All in all, I'm a William Brodrick fan.
July 28, 2013
Unclear, and stodgy. Also appallingly proofread, examples such as a 'canape' hanging from the wall - what was it? a mushroom vol-au-vent or a mini-quiche? The stench in a particular place made one of the characters 'wretch'... Amazing grace saved a 'wretch' like me, but surely a stench would make me retch? There were many many more like this, which although probably not the author's fault, made the whole book lose credibility for me. Did they use spellchecker instead of a real human proofreader? Really ruined it for me. (I know I am a bit pedantic about this, but, y'know...) Anyway apart from that I didn't find any of the characters engaging or believable enough, and I kept thinking of John Le Carre and how much better he does this kind of thing. I kind of feel a bit guilty about not liking it as I feel as if I should, as it is 'history' and 'morality' etc..But I do think it should still be a jolly good read no matter how noble the author's intent! Reading some of the reviews below it looks as if William Brodrick's other books might be better, so I MIGHT (I'm only saying might) give another one a go.
March 26, 2013
Yet another master stroke by Mr Brodrick. An intricately woven tale of the struggle for freedom, of deceit, suffering and loss, love and betrayal and the hope born of unexpected mercy. A tangled web brilliantly crafted to intrigue, confound and ultimately reveal an agonising truth founded on a lie - the reader is kept enthralled to the very last page of this turbulent and moving story set during the post-war Communist occupation of Poland. I learned much of the agonies of survival during this period of Terror and remain eternally thankful that I was born too late to witness it first hand. With ease, the author intimately acquaints his audience with the horrors of living with the enemy - the space which seperates guilt from innocence will forever be measurably smaller than before.
August 7, 2013
Slow? Yeah. What do expect when the central character is a reflective monk?
But imagine a garden slug on valium and that's how I found the pace of this book. Maybe it was the way I was reading it or perhaps it really is how it is.
Towards the end, the valium wears off but even then I was beginning to wish all the characters had been locked up in Mokotow prison with the key thrown away.
To rate this book is tricky because the writing is good enough to slither on to the conclusion - but be prepared to take your time.
But imagine a garden slug on valium and that's how I found the pace of this book. Maybe it was the way I was reading it or perhaps it really is how it is.
Towards the end, the valium wears off but even then I was beginning to wish all the characters had been locked up in Mokotow prison with the key thrown away.
To rate this book is tricky because the writing is good enough to slither on to the conclusion - but be prepared to take your time.
February 15, 2015
This didn't grip me from the start. I knew little of the two eras in Polish history that are at the heart of this book and that's possibly one of the reasons I found it hard, the other is that at times the author gets lost in the complexity of his own story. By the end I couln't put it down. Once again Broderick explores our understanding of good and evil, the existence of both in every one and the consequences of the choices we make.
September 20, 2017
Certainly didn't enjoy this novel as much as the last Father Anselm "thriller" (at least that's what the cover calls it), but still a good read. This one tackles the mixed loyalties of Soviet-era Poland. The plot was more convoluted than it needed to be, and there were a few too many coincidences in the connecting up the dots; and it rambled on FAR too long. This easily could have been 20% shorter. And yet it was still worthwhile. It examines the choices that the average person has to make in a regime that will bite your head off sooner than you can say Jack Robinson. Blame should be assigned where wrongdoing has been wrought, but understanding and mercy should never be absent either.
This is probably the last one of these I'll read for a while; I can't find #6 anywhere. They have all made me ponder various moral quandaries, even if I've gotten lost in the maze a time or two. I have found them worthwhile.
This is probably the last one of these I'll read for a while; I can't find #6 anywhere. They have all made me ponder various moral quandaries, even if I've gotten lost in the maze a time or two. I have found them worthwhile.
February 26, 2021
I do love Father Anselm as a main character and I have now read two of the Father Anselm novels. This one really challenged me as it was set in different historical Polish time periods and I had very little background knowledge of any of these although I knew poor Poland had been trampled by Fascists, Communists and some would say also held back by close Catholic Church adherence. I suggest that you really take your time reading the first half; make brief notes so you connect the various characters. The plot will reward you in the final third of the book when I honestly could not put it down. In fact, I was dreaming about the characters and woke up at 1am (yes!) to finish it. I will not mention the plot save to say that innocent and idealistic people always suffer under oppressive regimes of whatever political persuasion. I do love this author !
November 20, 2023
This was my least favourite of all the Father Anselm mysteries I've read so far.
It wasn't terrible, but I never felt it got out of third gear and I felt it was overladen with trying to be too clever by half and tied down in minute detail, making it a read that was too often hard to fathom the overall plot.
That said it was far from terrible. It was an accurate picture of what communist Poland was like to live in and the role dissidents, the security services and informers played in all of this. It also highlighted the impact it has on post communist Poland and the lives of those three groups of people once communism came crashing down.
This wasn't a bad book, but it failed to live up to the expectations of previous books in this series.
It wasn't terrible, but I never felt it got out of third gear and I felt it was overladen with trying to be too clever by half and tied down in minute detail, making it a read that was too often hard to fathom the overall plot.
That said it was far from terrible. It was an accurate picture of what communist Poland was like to live in and the role dissidents, the security services and informers played in all of this. It also highlighted the impact it has on post communist Poland and the lives of those three groups of people once communism came crashing down.
This wasn't a bad book, but it failed to live up to the expectations of previous books in this series.
June 25, 2018
Only 3 stars because I didn't get a lot of this book - I think you have to have the kind of brain that does cryptic crossword puzzles. I couldn't be bothered to go back and reread because it was so dreary - East Europe and communist 'traitors'. Bleah.
I did like the discussion of morality: '...well, what is salvation if not a light greater than all the shadows..it, too, can be terrifying. I doubt if men like Otto Brack would dare to look in its direction.'
Something I now believe: there is a day of judgement, but it's SELF JUDGEMENT. By that I mean there is a choice of paths after death, and if souls feel too guilty, they are afraid to go forward into the light.
I did like the discussion of morality: '...well, what is salvation if not a light greater than all the shadows..it, too, can be terrifying. I doubt if men like Otto Brack would dare to look in its direction.'
Something I now believe: there is a day of judgement, but it's SELF JUDGEMENT. By that I mean there is a choice of paths after death, and if souls feel too guilty, they are afraid to go forward into the light.
July 22, 2020
A magnificent novel. Deeply moving, casting a light on the complex, tortured undertows and emotions that ran through life behind the iron curtain.
The cipher of monk as detective works beautifully to navigate through a complex plot with human sensitivities left, right and centre.
Passages had me streaming tears - in part, perhaps, because of the time of heightened emotion in which I read the book, but mostly because of the poignant drama written in beautiful prose.
Very highly recommended to those in search of a deeply thoughtful thriller that captures mind and stirs emotions.
The cipher of monk as detective works beautifully to navigate through a complex plot with human sensitivities left, right and centre.
Passages had me streaming tears - in part, perhaps, because of the time of heightened emotion in which I read the book, but mostly because of the poignant drama written in beautiful prose.
Very highly recommended to those in search of a deeply thoughtful thriller that captures mind and stirs emotions.
August 10, 2022
I don't understand why these books don't get more attention like so many of the other British mystery series. They are brilliant, multi-layered books. This one was a little confusing at time as it was about informers and terror, so there was a lot to unpack in people's actions. As in all these books, the protagonist and antagonist are complex people and are not plainly good or bad. That's where the moral questions come in. I really recommend these books as there are many questions in the book that slowly get unraveled, up to the last page.
December 2, 2017
What a tragedy that unfolds as Father Anselm seeks to reveal past secrets that still haunt Rosa Mojeska, once a member of the Polish underground, and his old friend John Fielding, a former foreign correspondent. As you read, you feel burdened by the oppressive communist regime and the burden of the lives of innocent or not. Seems like titling this book The Days of the Lies might be more appropriate.
March 2, 2018
This was by far the most entertaining book I have read in many years. It is a finely crafted mystery set in modern Poland with characters living through the turmoil starting in 1939. Father Anselm is asked investigate recently recovered Polish secret police files with the goal of prosecuting state-sanctioned murders. The interconnections of the many characters are revealed slowly, with many surprises.
June 15, 2018
A profound theme expertly reflected in a gripping narrative. History, memory, freedom, built and innocence, justice and mercy are the ethos of this story of fictional characters who are real human beings in all their fragility,complexities.
A moving and provocative work well worth the time of any serious reader. Love Fr. Anaheim and his prior. Rosa is magnificent. Great writing.
A moving and provocative work well worth the time of any serious reader. Love Fr. Anaheim and his prior. Rosa is magnificent. Great writing.
December 1, 2017
Didn't enjoy this one as much as the previous ones in the series. It seemed very disjointed at the beginning and, although it improved in the middle, for me it went downhill again towards the end and just sort of fizzled out - 6/10.
January 1, 2019
Another fine mystery in which Fr. Anselm of Larkspur Abbey does the unraveling. It is refreshing to rad a work of fiction in which the protagonist is a committed, thoughtful Christian, yes, even a Catholic, which moves beyond the formulaic style of the Fr. Dowling mysteries.
September 28, 2017
I regret this book
November 29, 2017
Interlocking lives converge in turbulent times. Wonderfully drawn characters and a mystery which unfolds in believable prose.
I can't wait to read more in this series
I can't wait to read more in this series
December 27, 2018
Good book
Another good book by Mr Broderick. Getting a sense of life under communist rule and the evil behavior of the security service was well done.
Another good book by Mr Broderick. Getting a sense of life under communist rule and the evil behavior of the security service was well done.
February 23, 2020
This one was hard. It needed a lot of concentration. Don't try and figure it out early on just read it.
April 28, 2021
These books are very interesting.
May 21, 2021
3.5 stars
June 19, 2021
Initially this was interesting but ending up being a convoluted story. By the end I didn't really care. The plot should have finished with the trial.
August 9, 2021
Found really slow going, interesting from a basic history point of view, but had to hang in there for the end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews