A Loss of Patients

Father Dowling #7

by Ralph McInerny

Father Dowling helps the Fox River Police Department in their investigation of a series of four suicides that look suspiciously like murders.

Phil Keegan and the Fox River, IL police department are bewildered by a series of unexplained deaths. Two attractive women, friends, are found dead, about a month apart: the first, in her bathtub with her wrists cut, the second, drowned in her car that had fallen into the river. The circumstances are ambiguous and could suggest suicide... Two more deaths follow—a man and a woman in their car, from carbon monoxide, and again there is a suspicion of suicide. But in no case is the explanation of suicide totally convincing.

Captain Keegan, Lieutenant Horvath, and Officer Lamb keep digging away. And, of course, Father Dowling soon becomes involved, not only as confidant of Phil but also in his own right, while fulfilling his priestly functions. To heighten our enjoyment, McInery resorts to the comparatively rare device: the reader knows who the murderer is. thus, we can watch the duel, good vs. evil, progress. To such a point, in fact, that this time Father Dowling--who, in his sensitivity, finally spots the murderer--barely escapes alive.

A LOSS OF PATIENTS is brightened once again with the human character touches and light humor that have made all the Father Dowling Mysteries such a success.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

223 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Ralph Matthew McInerny was an American Catholic religious scholar and fiction writer, including mysteries and science fiction. Some of his fiction has appeared under the pseudonyms of Harry Austin, Matthew FitzRalph, Ernan Mackey, Edward Mackin, and Monica Quill. As a mystery writer he is best known as the creator of Father Dowling. He was Professor of Philosophy, Director of the Jacques Maritain Center, and Michael P. Grace Professor of Medieval Studies at the University of Notre Dame until his retirement in June 2009. He died of esophageal cancer on January 29, 2010.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first time to read this author. I thought the story was good. It was "clean" which shouldn't be a surprise with the religious flavor. It was suspenseful and kept my interest. A different twist is knowing who did the murder and being in their mind as well. My only confusion was keeping all the people straight! I will try another book in the same series.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fr. Dowling does it again. A series of murders of philandering wives at the Country Club are resolved.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An attractive woman with a loving family is found dead in her bathtub, an apparent suicide. Father Dowling and his friend Captain Keegan suspect murder. Soon other deaths follow.

This was an interesting book in that you learn the identity of the murderer early on. It's just a matter of how soon the police will catch up to him.

I think I read one other book in this series, but I'm not such a huge fan that I'm dying to read more. They're not bad, but maybe they're a little dated. Some of the regular characters grate on me. I wouldn't mind reading another by this writer, but I doubt that I'll buy any.

[Karen GoatKeeper · Rating 3 out of 5]

An attractive married woman goes to the Gutter Ball bar with her best friend to pick up a one night stand man. The next day she is dead. A month later her friend is dead.
Father Dowling is asked to bless the grave and ends up involved along with his police friend Phil Keegan.
Even as the two try to find the murderer, the murderer Martin Olsen is trying to elude them. This turns the book into a cat and mouse affair.
Then two more people turn up dead.
The mystery part is fairly straight forward. The cat and mouse approach makes the book more interesting.

[Caleigh O'Shea]

This one admits upfront that the reader knows the identity of "who-dun-it" from the get-go, and while this is an interesting take on plotting, it didn't work well for me. Part of the fun of reading a mystery is trying to beat the protagonist in learning who committed the crime ... and how and why. Knowing those details reduces the story's suspense, causing the reader to look upon the "heroes" as incompetents.