Marked For Murder

Father Koesler #10

by William X. Kienzle

"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.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Religion

295 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 1988

About the author

William X. Kienzle was born in Detroit, Michigan. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1954 and spent twenty years as a Roman Catholic parish priest. Kienzle left the priesthood in 1974 because of his disagreement with its refusal to remarry divorcees. He became an editor of MPLS Magazine in Minneapolis, later moving to Texas where he was director of the Center for Contemplative Studies at the University of Dallas.

He was married to Javan Herman Andrews, a journalist from the Detroit Free Press, from 1974 until his sudden death from a heart attack on December 28, 2001.

Kienzle was the author of twenty-four crime fiction/mystery novels featuring Father Robert Koesler, a Catholic priest who doubles as a detective. One of his best known novels is his first, The Rosary Murders (1978), which was made into a 1987 movie starring Donald Sutherland as Father Koesler. Kienzle's books are set mostly in Detroit, Michigan.

His biography, Judged by Love, by Javan Kienzle, was published in 2003.

Reviews

[Midu Hadi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick-look at the Book
Someone's killing prostitutes while dressed up as a priest. And the women will only talk to Tully--and Koesler if Tully vouches for him.

Thoughts on this Series
This is a nice enough cozy mystery series. The central character is Father Koesler who by no actions of his own--mostly--keeps tripping over murdered people and getting roped into police investigations.

While the characterization and motivation behind each suspect are well-described, there can be often too many POVs or too many details that detract from the action.

That said, the author repeatedly hits you over the head with the same details about priesthood and religion. If you can bear with that, and are okay with the protagonist arriving at the euphoria! moment while in the bathtub or car or...you get what I mean...read on.

My advice? Space em out. Or, they start to become a blob (Lily & Marshal style).

Review of Book 11 here

[Eleni · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is interesting and keeps you guessing who is the killer but the only thing I did not like about it is that it gives way too much information about a certain subject which may not be necessary. Aside from that, it is an interesting book

[Becko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good twist, enjoyable easy read.

[Bobbie N · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the tenth in the series, older prostitutes are being killed and mutilated by a man dressed in clerical garb.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fr. Koestler series