The Fool

by Morgan Gallagher

When the body of a young man is found on the altar of the Mother of All Sorrows Church in Peckham, London, the Catholic Church does everything it can to help Scotland Yard in the investigation. It sends an independent investigator from the Office of the Congregation of the Arcane to assist.


Maryam Michael isn’t happy, however, with it being London and she’s unhappy that the parish priest she’s supposed to be helping is fast becoming the main suspect. The Vatican is not going to be happy with what was hidden under the and neither is the local Mosque. Maryam only has a couple of days to solve the riddle of why this young man died on the altar, and if the supernatural is involved. Can she solve the murder fast enough to prevent Father Wyn Jones being charged? Is it straightforward gang violence, or are there occult forces attacking the Church?

ebook

Published October 29, 2015

Reviews

[Audrey Driscoll · Rating 3 out of 5]

The elements comprising this short novel are intriguing -- a corpse found in a church, with evidence suggesting religion-based motives for murder, and an investigator called in from the Catholic Church's Office of the Congregation of the Arcane. The investigator, Maryam Michael, is also intriguing -- a former nun who meditates every morning and frequently consults the Tarot, who appears to be a scholar of the esoteric and possesses psychic powers. I wish the author had provided more information about Maryam's background, but if she writes more books about her, these details may emerge. The plot hangs together fairly well, with tension and urgency provided by the imminent fate of the priest who appears to be the logical primary suspect. The narrative voice is deliberate and dispassionate, with something of the tone of a statement, such as might be provided to an investigating body. Some readers may find this problematic, and indeed I thought the detailed descriptions of routine actions occasionally slowed the pace. However, it is possible to skim over these without losing the thread. More use of dialogue, more fleshing-out of supporting characters and a little more backstory would have made this a longer and more satisfying novel, but this short work leaves me hoping that Morgan Gallagher will write more books featuring Maryam Michael.