The Widow's Mate

Father Dowling #28

by Ralph McInerny

Father Dowling is a dedicated parish priest who happens to have a knack for unraveling the mysteries of the real world as well as those of heaven, but the latest puzzle to catch his attention---the disappearance of Wallace Flanagan---doesn’t seem to be a mystery so much as a dirty little secret. By all appearances, Flanagan, the heir to a lucrative concrete business, skipped town with his mistress more than ten years ago, although no one talks about that out of respect for his abandoned wife. But appearances go right out the window when his mangled---and recently live---body is found wedged into one of his father’s cement mixers.

If Flanagan’s unexpected return and immediate death aren’t enough to shake a few skeletons from their closets, childhood friends and lifelong enemies have started trickling home to Fox River, Illinouis, a town outside of Chicago. All of them had a stake in his disappearance, but which one would murder a man who was already all but dead? And would kill again to keep a dead man’s secrets?

A collision between the past and present dislodges some hard and hidden truths that Father Dowling must uncover if he’s going to catch a killer in Ralph McInerny’s The Widow’s Mate, an absorbing and suspenseful mystery that is sure to please Father Dowling’s many fans.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

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

[Terri · Rating 1 out of 5]

Took me 3 days to muddle through this book. Didn't like the style of writing at all. Didn't like most of the characters. How did Father Dowling go off on a monthly retreat in the middle of the book, and yet meet with someone a couple pages later? First and last Father Dowling book for me.

[Melinda Christensen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me forever to read this book; I should have just quit. The dialogue is terrible; half the time I didn't know what the author was trying to get across. The plot was convoluted and confusing, and there were too many characters. I don't have much good to say about the novel.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an intriguing read – very nicely written, well plotted and just full of twists and turns. I was surprised though because having always enjoyed the Father Dowling Mysteries on television – thi was nothing like it. Unlike Tom bosley the Father Dowling in this book is tall, slender --- the characters of the monastery were a bit different but a very interesting read!

[Cathie Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book I've read involving Father Dowling. To be honest, there wasn't much of him in the book. He solves it in the end, however. The plot and storyline at first, was kind of confusing, but it eventually came together. Recommend.

[Doug]

A Father Dowling Mystery. The disappearance of son who then is found is one of his father's cement truck mixers, two ladies who are trying to find out what happened when he disappeared, a little mob action thrown in all of which makes for a good story to read. This is sort of a prodigal son story with a few different twist. There are a lot of events that happen in the book that seem to have an impact on the story but they just come and go.

[Anie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Never got past the first boring chapter

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring. I just started skimming after the first five chapters.