The Greatest Evil (Father Koesler Mystery)

Rating:
Summary: Fr. Koesler's perspicacity solves family puzzles
Review: I enjoyed the way the flashbacks which at first seemed irrelevant turned out to be very helpful. I wasn't disappointed by the book as others who've reviewed here were, because it was interesting to see Fr. Koesler use a different facet of his intelligence - in this case, his long-term knowledge of a person's life - to build a case. As usual the glimpses of Catholic Church life and problems, and how humans have to deal with them, was priceless. The interview with William Kienzle at the end of the book also answered some questions I had long had.

Rating:
Summary: CAn't say much good for this
Review: I read The Rosary Murders over four years ago and decided I need read no more by William X. Kienzle. But this book was mentioned to me with some awe and I decided I would see whether the author has become a better writer since The Rosary Murders, which was his first published endeavor. I am sorry to report that there has been no improvement in the writing. The author's plot is even more incredible, and the denouement has the villianous bishop revealed to have done something which a man with his supposed characteristics could not psychologically have done, and the author's feeble attempt to relate it to the principle of double effect, one intended, the other permitted, fails entirely. The author has an agenda, apparently, to show that the established Church needs to think like the author and do what the author thinks it should do. He has a perfect right to pursue that agenda but I hope his readers (I don't expect to read another of his books) read him knowledgeably and not think of him as an unbiased witness informing them of Church beliefs and practices objectively.

Rating:
Summary: CAn't say much good for this
Review: I read The Rosary Murders over four years ago and decided I need read no more by William X. Kienzle. But this book was mentioned to me with some awe and I decided I would see whether the author has become a better writer since The Rosary Murders, which was his first published endeavor. I am sorry to report that there has been no improvement in the writing. The author's plot is even more incredible, and the denouement has the villianous bishop revealed to have done something which a man with his supposed characteristics could not psychologically have done, and the author's feeble attempt to relate it to the principle of double effect, one intended, the other permitted, fails entirely. The author has an agenda, apparently, to show that the established Church needs to think like the author and do what the author thinks it should do. He has a perfect right to pursue that agenda but I hope his readers (I don't expect to read another of his books) read him knowledgeably and not think of him as an unbiased witness informing them of Church beliefs and practices objectively.

Rating:
Summary: Different but good....
Review: This book was quite different from Kienzle's earlier books. It was not so much a mystery as a character study. I agree with the previous reviewer that anyone expecting a good mystery (such as The Rosary Murders or Death Wears a Red Hat) will be disappointed. Having said that, though, i still really enjoyed this book. I found all of the characters interesting (especially the Dellvechio family) and really enjoyed the way the author introduced them to us through flash back stories. I would have liked to see more of the familiar characters that we have been introduced to in the previous books but that's only a minor criticism. I also enjoyed the usual Catholic references; reading one of Kienzle's books is like going to Sunday school though much more enjoyable! I would definitely not classify this book as a mystery... more like a good work of fiction. I look forward the next Kienzle book!