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The Archbishop in Andalusia: A Blackie Ryan Novel (Bishop Blackie Ryan)
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Product Description
Taking leave of his usual Chicago haunts, Archbishop John Blackwood Ryan travels to the south of Spain in this latest mystery by bestselling author Andrew M. Greeley. Ostensibly “Blackie” is in the historic city of Seville to attend a conference on American philosophy, but a far more critical assignment also requires his attention. The local cardinal has summoned the wily archbishop to Spain in hopes that Blackie can avert a murder before it happens.
The threat of violence hangs ominously over the regal palace of a family of wealthy Spanish aristocrats. Dona Teresa, a pious widow whose exotic beauty unsettles even Blackie, finds herself beset by avaricious relatives determined to control her life and fortune. A tangled web of obligations, traditions, and frustrated sexual desires binds the family together even as they bitterly contend against one another. With three generations of passionate nobility sharing the same roof, it seems only a matter of time before pride, greed, and lust leads to bloodshed.
But while the archbishop attempts to forestall a modern-day Spanish tragedy, dramatic events back in Chicago conspire to change his life forever. . . .
The Archbishop in Andalusia opens an exciting new chapter in the illustrious career of one of Andrew Greeley’s most beloved characters.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #414066 in Books
- Published on: 2008-11-11
- Released on: 2008-11-11
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Hardcover
- 272 pages
Features
- ISBN13: 9780765315908
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Greeley's breezy 17th Blackie Ryan novel (after 2007's The Bishop at the Lake) takes Ryan to the south of Spain for a conference, where the local cardinal requests his help preventing the murder of a beautiful and wealthy widow, Doña Teresa Maria, duchess of Seville, whose many relatives envy her money, title and power in the community. Blackie's sister, meanwhile, has put pressure on Blackie to nudge his nephew Joseph and Joseph's girlfriend, Peggy Anne Nolan, who have accompanied him on the trip, into setting a date for their wedding. To add to his concerns, Blackie receives word from the U.S. of the ill health of his superior, the archbishop of Chicago. Armchair travelers will relish the descriptions of Seville and Cordoba, along with the details of Spanish history and customs. Indeed, some readers may feel the travelogue aspects overshadow the mystery untangling, but all will enjoy Greeley's wit and good humor. (Nov.)
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Review
“Blackie, with his quick wit and his fondness for Bushmill’s, is his usual delightful self, and his many fans will enjoy this sojourn in the old neighborhood.”--Publishers Weekly on The Bishop in the Old Neighborhood
“Greeley interweaves both spiritual and educational topics into another supremely entertaining adventure.”--Booklist on The Bishop Goes to The University
“Blackie once again proves to be a loyal friend, a formidable foe, and a gifted spiritual adviser. An entertaining romp through the West Wing.”--Booklist on The Bishop in the West Wing
“Fun is the word for bestseller Greeley’s latest, lively Bishop Blackie Ryan thriller. . . . [Readers] will appreciate the well-drawn characters, swift action, and logical resolution.”--Publishers Weekly on The Bishop in the West Wing
“Nobody has ever left the church because of an Andrew Greeley novel, but many have been attracted back to it by him.”--Reverend Ron Rolheiser, O.M.I.
About the Author
Father Greeley received the S.T.L. in 1954 from St. Mary of Lake Seminary. His graduate work was done at the University of Chicago, where he received the M.A. Degree in 1961 and the Ph.D. in 1962.
Father Greeley has written scores of books and hundreds of popular and scholarly articles on a variety of issues in sociology, education, and religion. His column on political, church and social issues is carried by the Chicago Sun Times and many other newspapers. He stimulates discussion of neglected issues and often anticipates sociological trends. He is the author of more than thirty bestselling novels and an autobiography, Furthermore!: Confessions of a Parish Priest.
Customer Reviews
Andrew Gteeley does it again
While this book, from the acclaimed Father Andrew Greeley, reads differently from many of the other Blacky Ryan novels, it is obvious that Greeley is in top form. Some readers may find the initial chapters slower going as it is the character devevlopment rather than plot that takes center stage. It doesn't take long, however, for Greeley to work his magic and bring the reader deeply into modern Spain. The cultural touhes and finely drawn characters meld with a deeply engrossing plot to create a novel on which it is worth spending the next few days.
Delightful as usual
Fr. Greeley doesn't disappoint at all in Blackie's first adventure as an Archbishop. The storyline is the predictable Greeley form, but for us Greeley fans, that's a comfortable fit! Fr. Greeley, through the Archbishop, shares wonderful insights into the Catholic church and human nature, as usual. The only thing a wee bit unusual is that this one will keep you more in suspense about what is going on in Chicago while the Archbishop is in Andalusia.
I was thoroughly delighted!
Strong writing but more mystery, please
Archbishop Blackie Ryan is in Seville, Spain to help the Cardinal there deal with a strange situation. Duchess Teresa, a beautiful widow, is being manipulated and bullied by relatives and supposed fiances (supposed because the relatives claim the right to name fiances even though Spanish law does not allow this). The Cardinal suspects there's enough anger there to provoke murder. Sure enough, Teresa is found with barbituate poisoning, a knife in her abdomen, a gunshot wound to her head, and a locked door.
Blackie has never met a locked door mystery he couldn't unravel and he's sure he knows how the door lock was overcome--exactly who did it, though, is a bit of a mystery. After all, the attempted murder occured just after Donna Teresa promised the relatives the money they desperately need to bail them out of financial difficulties. Surely it's not in their interest that she die.
Author Andrew M. Greeley writes convincingly of the difficulties in the Catholic Church, the love of God, and of the life-affirming nature of the love between man and woman. To a large extent, the mystery itself takes second place to Greeley exploring his understanding of faith (Greeley is a Catholic priest). This, essentially, is both the strength and weakness in the story. From a mystery perspective, there just isn't enough going on here--not enough clues, not enough action, not enough danger. THE ARCHBISHOP IN ANDALUSIA has to be seen as a story in which the mystery serves as a sort of hatrack on which Greeley can hang his thoughts about the world and about God's love. Fans of hardboiled detective fiction probably already know to steer clear of Greeley's mysteries, but ANDALUSIA is more contemplative and slow-moving even than many of the other Blackie Ryan mysteries.
Greeley is a strong writer, involving the reader in the story and opening our eyes to the fascinating, if sometimes horrible, world of Church politics and the eternal battle between those who forgive and those who can only hate.
