A Father Gabriel Mystery

 

Whenever one reads a mystery with a priest sleuth, it's natural to think of Chesterton's Father Brown. Of course, not all such sleuths measure up to Father Brown and the moral and ethical framework Chesterton created.  

Father Gabriel does measure up. Fiorella De Maria has created a priest detective who investigates and solves crimes but is concerned even more with his fellow characters and their salvation. 

Missing, Presumed Lost is the fifth book (and the fifth one I've read) in the six-book series. I'm assuming - hoping - she will write more.  

The plot involves finding the buried skeletal remains of a young girl who disappeared 30 years before. Was it murder? Who buried her? Who knew what happened? 

Father Gabriel, whose Benedictine monastery is located in the village where the girl had lived and where her remains were found, is drawn into the mystery. At the same time, the death of a child haunts him because, before he became a priest, he was married, but then his wife and daughter were murdered, a case that was never solved.

De Fiorella has written a number of books besides the Father Gabriel mysteries. She is a skilled writer, and this book is another fine example of her work.

I think Chesterton would have approved. 

A definite thumbs up! 

Late, But I Have a Good Reason!

 

I try to post every Thursday - my assigned day. But my old computer - 16 years old - died.

My new computer arrived yesterday afternoon, but I'm still trying to restore my old sites. And I have to take the old one and this one in to have all my documents and photos transferred to the new one.

So ... I will write, but it might not be for a couple of days.

"Around every corner is another gift waiting to surprise us, and it will surprise us if we can achieve control over our natural tendencies to make comparisons [to things that are better rather than things that are worse], to take things for granted [rather than imagining how much worse things would be if they weren't there and so feeling grateful], and to feel entitled!" - G. K. Chesterton

Zimmy Clerihew

Robert Zimmerman
adopted a persona as part of his musical career plan.
Given his singing voice
he might have thought it was his only choice.

I just saw part of the Bob Dylan bio movie, No Direction Home, and felt inspired.

Bruce Wayne Clerihew

 

Back in 2021 I submitted a number of clerihews to Gilbert. One of them finally showed up in the current issue! Patience is a virtue.

Bruce Wayne
will calmly eat soy, beans, and grain,
but serve him a veggie hamburger patty,
and he'll suddenly go batty.

I wonder if some of these other unpublished one I submitted then will make it into print some day? Here are three of them:

Dr. Bruce Banner
stopped to iron out some issues at Stark manor.
But when Pepper came on the scene,
he suddenly turned green.

With Adrian Monk

every case is a slam dunk.
He does, however, grow visibly grim

if after each one they don't disinfect the rim.  

Lord Peter Wimsey

was never deterred by evidence flimsy,

but his confidence suffered years of strain

when faced with the mystery of Harriet Vane.