"A sophisticated and baffling thriller . . . a real bone-freezer." —Publishers Weekly"Ingenious, witty, literate—at once irreverent and compassionate—an impressive tour indeed for a first-time novelist." —Los Angeles Times"Well-paced, tightly written, exciting as hell, and, quite possibly, the best mystery I've read in years." —Dallas Times-HeraldThe Rosary Murders was William X. Kienzle's first Father Koesler mystery, published i...

The Gathering was the twenty-fourth in Kienzle's series of mysteries, featuring Father Robert Koesler as a Roman Catholic priest whose intuitiveness and caring nature have led him to an unusual calling: solving mysteries, mostly of the murderous kind.In this entry, revisit Koesler's adolescent and teen years, to a time when young Catholic men and women were encouraged, even expected, to become priests and nuns, whether or not their vocation was real. We meet his group of s...

"Bill Kienzle's best yet." —Detroit Free Press"It is miraculous, but the third Father Koesler is even better than the first two. It is without reservation the best series ever about a priest detective." —Otto Penzler, owner, Mysterious Bookshop, New York City"Father Koesler is on the case, thank God." —Baltimore SunFather Robert Koesler unravels his third mystery, this time zeroing in on one of six suspects, each with a motive for revenge, to solve...

"Kienzle's twenty-first Father Koesler novel is distinguished by a unique twist that will appeal to seasoned mystery fans tired of prefabricated formulas and timeworn plots." —Booklist"Kienzle's grasp and detailing of church problems is impressive. Well-conceived characters . . . add depth to the conflicts. And the structure of the book is unusual. . . . The plot thus plays itself out neither as a whodunit or a whydunit, but as a tragedy and morality play that develops slo...

"Father Koesler is on the case, thank God." —Baltimore SunFrom William X. Kienzle, author of the mystery classic, The Rosary Murders.The priesthood or Lil. It would be a gut-wrenching decision for Rick.Sixty-year-old Father Rick Casserly, the much loved, socially conscious pastor at St. William of Thierry Church, and Lillian "Lil" Niedermeir, the principal at nearby St. Enda's elementary school, share a common bond. They are secret lovers, driven i...

"The clever plot, the subtle clues, and above all, the ideas make this well worth reading." —West Coast Review of BooksFrom William X. Kienzle, author of the classic mystery, The Rosary Murders.When Father George Wheatley decided to convert from the Anglican Church to the Roman Catholic, he thought he had painstakingly considered the sacrifices he would have to make. He knew his celebrity status as a beloved Anglican priest, evidenced by his newspaper colu...

"An extraordinary tale of justice and morality . . ." —Otto Penzler, Edgar Award Winner and Owner of the Mysterious Bookshop, New York City"... another dandy tale of homicide with an ecclesiastic twist . . . a fast-moving plot with amusing sidelights." —New York Daily News"Every time I open a book, I hope this one is going to be really smashing, exciting, outstanding. This one is. Death Wears a Red Hat is the kind of mystery that I read the others to find....

"Kienzle's sharp knowledge of diocesan politics and the sights, sounds, and stresses of both priestly and lay Catholic life in a changing world enriches his story significantly. His plotting has never been more intricate or suspenseful than in the new book. which future historians can probably study for evidence of the way we live now."—Los Angeles TimesIt's 1960 and Agnes Ventimiglia, a plain young woman working at the Wayne County Clerk's Office, is suddenly swept off he...

"Bishop as Pawn provides a splendid showcase for Kienzle's skill at contriving a whodunit and for his insider's view of archdiocesan politics."—Chicago Sun-TimesFrom the author of the mystery classic, The Rosary Murders.The murder couldn't have been more ill-timed. Father Ernie Bell, slightly in his cups, staggers into the priests' quarterly gripe session, angry at the new bishop. Recently arrived Father Don Carleson also takes a jab or two at the bishop, ...

"Kienzle's are the best books ever written about a cleric and among the best of everything in the past quarter century." —Otto Penzler, in Mystery Magazine"There are few authors whose books a reader anticipates from the moment he finished the last effort. . . . Add William Kienzle to the list." —Dallas Times Herald"Father Koesler is on the case, thank God." —Baltimore SunIn the fourth Father Koesler thriller, William X. Kienzle proved his ...

"This is the good old Dorothy Sayers/John Dickson Carr school of homicide with civilized people doing what civilized people do best: dispatching each other." —Los Angeles Times"Bill Kienzle does have a way with a tale. And a nifty way of mixing Church dogma and gossip into the plot." —New York Daily News"Each Kienzle novel seems to top the last. As we have said before, give us this day our daily Kienzle." —West Coast Review of BooksFrom Wi...

"As more than a million readers have learned to their delight, Kienzle is a font of funny stories. He has created one of the most likable and authentic of all recent sleuths—the shy, sly Father Koesler—whose exploits into crime and insights into parish life have continued in seven gossipy and cozy mysteries." —Chicago Tribune"Kienzle's best book since The Rosary Murders." —Publishers Weekly"It's a cracking good mystery." —Houston Chronicle