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Overview
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.
At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.
Synopsis
The Archbishop in Andalusia opens an exciting new chapter in the illustrious career of one of Andrew Greeley's most beloved characters. 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. . . . At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.Editorials
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.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Kirkus Reviews
Chicago's mighty-mite cleric doubles for another little guy: Cupid.
At home, John Blackwood Ryan, who sits at the right hand of Sean, Cardinal Cronin, is often, with great affection, called Blackie, the little archbishop. In the south of Spain, he's informed by the Archbishop of Seville, whose puckish sense of humor matches Blackie's, that his nickname translates neatly into El Padrecito Negro, and it's how he'll be known during his stay. The Seville Cardinal then proceeds to flesh out the delicate nature of the mission on which the Chicago Cardinal has dispatched his most dexterous troubleshooter. Blackie's been ordered to disentangle the strands of love and hate that have enmeshed the beauteous Teresa, Duchess of Seville, and her lawyer and sweetheart Leandro. Teresa's implacable enemies, it turns out, are also her guardians, though the legality of this appears doubtful. Not to be doubted is the bitterness between the two camps, an ill feeling downright homicidal, in Cardinal Cronin's view. So is Blackie expected to solve a murder before it happens? The answer is yes, of course. But he's charged with a task both Cardinals regard as even more important. As a sort of Cardinal to Cardinal lend-lease, Blackie's in Seville to persuade a certain deeply in love woman that it's all right to be deeply in love.
Mystery lite, but the invincible charm of the little archbishop (The Bishop at the Lake, 2007) will keep the faithful faithful.
From the Publisher
“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.