The Bishop and the Beggar Girl of St. Germain

"The Bishop And The Beggar Girl Of St. Germain" by Fr. Andrew M. Greeley, Audio book Version narrated by George Guidall. Recorded Books Productions, New York 2001.The author, Fr. Andrew Greeley, moves the venue for this Bishop Blackie mystery to Paris, and it seems that he certainly knows Paris: at least the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the subway system, many subway stops and the little bistros on the Left Bank. Using this as backdrop, Fr. Greeley has Bishop John Blackwood Ryan accompany his Cardinal, Sean Cronin, of Chicago, to Paris, where Bishop Blackie is impressed as a detective in the service of the local cardinal. "Blackie" is requested to find the young television priest, Jean-Claude, who had disappeared during a TV shoot in the 3rd Century basement of Notre Dame. Needing an interpreter, Bishop Blackie "stumbles" on Marie-Bernadette, an accomplished musician who is begging outside the Church of St. Germain. Greeley's fascination with thing Celtic (pronounced as KEL-tik) means that Marie-Bernadette's accomplishments are in Celtic music, whether from the Celtic region of France or the Basque region of Spain, or, of course, from Scotland and Ireland. This makes a nice little sub-plot, with Bishop Blackie officiating at Marie-Bernadette's marriage at the end of the book.Of course, Blackie solves the mystery of the disappearance of the television evangelist priest, Jean-Claude, and while doing so, Author Greeley comments on the loneliness of the celibate clergy, their trials and temptations. I couldn't help wondering if there was some autobiographical issues buried in those comments. The story's main plot had a nice little twist that I should have been able to catch earlier than I did!Narrator George Guidall was again excellent. I have listened to him as the voice of Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee in the Tony Hillerman mysteries, and it is amazing how Mr. Guidall can range from "flat" Navajo tone in those books to an excited French accent for the exalted cardinal of Paris in this book. I enjoyed the book and listening to Mr. Guidall as I commuted on I-495, the ring road around Boston... Five Stars.

I like all of Andrew Greeley's novels, yet "arguably" as Blackie Ryan would say, this is my favorite one to date. It is "patently" a well-crafted tale, to use Blackie's other favorite adverb. I was truly surprised when he found the solution to another closed-room mystery, his specialty. This is a gentler, kinder book than many of his earlier offerings. Blackie has softened over the years, and has a detached and fuller understanding of the passions of youth. Set in Paris, and poking fun at many typically French characters and attitudes, Greeley's book will make you smile and keep you wondering until the last pages.

I've been wanting to read his stuff for years, but for some reason I'm only getting around to it now. Before the book, I only knew of him as the priest who wrote sexy novels. Being Catholic, I'm surprised I didn't jump on this sooner, but good things come to those that wait. I think the guy's writing is great! No preaching. Just an everyday guy who's profession just happens to be a priest. Definately opinionated, and covers all kinds of topics dealing with the church, from large-scale issues to petty quarrels with various members of the hierarchy.As for the sexy parts, he does address them in a mature, readable fashion. I was once told by a priest that there is a saying that "the more you know, the more you can get away with". You get from this book that if two committed people in love want to start banging a little early, nobody's feathers are going to get too ruffled. He also hints that yes, he finds ladies attractive, and will do regular solo work to try and make the awesome pressure of celibacy a bit easier to bear. Whether this jives with church thinking or this is one renegade priest shooting his pen off, I'm not sure. But he does have a new hooked fan.Oh yes, the book itself. It deals with one of his regular characters being sent to France to investigate the disappearance of a popular TV priest. It's a pretty short book, but so are Elmore Leonard novels, and I have no problem with them. He picks up the title beggar girl to be his translator, but since he speaks French already, it's probably more because she's cute. Here the story goes through standard investigation scenes, but I will admit the ending does take an unusual plot twist. How much it would have been able to be pulled off in real life is debateable, but it did make for great reading.

Fans who have read all of the Beatitude and Blackie Ryan mysteries will be delighted by this latest tale. Fr. Greeley has delivered an entertaining mystery that is both a breath of fresh air and true to the well-established formula. New characters are as delightful as the old favorites. This one seemed to go very quickly, but is written so well, the images will linger for years, particularly of Mother Marie's wise words about love and a particular wedding ceremony near the end of the book.Not incidentally, there is an especially fine treat for longtime fans of Fr. Greeley's on the back cover of the book - praise for the author's fiction from a member of the Church hierarchy. It is long overdue. I do find it sad, and more than a bit unusual, however, that the author puts a disclaimer on a certain fictional Cardinal's remarks to Blackie in a Note at the end of the book. Has it really come to this? Mon Dieu!

The Bishop and the Beggar Girl of St. Germain is a very exciting mystery novel. I'm relatively new to mystery novels, but this one was quite an interesting trip. A priest is missing in Paris, and Bishop Blackie Ryan is on a mission to rescue him. The missing priest is the most popular priest in all of France beacuse he is a television star and a hero throughout the nation of France. But his integrity is seriously doubted by the church. Blackie gets help from a hilariously sardonic Cardinal Cronin, and a beautiful begger woman. They discover that the police, as well as the Church don't care about the priest. But despite all this Blackie solves the mystery...in quite an amusing way to say the least. I would tell all of you beginner mystery readers to start with this one. Quite a wild ride! I loved every page of it!