The Archbishop in Andalusia

Another good Blackie Ryan mystery. Ryan is in Spain to prevent a murder as a dispute among a family of nobles heats up. The target is La Dona Teresa, but can he identify the potential murderer and stop it before it happens? Greeley does a great job with the setting and exploration of Seville, Spain adding quite a bit of historical background and capturing the beauty of a once great and glamorous culture that had known its share of turmoil and war. It is a good read, but it drags in places and is a bit predictable. Greeley adds enough color and interesting characters to hold the reader's attention despite the slower pace in places. I found the historical references and the descriptions of the locale to be engaging and the characters, as show more usual, were well done. show less

I've liked the Blackie Ryan series but just couldn't get into this, the latest book in the series.

Blackie was as delightful as always but I couldn't empathise with the main characters situation that Blackie was helping. Set in Andulusia, southern Spain.

It seemed impossible for me to comprehend that she could be so on to it and contemporary in other ways, but so locked into traditional 'under authority' in the very disturbed extended family dynamic. Especially when some of that authority was going to affect her daughter.... My inability to suspend disbelief for the motivations and situation did taint my enjoyment of this book.

This is a too long rambling narrative about Blackie's trip to Spain where he solves a locked room mystery where a Spanish Nobel woman is attacked by a crazy relative who is jealous of her successful womb as well as her abilities to use money to dis others why winning the love and admiration of many. Not up to the standard Greeley achieved in The Bishop at the Lake.

A typical but fun filled murder mystery as can only be solved by the inimitable Archbishop Blackie Ryan, except this time the story takes place far away from his beloved Chicago in Seville, Spain. Unfortunately there are problems with Cardinal Cronin back in that beloved city that also weigh on Blackie's mind. Will all turn out well?

Not yet full-fledged archbishop of Chicago, Blackie is sent by Sean Cronin to Andalusia to act as spiritual advisor to a middle-aged, yet confused widow whose controlling relatives are preventing her from marrying the man she loves. As always, Blackie solves a locked room puzzle, prevents a murder and helps people find love and salvation.