"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-Herald The Rosary Murders was William X. Kienzle's first Father Koesler mystery, published in 1978. Twenty-three more books followed, creating a best-selling mystery series mostly set in Detroit and reflecting the personality of its hero, Father Robert Koesler, a diocesan priest with a penchant for sleuthing. The Rosary Murders was named one of the top twenty-five mysteries of the twentieth century in spring 2000 by the Chicago Sun-Times. It was also made into a movie, with Donald Sutherland in the role of Father Koesler. In The Rosary Murders, Detroit priests and nuns are being methodically murdered; all are found with a plain black rosary entwined between their fingers as a calling card. From Ash Wednesday, when the murderer first struck, the police seem helpless to solve the string of senseless murders. The weeks that follow become a nightmare for the crack homicide team headed by Lieutenant Walter Koznicki, until Father Koesler breaks the madmen's code. Here is a story with tension, excitement, intelligence, and a rare wit and humor. Kienzle painstakingly leads you through every step in an intensive police investigation of heinous series of murders. Police procedure and Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper reporting are as much a part of the action as the crimes themselves. With superb control of the novel's movement, Kienzle can tantalize at a tortoise's pace and torment with a breakneck hare's pace.

"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 Sun Father Robert Koesler unravels his third mystery, this time zeroing in on one of six suspects, each with a motive for revenge, to solve the case of Detroit's missing monsignor. In Mind over Murder, writer William X. Kienzle challenges the reader to a game of reasoning. He sets the stage—Detroit's east side—and situation: Monsignor Thomas Thompson antagonizes a number of people and then mysteriously disappears. His Cadillac is found in a parking lot, with fingerprints wiped clean from the interior and an empty cartridge from a .32 caliber pistol and a bloody tissue left behind. Foul play is suspected by Detroit police and press. Father Koesler, central character in the Kienzle series, is called into the case by Walter Koznicki, inspector for the police department, to interpret the Catholic connection. Thompson's diary, found by Joe Cox, reporter for the Detroit Free Press, becomes a prime piece of evidence in the puzzle. The contents, exposing his innermost thoughts to investigators and the press, foreshadow ominous happenings. Whodunit? One by one, suspects are implicated by virtue of mention in Thompson's diary. Each has a grudge against him. Each knows the moment when he will be most vulnerable. And each has a perfect alibi—almost. Kienzle sets up a rational situation and, with motivation established for the suspects, all the reader has to do is add up the clues. But, as Inspector Koznicki comments, "With unpredictable human nature, every logical bit of evidence can point in one directions, only to prove a false lead."

"In Isadore's Secret, Mardi Link shines a journalist's lamp on this dark, quiet corner of Michigan's history, assuring that the tragic story of Sister Janina is not forgotten. Link's telling is fascinating and thorough, making a story you will not soon forget." ---Steve Lehto, author of Death's Door A gripping account of the mysterious 1907 disappearance of a young nun in a northern Michigan town and the national controversy that followed when she turned up dead and buried in the basement of her own church. Swinging planks of lantern light shine through the musty air and onto the dirt floor of the church basement. The oddly glowing rectangles syncopate over the damp ground and illuminate even the darkest, stooped-down corners of the space beyond. The only sound is the ragged breathing of two men, a young parish priest and a much older laborer. Aboveground these men belong completely to this place, in both body and soul. A glimpse of their faces anywhere in the sanctuary, the rectory, the school, the barn, or the gardens would be a welcome sight. But here below, these men of Isadore are interlopers. Only trespassers would sneak silently into the church's sloped underbelly without witness to carry out such a sinful and secret errand as this one. Despite their tools, and their lantern, and their resolve, neither is equipped for the task at hand or for what is to come. Mardi Link, a former crime reporter, was named Antioch's Betty Crumrine Scholar for Creative Nonfiction in 2007. Her first book, When Evil Came to Good Hart, also published by the University of Michigan Press, spent four months on the Heartland Indie Bestseller List. This true story was the basis for the Broadway play The Runner Stumbles and the film of the same name. Front cover: Photograph of cemetery © John L. Russell, Great Lakes Images; image of face ©iStockphoto.com/duncan1890.

On the payroll as an assistant to her coroner father, seventeen-year-old Cameryn Mahoney uses her knowledge of forensic medicine to catch the killer of a friend while putting herself in terrible danger.

LAST RITES AND LETHAL WRONGS Father Koesler is pondering his imminent retirement. But even as he looks toward an uncertain future, circumstances force him to investigate a crime from the past, a murder that only now has come to light. The revelation is revealed after his successor, Father Zachary Tully, clashes with Bishop Vincent Delvecchio. A longtime colleague of the powerful bishop's, Koesler searches his memory for insight into his superior's demanding nature . . . only to discover long-buried secrets involving a devout family haunted by tragedy--and shocking truths about sin, salvation, and the greatest evil. . . .

When two Vatican officials are murdered, retired CIA operative Vincent Traeger is called in to solve a mystery involving a Cold War adversary, the story of Our Lady of Fatima, and a billionaire who believes he is doing God's work.

Against resistance on all sides, Detective John Dillmann exposed a vile insurance scam. The suspects were a mail-order minister-massage parlor owner and Dr. Jim Giesick, the victim's bogus psychologist husband. This is the incredible, first-hand account.

In this unusual murder mystery, the tranquility of Saint Mary's Abbey is shattered by the discovery of a gruesome crime in a cottage on the abbey grounds. A foreign artist and war hero seeking refuge from the world has been murdered. Marie Paige, the frail, sickly wife of the village doctor, lies beside him beaten into a coma. The police arrest Marie's husband, convinced that they are looking at a crime of passion. But Dr. Paige finds himself with an unlikely champion: Fr. Gabriel, a blundering but brilliant Benedictine priest who believes in his innocence and feels compelled to search for the truth. In a country struggling to come to terms with the devastation of the Second World War, even a secluded English village has its share of secrets and broken lives. It is not long before Fr. Gabriel and his companions find themselves embarking on a dangerous journey into the victims' troubled war histories and a chapter of Europe's bloodiest conflict that is almost too terrible to be acknowledged.

In this era of war, mendacity, clerical and political scandal, and personal disillusion, I hoped that the example of Bill's love of the Church, his love of the priesthood, his love of people...and his love of the woman he married could show that life can be lived honestly, uprightly, fulfillingly...and with kindness and humor." -Author Javan Kienzle Author William X. Kienzle touched readers, both on and off the page. His 24 Father Robert Koesler mysteries attracted an ever-growing following of faithful and new fans alike, while his status as a highly intelligent and thoughtful ex-priest sparked curiosity and interest in his unique perspective. When Bill died suddenly in December 2001 his readers were crushed, as were so many who knew him personally and professionally. After much reflection on his life, Bill's widow, Javan, chose to write his biography. Judged by Love is a loving but candid portrait of a deeply religious and spiritual person, one who dedicated his life to God by becoming a priest, then found himself separated from the priesthood he loved because of disagreements with its policies. While this is the individual story of Bill Kienzle from his youthful days in the seminary onward, it also serves as a reflection on the current examination of faith that much of the Catholic clergy and laity have experienced over the last 50 years. Complete with Bill and Javan's singular love story, Judged by Love is a moving tale of a remarkable man. Readers interested in religion and spiritual topics, as well as the faithful fans who purchased more than two million copies of Bill's hardcover and paperback mysteries, will be heartened and gratified by the chance to read about this extraordinary human being.

Christmas, Tennessee, is a town where no one locks their doors and the worst crime is a stolen bicycle. Until the night blood is found . . . but there's no body. Police Chief Tucker Ambrose hopes it's just a prank, but his years as a cop in Chicago tell him different. Then a body is discovered in the middle of the woods, staged with a bible, a crucifix, and a rosary . . . and Tucker knows something dark and sinister has arrived in his town. Miranda Harley knows exactly what's going on. In fact, she's been tracking this serial killer, hoping to gather enough evidence to convict him. Trouble is, no one will believe her, not even the sexy police chief whose heated gazes promise nights of sin. But when Miranda falls into the crosshairs of a psychopath, Tucker must put aside his doubts and race to stop the killer from striking again.