Bishop as Pawn

The murder of a much-disliked bishop propels Detroit's Father Koesler, recently seen in Body Count , into his 16th case, a tale steeped in Catholic arcana. When auxiliary Bishop Ramon Diego is bludgeoned to death, his aide, Father Don Carleson, formerly a missionary in Central America, is arrested quickly. Even though the ruthlessly ambitious Diego had used his amiable adjunct as a mere gofer, Carleson doesn't seem the murdering type to Koesler or the rest of the city's clergy. But an ambitious prosecuting attorney and the investigating police lieutenant are pleased with the quick arrest and eager for a high-profile conviction. While interviewing Koesler, the prosecuting attorney reveals a personal interest in the suspect and determines his course of attack in the case, a line which Koesler, to his horror, has inadvertently supported. Although the official investigation is closed with the arrest, Koesler's police friend Lt. Tully keeps his detectives searching for clues. Another death finally leads Kienzle's intrepid clergyman through an intricate course in canon law to a mundane solution. (Apr.)