Requiem for Moses

Kienzle ill serves kindhearted Father Koesler, who has valiantly starred in numerous previous mysteries (The Rosary Murders; Call No Man Father, etc.). Here, the author railroads the venerable Detroit priest into an unredeemable position. When Moe Green's widow insists that Koesler hold a wake at St. Joseph's for her nominally Jewish husband, the priest is reluctant but allows himself to be convinced since he can find no Church law forbidding it. But he is alarmed at the crowd that shows up at the spur-of-the-moment event and regrets having also agreed to say a few words about a man whom he has never met and who was apparently morally corrupt. As Koesler begins to speak, Moe's sister Sophie makes a dramatic entrance, looks at her dead brother-and sees him blink. In the ensuing melee, the coffin falls from the bier, and Moe indicates he wants to be taken home. Now the hapless Koesler must not only explain to his bishop why he agreed to hold the wake, but he must also determine whether Moe's revival was a miracle, as a fellow priest asserts. Despite its wealth of Church law and theology, this latest tale will disappoint fans who have come to consider Koesler as more astute than he seems here. (Apr.)