Marked for Murder

Father Robert Koesler is back to cast his knowing eye over a series of murders that might implicate the Catholic Church. A man in clerical dress is killing, eviscerating and branding elderly prostitutes in Detroit's inner city. When priest Richard Kramer is found in circumstances that appear to be leading up to another murder, homicide lieutenant Alonzo Tully is certain he is guilty. Koesler, a friend of the priest, is not so sure and begins to investigate at the urging of Kramer's assistant, Sister Mary Therese. Meanwhile, morgue attendant Arnold Bush, considered rather strange by fellow workers, develops a morbid fascination with the case. Recent changes in the Church bureaucracy and anecdotes about past prelates as well as some of the seamier aspects of Detroit provide Koesler with clues in his hunt for the killer. Kienzle (Deadline for a Critic) comes up with another solid story. While his plot gapes at times, in this case the denouement takes place totally offstage, his depiction of the Church coping with the often uninterested modern world and of those still devoted to the faith makes up for these lapses. An interracial and adult love story involving the black Tully is especially appealing. (April)