Genre

Mystery, Historical Fiction

Audience

10th Grade & Up

Author’s Worldview

Catholic

Year Published

2020

Themes

Revenge, WWII, The Holocaust, London, England, Communism, London Bombings, Hatred, Immoral Riches, Catholics in England, Catholicism in England

 

Reviewed by

A.R.K. Watson

A dinner party at an English manor ends in murder. See No Evil begins like many a British cozy mystery, but De Maria provides a fresh spin on this beloved genre. Father Gabriel is more than a blank-slate intellect of a detective. His adventures, for all their cozy trappings, don’t keep the young priest from delving into the darkness of the human heart rather than just the darkness of society.If this book is any indication, the Father Gabriel Mystery series will please fans of Father Brown without being another washed-out retread of G. K. Chesterton.

Like most of my favorite mysteries, this story has more than one puzzle. Almost every character and scene has more than one secret to hide and all these secrets get tangled up in a most satisfying knot. There are the Martins, who host the dinner party at their manor with their mysteriously acquired nouveau-riche funds; Paul, the blue-blooded friendly communist; Molly the Irish scullery maid, who hears too much; Victor the old war journalist who’s seen more than he should, and his two estranged children; Verity the musical genius; and her Uncle Bron, the disowned Catholic convert, through whom Father Gabriel gets an invitation.

De Maria also takes full advantage of my favorite aspect of a detective-priest book—he ends the story not when the culprit is caught, but when the culprit’s soul is saved. This isn’t done with a neat little paragraph summary, either. De Maria takes two full chapters. There are a few time-skips between the later chapters while Father Gabriel does all he can to save the murderer’s soul, even if it means losing their lives. De Maria does not shy away from the fact that the criminal, by acknowledging their sin, is assured of getting sentenced to death. How many of us could save our soul if it meant having our life cut short?

De Maria also does a fantastic job capturing the feel of post-WWII England and the gradually uncovered tragedies of the Holocaust. Every person and setting has some ghost haunting them. When Father Gabriel goes to London, he describes the shock of seeing once-beautiful neighborhoods reduced to rubble. I’ve never read something that made the experience quite so visceral to me.

Father Gabriel too, has his ghosts, and hints of a life before the priesthood. I find him to be a much more rounded and fleshed-out character then I expected, and I anticipate learning more about him in subsequent novels. There is clearly a larger mystery in Father Gabriel’s life that will be explored throughout his series.

Though there is some violence and dark themes explored (it is a murder mystery, after all), there is nothing in it that would offend a high school reader. If your kids can watch the TV show Monk without any trouble, than they will get a great deal more Catholic morality out of Father Gabriel. A well-versed mystery fan will find this story a delightfully satisfying puzzle. Non-Catholic Christians and Atheists will also enjoy the moral complexities and psychological depth that a priest-detective brings to the genre without ever becoming preachy.

As the second in a series of mystery stories I found it easily read as a stand alone adventure. De Maria’s prose deserves to be counted among the Catholic classics.

North Pacific: A Story of Life, Love, Suffering, and Grace by Michael Steffan

Joseph & Miku’s love was already illegal. Then WWII began. Now home, disabled, and questioning God’s love, he still searches for her.

A Pius Man by Declan Finn

A hilarious espionage action adventure in the Vatican. Also a halberd fight scene. Nuff Said.

Legion by William Peter Blatty

When a boy is crucified, Detective Kinderman finds himself chasing down a murderer who is already dead.

Books for Lent

Deepen your Lenten reflection with these stories of repentance and forgiveness

The Fire of Eden (The Harwood Mysteries Book 3) by Antony Barone Kolenc

The mystery of a stolen treasure might hold the key to Xan’s discernment about whether God is calling him to the priesthood or to Lucy.

If Wishes Were Dragons By Karina Fabian

What happens when LARPing becomes a lot more real than a group of D&D players can handle?

To Crown with Liberty by Karen Ullo

What must you do when nothing you can do will save those you love?

Greater Treasures by Karina Fabian

Will Vern sacrifice the fate of two worlds for the life of his best friend?

Best of 2020

Yes some good things DID happen this year- Catholic creators have not let turmoil stop their mission.

Tortured Soul by Theresa Linden

Looking for a book that puts Christ not just back into Christmas but into Halloween too? Throw in a dash of ghost story, mystery, and romance and you have A Tortured Soul.

Die This Hour (Inspector Sheehan Mystery Bk 2) by Brian O’Hare

Detective Sergeant Denise Stewart joins Inspector Sheehan’s Serious Crimes unit in Belfast and helps chase down a killer.

Brother Wolf by Eleanor Bourg Nicholson

Swept into a werewolf hunt with two nuns, a dashing guardian and a jolly priest, Athene Howard applies her intellectual skills to unravel this mysterious new Papist world.

A Printer’s Choice by W.L. Patenaude

The first nation in space has sworn off religion, but now they need the help of Fr. McCellan to solve a murder and save them from religious terrorists.

The Glaston Secret by Donal Anthony Foley

Can three modern teens and a little black dog rescue a group of fleeing refugees in Nazi-occupied France?

The Reluctant Queen: The Story of Esther by Lin Wilder

Chosen by Xerxes to be queen, chosen by God to be savior of His people: the story of Esther.

Rachel’s Contrition by Michelle Buckman

After the loss of her child, Rachel goes insane but she must pull her mind back together to solve a murder and save her own life.

Max Medal Knight, Volume 2 By Voyage Comics

To save his mother, Max must don his knight’s armor for the first time.

Idol Speculations by Karina Fabian

Can a dragon take on a monster ten times his size?

Servant of the Suffering: Rose Hawthorne by Voyage Comics

The great-great-great-granddaughter of a Salem witch trial judge is on her way to Catholic sainthood.