The Letter Killeth: A Mystery Set at the University of Notre Dame

by Ralph McInerny

Book Overview

Once the college football season draws to a close for the Fighting Irish, there is little reason to ride out the winter in South Bend, Indiana. Those who can leave do, but P.I. Philip Knight stays on at Notre Dame when the university asks him to discreetly investigate a rash of threatening letters that have been sent to a number of administrators, including the new football coach, who resurrected the team in a single year. ? While conspiracy theories...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312351437
• ISBN13: 9780312351434
• Release Date: December 2006
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 233 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

exciting academia mystery

Notre Dame has to change with the times or it will never survive in the cutthroat competitive world of academia. Students, teachers and workers don't like the direction the school is taking, more secular and less religious oriented. Professor Raul Izquierdo is an atheist who talks to his classes about his beliefs which upsets the pious Catholics who believe that what he is doing is wrong. Henry, a security officer is a brilliant man whose whole life was geared to going to Notre Dame but despite high grades and SAT scores he was rejected. Professor Wack who has an office next door to Raul despises the atheist and in a fit of ire sets fire to his trash can. Threatening letters are sent to the Provost, the Dean of Arts and Letters, the football coach and Professor Wack. The school is concerned so they hire private investigator Phillip Knight and his brother, a Catholic Studies professor, who also is a private investigator to investigate. While they inquire about the letters, Raul's car is blown up and he is later found by a professor in his office strangled to death. There are many suspects but Roger perseveres because he thinks the police have arrested the wrong man. Fans of academia mysteries will enjoy THE LETTER KILLETH that gives a writer's view of Notre Dame and the political in-fighting that goes on in academia. This is a well thought out mystery with three suspects who all have good motives to want to see the victim dead making the cast of secondary characters most interesting. Roger, an extraordinarily obese man, is comfortable with himself as a brilliant private detective with a mind that never rests until he sacks the criminal. Harriet Klausner