Ralph McInerny Books In Order

Publication Order of Andrew Broom Books

Publication Order of Egidio Manfredi Books

Publication Order of Father Dowling Books

Publication Order of Father Dowling Young Adult Mystery Books

Publication Order of Notre Dame Books

Publication Order of Proceedings of the Wethersfield Institute Books

Publication Order of The Rosary Chronicles Books

Publication Order of Sister Mary Teresa Mystery Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Collections

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of ISI Guides to the Major Disciplines Books

Publication Order of Caroline Canfield Mysteries Books

Publication Order of Murder Most Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Ralph McInerny
Ralph McInerny was a fiction writer best known for his Father Dowling mystery series. McInerny has authored under different pseudonyms, including Harry Austin, Monica Quill, Ernan Mackey, Matthew FitzRalph, and Edward Mackin. His popular series featured Father Dowling, who was the basics of the main character in a television show titled Father Dowling Mysteries, which aired from 1987-1991.

McInerny also worked as a professor of Philosophy, Medieval Studies professor at Notre Dame University, and a Catholic religious scholar.

Her Death of Cold
Her Death of Cold is the first book in the Father Dowling series. The book features Father Dowling, a man who has just set foot in Fox River town. A three o’clock call by one of his parishioners, Sylvia Lowry, changes his life. The 75-year old widow reaches out to Father in the dead of night, and he does everything to calm her down. Sylvia is sure that her kids are out to get her, but Father Dowling convinces her that she is overreacting. When Sylvia disappears, Father Dowling starts to believe her. Sylvia’s fears turn out to be true when her lifeless body is found on the kitchen floor a few days after her disappearance. It is clear that she was murdered.

Thanks to the Sylvia case, Dowling gets another chance to meet his fellow training mate, Phil Keegan. Phil had begun training with Dowling in seminary school before he quit after just one year. Currently, Phil is the head of the local detectives and is among the best investigators in the Fox River area. The two friends team up to help solve the older woman’s murder. As the investigation intensifies, dark secrets about Sylvia’s family are discovered. Tales of greed and betrayal emerge, and the two friends leave no stone unturned in their search for justice.

Aside from Sylvia’s call to Dowling, there are many reasons why her family is in a spot. First, there is the $150,000 that mysteriously disappears from Sylvia’s account as soon as her body is discovered. The children are also not very cooperative in answering questions regarding their mother’s disappearance and subsequent death. There is the question of why the children would kill their mother, given the fact that they were also wealthy. Is it possible that Sylvia was murdered by an outsider who is working on framing the family?

Away from Sylvia’s story, this book gives the reader a glimpse of how the catholic church works. The book also focuses on the saving of souls, even when fighting for justice, and explains how a Catholic priest could make a great detective. This is not to mean that the book is unbearably religious, far from it. There is a lot of juice that even secular readers will enjoy. While most of the characters are Catholic, their ideas and arguments are not discriminatory at all. There are characters that you will love and others that you will love to hate.

Her Death of Cold is a perfect choice if you are looking for a thriller that also comes with essential life lessons. The conclusion ties all the chapters and beautifully brings an intriguing story to an end. This story is simply a delight. It is simple without being simplistic and is a perfect read for a lazy afternoon. At slightly over 200 pages, the book is short, and you can enjoy it in a single sitting.
On This Rockne

On This Rockne is the first book in the Notre Dame series. The book features Marcus Bramble, a well-to-do alumnus of the Notre Dame campus. Just like the rest of his campus-mates, Marcus has an unhealthy attachment to football. He is willing to use his wealth to keep the football culture in his former campus alive. Marcus promises to contribute $10 million if the money will go to making a memorial for the university’s legendary coach Knute Rockne. Madeline Rune, one of Notre Dame’s trustee, makes disapproving remarks about this donation. After that, she is found dead.

Marcus is among the first suspects. The other suspect is Madeline’s womanizing husband. Things take an exciting twist when Madeline’s husband also dies, and it is clear that he was also murdered. These deaths shake the Notre Dame fraternity, and the administration is keen to find out what happened. Detective Philip Knight, with the help of his brother, gets to work to try and find the killer. As they continue with their investigation, the two brothers will find themselves in the middle of a raging war between academia that wants to bury football, and a wealthy donor is who is not hearing any of this. Aside from finding out what happened to Madeline, the detectives have to prevent the murderer from laying hands on the next victim.

This is an exciting story with a solid plot and a host of interesting characters. It also highlights some of the issues that face academic institutions when it comes to balancing sports and academics. In Ralph McInerny’s style, the narration is simple, and the story is quite straightforward. Find out what happened to Madeline and her husband and the people responsible for their brutal killing. You will also see the lengths that a football fanatic is willing to go for the sake of the game. In the end, the Knight brothers will not only help resolve the murder, but they will also put to bed a matter that was threatening to bring deep cracks within the Notre Dame Campus board.

If you are a football fan, On This Rockne is a perfect read. The book comes complete with football replays and highlights that you will surely enjoy. The rest of the story is told with subtle humor. The reference to the Notre Dame campus makes this an interesting story for anyone in this university or living in the Michiana area. The characters, starting with the knight brothers to their Aunt Lucerne, are quite interesting, and it is fun to meet and learn a thing or two about them. Ralph McInerny is a talented author, and this shows throughout this story. Definitely an excellent introduction to a long and intriguing series.