Irish Stew (Nuala Anne McGrail Novel) - Tapa dura

Nuala Anne McGrail and her adoring husband Dermont Coyne are at it again in Father Greeley's supremely popular Irish mystery series. At an international music festival in Milan, Nuala, in her guise as an international singing star, meets Seamus Costelloe and his family. Nuala quickly sees with her second sight (Nuala is fey in the Irish sense) that Mr Costelloe, a sinister Chicago tough guy, is doomed. She takes it upon herself to do something to save him, which gets her into a whole pack of trouble. Meanwhile Dermot is trying to solve the hundred-year-old mystery of who started the Haymarket Riot, which tore Chicago apart. The talented Father Greeley, with his enormous story-telling skill, his knowledge of Chicago, and his mastery of the mystery form, combines two seperate tales in two different eras to give the reader one tantalizing experience.

Priest, sociologist, author and journalist, Father Andrew M. Greeley built an international assemblage of devout fans over a career spanning five decades. His books include the Bishop Blackie Ryan novels, including "The Archbishop in Andalusia," the Nuala Anne McGrail novels, including "Irish Tweed," and "The Cardinal Virtues." He was the author of over 50 best-selling novels and more than 100 works of non-fiction, and his writing has been translated into 12 languages. Father Greeley was a Professor of Sociology at the University of Arizona and a Research Associate with the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago. In addition to scholarly studies and popular fiction, for many years he penned a weekly column appearing in the "Chicago Sun-Times" and other newspapers. He was also a frequent contributor to "The New York Times," the "National Catholic Reporter," "America "and "Commonweal," and was interviewed regularly on national radio and television. He authored hundreds of articles on sociological topics, ranging from school desegregation to elder sex to politics and the environment. Throughout his priesthood, Father Greeley unflinchingly urged his beloved Church to become more responsive to evolving concerns of Catholics everywhere. His clear writing style, consistent themes and celebrity stature made him a leading spokesperson for generations of Catholics. He chronicled his service to the Church in two autobiographies, "Confessions of a Parish Priest" and "Furthermore!" In 1986, Father Greeley established a $1 million Catholic Inner-City School Fund, providing scholarships and financial support to schools in the Chicago Archdiocese with a minority student body of more than 50 percent. In 1984, he contributed a $1 million endowment to establish a chair in Roman Catholic Studies at the University of Chicago. He also funded an annual lecture series, "The Church in Society," at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary, Mundelein, Illinois, from which he received his S.T.L. in 1954. Father Greeley received many honors and awards, including honorary degrees from the National University of Ireland at Galway, the University of Arizona and Bard College. A Chicago native, he earned his M.A. in 1961 and his Ph.D. in 1962 from the University of Chicago. Father Greeley was a penetrating student of popular culture, deeply engaged with the world around him, and a lifelong Chicago sports fan, cheering for the Bulls, Bears and the Cubs. Born in 1928, he died in May 2013 at the age of 85.