THE BISHOP GOES TO THE UNIVERSITY

Intrigue and confusion surround the murder of eccentric Brother Popov, a Russian Orthodox monk found inside his locked office at the divinity school in Chicago. Bishop Blackie Ryan, a priest who is also an amateur detective, is dispatched by the Cardinal to solve the locked-door mystery. Narrator Paul Michael's crisp delivery, academic sounding tones, and Russian accents define the characters. But even deft narration can't save this convoluted tale, slowed by back story and a romance irrelevant to the plot. Even gunfire and a missing journal with keys to the mystery don't move this story forward. This one's a disappointment to Greeley fans. G.D.W. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 05]