Sham Rock

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The University of Notre Dame relies on Roger Knight, the rotund professor of Catholic Studies, and his brother Philip, a semiretired PI, to investigate certain delicate situations that could put the school in a bad light. Students, faculty, and alumni, like David Williams, are all fair game.Having been a successful financial adviser until recently, David has returned to campus to renege on a pledged donation to the university’s ethics program. While he’s there, one of his former classmates sends a letter confessing to the murder and a secret burial of one of their closest friends, a student who had gone missing decades before and was never found. As students, David, Patrick, and Timothy made up the “Trinity,” an irreverent nickname for three close friends and fierce rivals---be it for on-campus prestige or the affections of a beautiful St. Mary’s student from across the road.Ready to help the school put the whole sordid tragedy behind them, Roger and Philip set about the sad task of unearthing Timothy’s body, only to find that they have a much bigger mystery with which to contend.With rivalries rekindled and the brothers Knight digging into the university’s past, Sham Rock, the latest in Ralph McInerny’s well-loved mystery series, is as witty and charming as everFrom Publishers WeeklyKnight brothers Roger, a professor, and Philip, a semiretired PI, look into a decades-old disappearance in McInerney's absorbing 13th Notre Dame mystery (after 2008's The Green Revolution). With the economy in a downward slide, financial adviser David Williams, class of '89, returns to his alma mater to renege on his generous offer to fund a new building and to visit his son, who's a Notre Dame junior. Meanwhile, Notre Dame's associate archivist receives an unusual donation from a priest alumnus—a box containing newspaper clippings, a short story, and other items related to a classmate and close friend of David's, Timothy Quinn, who went missing 20 years earlier and has long since been presumed dead. Roger and Philip delve into the past to find out what happened to Timothy and how his loss affected a small, tight-knit group of college friends. Fans of light whodunits will like this one. Sadly, McInerney died January 29, 2010. (Apr.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistTim, Dave, and Pat were best friends at Notre Dame, class of 1989. Pat wrote plays; Tim and Dave were actors. There was also a girl who unintentionally came between the trio. In the aftermath of a dispute over her, Tim Quinn disappeared and was never seen again, possibly the victime of foul play. Dave Williams, one of the survivors, is a financial advisor who’s taken a hit in the current economy. Pat Pelligrino, the third member of the trio, is a Trappist monk living in seclusion. Then Pat sends his papers detailing the Quinn case and his role in it to the university archivist, who turns to brothers Roger and Philip Knight—a professor and a semiretired private eye—for their insight. In an added twist, Pat hands over a small fortune to Dave. Guilt money? As always, the late McInerny offers a revealing portrait of campus life as a backdrop for his cozies. His plots are carefully revealed, with more than a few red herrings, and the humor is subtle and ever present. Roger and Philip Knight will be missed, as will McInerny’s other series character, Father Dowling. --Wes Lukowsky