The Bishop in the West Wing

"Father Greeley has given great attention to the role of imagination in the life of faith.  What he is doing is re-evangelizing the imagination, using fiction to address the faith and the mysteries of the faith. That’s an extraordinarily significant project."

—Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop of Chicago

"Nobody has ever left the church because of an Andrew Greeley novel, but many have been attracted back to it by him."

—Reverend Ron Rolheiser, O.M.I.

A poltergeist in the White House? Strange as it sounds, that seems to be the case. A playful spirit, of unknown origin, is at work in the First Residence: rattling chains, slamming doors, dislodging paintings, disrupting press conferences and state dinners. . . .

Enter Bishop Blackwood Ryan, dispatched by Archdiocese of Chicago to get to the bottom of this high-level haunting. After all, the newly-elected President, "Machine Gun" Jack McGurn, is an Irish Catholic from the South Side of Chicago, and the Irish take care of their own. From the Oval Office to the Rose Garden, Father Blackie prowls the corridors of the West Wing, searching for the very mortal instigator behind the persistent poltergeist while getting a firsthand look at what really goes on in the White House. Besides the mischievous spirit, the new Commander-in-Chief has a lot to deal with, including a revolution in China, assassination attempts, and baseless charges of sexual harassment, so it may take all of Blackie’s wit and wiles to keep the State of the Union in a state of grace. The Bishop in the West Wing is an amusing and insightful novel that will delight Blackie Ryan’s multitudinous fans. Bestselling author Andrew M. Greeley was a guest at the White House three times during the past administration, and his keen eye and powers of observation are put to memorable use in Blackie Ryan’s latest and most presidential mystery.

Editorial Reviews / Book Description

"See to it, Blackwood," says the Cardinal Archbishop of Chicago, and Blackie Ryan, the Cardinal's auxiliary bishop, doesn't exactly jump (he never jumps), rather he moseys down to Washington, D.C., where one of his friends, Jack Patrick McGurn, called "Machine Gun McGurn" by the media, has surprisingly just been elected president and needs his help. Blackie's first confrontation is with Washington bureaucracy; the powers that be don't want to give Blackie a pass to wander in and out of the Oval Office at will. The bureaucracy blinks first andBlackie gets his pass.

Blackie, who can do anything, has been called on to deal with ghosts in the White House. Yes, poltergeists. But there are more problems in the White House than ghosts. A conspiracy abroad in the land results in two men trying to blow up the White House. Happily, Blackie has one of his intuitive moments and manages to get a picture of the terrorists, and he didn't forget to take the cap off his camera. He also got the license number of the getaway car. Blackie also has to deal with four enchantingly beautiful women who, without knowing it, may be responsible for the strange ghostlike behavior of an unhappy spirit. None of these things does Blackie find daunting. He stumbles about his business and waits for enlightenment to come.

The Bishop in the West Wing is one of the finest of the Blackie Ryan stories .We meet again a great cast of characters: Sean Cronin, the Cardinal Archbishop of Chicago, who is turning out to be one of the treasures of modern American detective fiction; Mike Casey, the cop turned painter, and Dr.Kate Murphy, Blackie's beautiful and terrifyingly smart sister. With this cast of characters the poor ghosts deserve our pity.

Andrew Greeley was a guest at the White House three times during the most recent administration and his keen eye and powers of observation are put to remarkable use in this latest Blackie Ryan mystery/adventure.

About the Author

Father Andrew M. Greeley has written numerous bestselling novels, including his Nuala Anne McGrail series, Irish Gold, Irish Lace, Irish Mist, Irish Whiskey, Irish Eyes, and Irish Love; his O'Malley family saga series, A Midwinter's Tale, Younger than Springtime, A Christmas Wedding, and September Song; his novel of the papal election, White Smoke; Contract with an Angel, Summer at the Lake, and Star Bright! More than fifteen million copies of his books are in print. He divides his time between teaching at the University of Chicago and the University of Arizona at Tucson.