Green Thumb: A Mystery Set at the University of Notre Dame

By Ralph McInerny

One early morning during spring break, Detectives Phil Knight and Jimmie Stewart are enjoying a golf game at the University of Notre Dame when they find a man apparently suffering a heart attack on the green. They summon help and the man is rushed to the emergency room. But it's too late--the man dies at the hospital and an autopsy suggests that his death was not an accident. The victim--poisoned with deadly nightshade--turns out to be Mortimer Sadler, something of a boor but also an extremely generous donor to the university. He'd returned to campus for an unofficial class reunion, along with several classmates, including his three college roommates. Soon, long-buried animosities surface among the old friends. But are these old wounds strong enough to result in murder? Or was there a more recent disagreement brewing? Phil and his brother Professor Roger Knight team up to uncover the truth behind Sadler's death. Green Thumb is an intriguing addition to this series by the author of the beloved Father Dowling mysteries. Filled with suspense and plot twists galore, not to mention McInerny's trademark clever wit, it's guaranteed to enchant new readers as well as dedicated fans.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312324197
• ISBN13: 9780312324193
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.7" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

fine academic who-done-it

Part of the class of 1977 is holding a reunion at Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. Police Officer Jimmy Stewart and Private Detective Phil Knight are attending the gala when they find a dead man at the sixth green. The victim is Mortimer Sadler, who gave significant financial contributions to his alma mater. His water jar contained the deadly poison belladonna; the university asks the Hinekar Professor of Catholic Studies,Frank Knight, who also happens to be a sleuth, to investigate. Suspicion immediately falls on Maureen O'Kelly, who was in the same class as Mort. The two argued in print and in debates back in school and in the present about females attending the hallowed halls. They even bet a hundred dollars on a golf game. Additionally it is common knowledge that Maureen has a garden back home; her daughter finds the fatal plant in her golf bag. Roger believes everything is too obvious so he sets out to prove Maureen is innocent and catch her framer. The latest Fighting Irish mystery proves why Ralph McInerny is a highly ranked mystery author as the rivalries and hatreds of the past rekindle in the present. Frank has two roles: protect the college from being sacked by a media frenzy and identify the killer. This likable chap sets out to do both, which makes the tale believable. Mr. McInerny aces the eighth hole with this fine academic who-done-it. Harriet Klausner