Book Reviews and More: May Day - Fiorella De Maria - Father Gabriel Mysteries Book 6

Friday, 2 May 2025

May Day - Fiorella De Maria - Father Gabriel Mysteries Book 6

May Day!

Father Gabriel Mysteries Book 6

Fiorella De Maria
Ignatius Press
ISBN 9781621647676

eISBN 9781642293388

ASIN B0F47BKFK5

May Day - Fiorella De Maria - Father Gabriel Mysteries Book 6

Wow! What an excellent mystery, but I am getting ahead of myself. This was the twentieth book by Fiorella de Maria that I have read. I stumbled upon her works a few years ago and I read nine of them in as many weeks. And now eagerly await each new offering from her masterful pen. I was greatly looking forward to this sixth instalment in the Father Gabriel Mystery series. But alas it released during a very busy period at work and I had to wait to dig into it. I ended up reading most of it on a trip out of town to be a confirmation sponsor, with 4 hours in the car each way. I have tracked down and read everything by her under the name Fiorella de Maria. I did not even read the description of the book prior to picking it up. I know that if Fiorella wrote it, it would be worth reading. It was a great story.

The description of this book states:

“Spring has come to the abbey, and the community is busily preparing for the May Day weekend and the arrival of Boy Scouts who will hold their annual camp on the abbey grounds. When a Boy Scout named Antoine is sent home in disgrace, Fr Gabriel accompanies him to his house, which has become the scene of a violent crime. Antoine's father, Charles, has been found dead, apparently killed during a botched burglary.

Suspecting there was more to the crime than what first meets the eye, Fr Gabriel joins forces with Inspector Applegate to learn about Charles Nicholson, a quiet family man with no obvious enemies. The victim, however, had been married to a fiery French resistance fighter, a union that had caused considerable excitement in the sleepy village.

It doesn't take long for Gabriel to notice that Brigitte Nicholson's life - and courageous death in wartime France - has had a dramatic effect upon her surviving family. Gabriel's quest for the truth leads him into the brutal world of Nazi-occupied France, where resistance fighters like Brigitte were betrayed by their most trusted friends. Could Brigitte's betrayer and Charles' killer be one and the same person? And could the shadowy figure menacing Gabriel be the murderer he is trying to hunt down?

This sixth installment of the Father Gabriel series explores the murky world of wartime treason, profiteering, and betrayal. The story also involves the return of some characters from earlier in the series.”

In many of de Maria’s work she deals with moral topics. She has an uncanny ability to write in such a way that the reader is drawn in and feels part of the story. We find ourselves reflecting on the moral questions at hand. She does so without preaching, but really making readers think. In the last story we learned some more about Father Gabriel’s background. From the beginning we know this story will involve a child or children; from the setup of the Scouts camping on the Abbey grounds; and Father Gabriel’s interactions with the Scout Master and at least one of the boys. By the time we find out about the murder, we are well acquainted with the young lad in question. For father Gabriel having had 3 encounters with him by that point. But soon the case is taking many twists and turns. A family with estranged siblings, something off about the grandfather, and the many references to Brigitte Nicholson’s life; and her courageous death in wartime France. Father Gabriel cannot help but conclude that the woman’s death at the hands of the Nazi’s and her husband’s murder are somehow linked. But can he piece it together, for the sake of the young lad, Antoine. But not everyone like Father Gabriel trying to get to the truth. Some are rude, some are deceptive, and he faces great threats to his wellbeing including needing medical attention on separate occasions. As the story builds we realize the danger is far from over. Will Gabriel put the pieces together in time to prevent more deaths? To find out you will need to read this excellent mystery.

As with the five previous novels, it was great to watch Father Gabriel put the pieces together. In this he knew early on he was missing key pieces of information, but it takes a while and some serious injuries for him to start piecing it all together.

I have really enjoyed everything I have read from de Maria’s masterful pen. Fiorella is one of my favourite contemporary authors, and one of my all-time favourite Catholic authors. I still hold out hope that Ignatius will put back into print de Maria’s first two novels.

This is an excellent read in a great series. It is historical fiction at its best. A priest solving mysteries is not new; Father Brown by Chesterton, Bishop Blackie Ryan by Andrew Greely, but my new favourite is Father Gabriel by de Maria. I can easily recommend this book and series!