Your Penance is a Rosary

 The Rosary Murders by William Kienzle, is about a murderer, who leaves a rosary as a calling card. The murder victims are exclusively religous.  Priests and nuns are being murdered in Detroit.  Naturally, the priests and nuns are nervous and afraid.  The editor of the Catholic diocesan newspaper, Father Bob Koesler, loves mysteries.  He follows the story both for the story, but also because he loves to read mysteries and here is one right in his neighborhood.

Other characters include:
    Joe Cox--newspaper reporter
    Police Lieutenant Koznicki
    Various priests and police

Why would someone pick priests and nuns to murder?  The second victim, Sister Ann, managed to write the name, Rob, with her blood, before she died.  That was little help.  No one could figure out what was going on until the murderer went to confession to Father Koesler.  But what could he do?  The Seal of Confession cannot be broken.  It is so sacred that I'm not going to tell, you, the reader!

Patron Saint of Confessors

Martyrdom of St. John Nepomuk by Szymon Czechowicz, National Museum in Warsaw.

 St. John Nepomucene (1340-93), was the vicar general to the Archbishop of Prague.  King Wenceslaus IV, was a vicious, young man who easily succumbed to rage and caprice, was highly suspicious of his wife, the Queen.  St. John happened to be the Queen’s confessor.  Although the king himself was unfaithful, he became increasingly jealous and suspicious of his wife, who was irreproachable in her conduct.  Although Wenceslaus tortured St. John to force him to reveal the Queen’s confessions, he would not.  In the end, St. John was thrown into the River Moldau and drowned on March 20, 1393.  He would not break the Seal of Confession.

The Priest's Seal of Confession Rights

Louisiana court upholds priest's 'seal of confession' rights: Baton Rouge, La., Aug 4, 2016 CNA/EWTN News.- A state appeals court in Louisiana reaffirmed that Catholic priests cannot be forced by law to violate the seal of the confessional.  The role of the confessor is strictly confidential.  He can not tell anyone what was said in confession.  He can not tell anything, any time, any where.  The confessor can be put in jail; he still will not tell.