Malachy's Gloriam

"Another problem—personal is always more dangerous than business. For everybody. Fr. Bari was either innocent of the accusation or not. That issue was already decided. If not, the high horse of holiness had thrown another rider.…"

Malachy Madden, disbarred criminal defense lawyer and manager of the Shamrock bar, is well known throughout Chicago for successfully undertaking unusual projects. When John Bari, a handsome, charismatic, and immensely popular Italian-American priest, is accused of years of sexual abuse of a young boy, he is suspended from his role as pastor-rector of the Saint Shrine located in the heart of an old Italian neighborhood.

A committee of parishioners dedicated to finding justice for the well-liked priest hires Malachy to prove Fr. Bari innocent in a manner that will allow for his full reinstatement at the Shrine. Is the abuse victim telling the truth? Is Fr. Bari innocent? Can the criminal abuser be identified and stopped? How is Chicago’s Cardinal O’Grady involved?

Malachy’s Gloriam is the story of Malachy’s quest to answer these questions. With the assistance of his two long-time colleagues—Kevin, fellow Vietnam vet, and Count Leon, retired professional thief and former client—Malachy uncovers the truth about what happened years ago in the church basement.